ISSA Show Educational Speakers Ready To Share Their Expertise

By Harrell Kerkhoff, Maintenance Sales News Editor

Educational opportunities will be in abundance during The ISSA Show North America 2025, scheduled for November 10-13, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, in Las Vegas, NV.

Sessions for this year’s event will cover the latest in cleaning-related regulatory and sustainability issues, tech trends, distributor strategies, customer service guidance, employee training, AI capabilities — and much more.

Maintenance Sales News Magazine recently interviewed several of the many educational session speakers who will be at this year’s event. The objective is to learn more about the vast educational opportunities available during the 2025 ISSA Show North America.

Harnessing Time

Nicole Bernardo

No matter how hard we try to change it, there remains only 24 hours in a day. Therefore, time management is critical when it comes to getting important work done in a timely manner. Tackling this subject during the ISSA Show North America is Nicole Bernardo, Founder & CEO of Cornerstone Virtual Partners (cornerstonevirtualpartners.com).

Bernardo will present, “Time Management: Mastering Time For Operational Excellence,” from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, November 12.

“This session is designed for leaders who are constantly pulled in multiple directions and need to reclaim control over their time,” Bernardo said. “We’ll focus on how to identify and remove non-value-added tasks, prioritize activities that truly drive business results, and use an Operations Plan as a time management tool. Attendees will see how better time allocation not only reduces stress but also leads to measurable improvements in efficiency, profitability, and growth potential.”

She added attendees will leave with:

• A clear distinction between value-added and non-value-added tasks;
• A framework for creating and implementing an Operations Plan that supports time management;
• Real examples of how shifting just 20 hours per week from low-value to high-value tasks can save $96,000 annually;
• Strategies for delegation, automation, and leveraging expert support; and,
• Tools to free up time for client-facing activities, strategic planning, and scaling initiatives.

“I am the Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Virtual Partners and a Fractional Chief Operating Officer specializing in the janitorial, distribution, and service-based industries,” Bernardo said. “With over 25 years of operational leadership experience, 20 years in janitorial distribution, 4 years in kitchen and bath manufacturing, and more than 4 years as an entrepreneur, I help business owners streamline operations, optimize processes, and manage their time for maximum impact. I’ve built my career on helping leaders stop working in their business and start working on it, allowing them to grow without burning out.”

She added a main goal people should have when attending this session is to leave with a practical, realistic plan for using their time more effectively.

“This type of education should spark both insight and action — helping leaders see where their time is going and giving them the tools to redirect it toward what matters most,” Bernardo said. “As with any session attendance, it’s important to not implement everything at once. Rather, pick two or three strategies and start applying them immediately. Attendees can use the Operations Plan template that I will provide to track their changes. They should also share their own new plans with their teams so team members can support and hold each attendee accountable.”

Bernardo is a firm believer in the importance of education for everyone involved in professional cleaning, explaining the industry continues to face changes — whether it’s evolving client demands, technology adoption, and/or staffing challenges.

“Education equips professionals with the tools to adapt and thrive. In particular, mastering time management helps leaders stay focused on high-value activities that strengthen their competitive edge and improve both operational and financial performance,” she said. “The ISSA Show provides the perfect opportunity to step away from day-to-day demands and gain a fresh perspective. My session is designed to help attendees take control of their time, simplify their operations, and make room for growth. If you’ve ever felt like there aren’t enough hours in the day, this workshop will give you the clarity and tools to change that — immediately.

“I will be at the show from Tuesday through Thursday and am happy to connect with anyone who is interested in discussing operational strategies, time management solutions, and/or ways to improve efficiency in their business.”

Lessons On EPR, Sustainability & Safer Chemistry

Keith Schneringer

Today’s away-from-home cleaning and facility maintenance landscape continues to evolve into a more sustainable- and safer-focused environment — one where many challenges to overcome and opportunities to utilize are present. Helping tackle these issues during two sessions at this year’s ISSA Show North America will be BradyPLUS (bradyplus.com) Senior Director of Marketing JanSan + Sustainability Keith Schneringer.

He will take part in two educational sessions as a panelist. The first session, “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) & Sustainable Packaging,” is scheduled for 1:30 to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12; while the second session, “Why Sustainability and Safer Chemistry Must Go Beyond the Bottle,” will take place from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m., also on Wednesday, November 12.

The first session will be tailored for all commercial cleaning industry stakeholders, including manufacturers, building service contractors, distributors, and cleaning service providers. It will highlight the challenges and opportunities of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a policy approach that assigns producers with the responsibility of their products’ end-of-life. That can include financial and operational responsibilities.

Participants of the ISSA session will learn strategies to implement and manage EPR frameworks along with perspectives on integrating sustainability into daily operations and long-term planning.

“There are a number of states that have EPR legislation in place, with other states looking into this concept,” Schneringer said. “The consumer has largely been the decision maker on what to do with a product once it’s been used. The problem is, not all consumers recycle, and thus a lot of used products still end up in landfills. In response, several states are looking at trying something different, placing more of the burden on the producers of discarded products.”

The second session that Schneringer will take part in — Why Sustainability and Safer Chemistry Must Go Beyond the Bottle — also features a broad spectrum of cleaning industry representatives. That includes the EPA, manufacturing, distribution, and facility maintenance. These officials will discuss why a commitment to sustainability and safer chemistry is more important than ever from an employee health and safety, environmental, and competitive perspective.

“One of many aspects to this topic is ‘building occupant wellness.’ As more people go back to the office, for example, they want to stay clear of unsafe cleaning chemicals,” Schneringer said. “It’s important to have conversations today on how to make sure safer chemistry is in place for the benefit of all building occupants.”

Schneringer has been in the sanitary supply industry since 1990 and is currently responsible at BradyPLUS for marketing to the jan/san and facility care industry, for developing vertical-market-specific programs to better assist customers, and for leading the company’s sustainability initiatives. Before assuming his current responsibilities, he worked as an account consultant, sales manager, marketing manager, and director of channel marketing + sustainability for WAXIE Sanitary Supply.

When asked to discuss the importance of attending educational sessions for those involved in the cleaning industry, Schneringer said one great benefit is hearing from experts in various fields who are willing to share what they have learned over the years.

“These are people who are sharing their expertise and experiences as it relates to a specific topic or part of the industry,” he explained. “Such information can help attendees implement different strategies and ways of doing things to improve their own work and career.

“I have also attended sessions where I have struck a conversation with somebody sitting next to me and learned something useful from that person. There are a variety of benefits to attending an educational session. It allows people to share their thoughts and best practices and learn from others doing the same. The better educated we are, as an industry, the more valuable our overall output will be for the betterment of everyone involved.”

Improving The Roles Of Managers & Supervisors

John Broer

A transformation involving the roles of manager and supervisor at many companies is long overdue, according to Principal and Co-Founder at Real Good Ventures John Broer (realgoodventures.com/the-bosshole-chronicles). He will present an educational session titled, “Reinventing the Manager: Lessons from the Bossholes®,” from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. on Monday, November 10.

“Elevating people into supervisory and management positions without sufficient vetting, preparation, training, and development is a hypersonic bullet train to poor performance, disengagement, and excessive turnover,” Broer said. “We continue to create legions of Bossholes® who don’t understand how to optimize their people, and we have allowed these substandard practices to exist far too long. Now is the time to reinvent the manager’s role that will be guiding and developing our people from this point forward.”

The term “bosshole” is associated with unaware, difficult, ineffective, and sometimes downright mean managers and leaders. However, according to Broer, residing in The Bosshole® Zone doesn’t have to be permanent. Attendees of his session will learn what it takes to either get out of, or avoid, the zone altogether.  After all, no one is born to be a Bosshole®.

Broer’s presentation will address the elements necessary for this transformation and help organizations rethink and reinvent the way they advance individuals into a people-development role.

Broer is the creator and co-host of “The Bosshole® Chronicles” podcast, which in 2024 reached the top 10% of podcasts worldwide, providing a forum in which to discuss the challenges people face when they encounter Bossholes® and how organizations can work to create a Bosshole®-free culture.

“I’ve been in the field of organizational performance for over 30 years, most of which has been dedicated to helping managers and leaders understand their roles more completely; and now the role of the manager needs to be reinvented from the tired and outdated model that has been in place for so long,” Broer said.

He added that learning should be an ongoing pursuit for all cleaning professionals and since the cleaning industry is so expansive and involves so many people, managers and supervisors cannot afford to be sloppy when it comes to their understanding, development, and coaching of those people.

“Remember, bad managers (Bossholes®) are one of the main reasons people leave an organization, but an enlightened and great manager is a significant aspect of why people stay with a company,” Broer said. “Great managers are capable of building a competitive barrier to all the options our employees have.”

The Advantages Of Using AI Assistant

Laura Craven

The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) presents a game-changing opportunity for businesses in the cleaning, janitorial, and facility management industries. That includes the power of Custom GPT Assistants — AI-driven tools designed to enhance productivity, streamline research, and revolutionize content creation.

Key information on this topic will be presented by Laura Craven, Vice President of Marketing at Imperial Date (imperialdade.com), during her educational session titled, “Create Your Very Own AI Assistant.” The session will take place from 1:30 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11.

“Attendees will learn how to design, implement, and utilize their own AI assistant tailored to their unique business needs. Through real-world examples — including my own experience building and deploying my Custom GPT Assistant — I will demonstrate how AI can improve decision-making, accelerate workflows, and generate high-value content for marketing, sales, and operations,” Craven said. “My goal is to demystify artificial intelligence and demonstrate how non-technologists can use these tools to increase productivity.

“The session will include a step-by-step demonstration that attendees can follow and have their own AI Assistant up and running in less than an hour.”

Craven has 30 years of experience in the jan/san industry, having worked for Network Distribution and now Imperial Dade. She earned an Executive Certificate in AI Applications from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2024 and is currently on the ISSA Board Of Directors representing the Distributor Member Class.

Craven is a firm believer in the power of education with the goal of learning new ways to improve a career, business and the overall cleaning industry. She highly recommends people involved in the professional cleaning industry to leverage ISSA’s many resources to further their professional development and learning opportunities and to network with like-minded professionals.

She also has key advice on how to retain information from any type of educational opportunity.

“Apply all learning within a few days. That will better support retention of important information and techniques that were provided,” Craven said. “The cleaning industry is full of opportunities. By upskilling and learning emerging technologies, people can enjoy a more fulfilling career with added opportunities to succeed.

“As for AI, it’s a tool, not something to fear. With each new technological milestone there is resistance. However, imagine a world without smartphones, online banking, or Uber. AI is simply the next advancement.”

Missed Business Opportunities: Why A Well-Maintained Public Restroom Is Critical

Raquel Carbonari

Today’s public restrooms don’t just need to be clean; they need to meet the hygiene needs of as many people as possible – because a business’s overall performance depends on it. There are many ways to make public restroom hygiene more accessible to all, such as those that will be discussed during an ISSA Show education session titled, “Is Your Public Restroom Turning People Away?” The session will take place from 3 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 12.

One of the two speakers at this event will be Raquel Carbonari, Brand Activation Director, North America at Tork, an Essity brand (torkglobal.com/us/en/).

“I’ll be co-leading a session that explores the unexpected but significant impact public restroom experiences can have on business performance,” Carbonari said. “We’ll dive into new findings from Tork research, which show that poor restroom conditions are not only common but also costly — impacting customer satisfaction, employee retention, and even revenue. For example, 52% of people take action when a restroom isn’t up to par, from filing a formal complaint that bogs down a facility manager and cleaning staff efficiency to sharing negative experiences with a friend or giving a poor review on social media.

“Presenting with me will be Jen Ashman, a partner at the design studio, Other Tomorrows. In her role, she works to translate the functional and emotional ‘whys’ behind human behaviors into designs that positively affect broader populations of people. We’re both excited to discuss how facility managers and building services contractors can improve hygiene in one of the busiest spaces in any facility — the restroom.”

The session will also highlight how inclusive hygiene practices can transform restrooms from a source of complaints into a strategic business asset.

“We’ll discuss how businesses can remove visible and invisible barriers to hygiene, ensuring restroom hygiene is truly accessible to all. Ultimately, the goal is to help attendees rethink the restroom as a space of opportunity, not just maintenance,” Carbonari explained. “Attendees will also gain further access to data and insights from the latest Tork research, including how restroom conditions affect user behavior and can lead to extra work and stress for a cleaning staff. They’ll learn practical strategies for improving hygiene standards that apply to all types of environments — with a focus on sustainability, accessibility, and user and cleaner experience.”

Practical advice and tools will also be shared at the session to help teams show the value and benefit of implementing inclusive and sustainable hygiene principles. From demonstrating how a small product innovation can reduce waste to design principles that support better hygiene outcomes that drive cleaning staff efficiency, the session will educate participants on the needs of users and cleaners. It will also offer actionable takeaways for building owners, facility managers, building services contractors, and business leaders alike.

Carbonari added: “These tips are meant to equip people who own, operate, and clean restrooms with the knowledge and resources to make meaningful improvements to their cleaning practices that benefit both people, the planet, and their operation.”

Carbonari has been involved in the professional hygiene business for over 15 years, leading product management strategies and innovation projects, and, most recently, serving in the brand activation role.

“My work primarily focuses on educating customers on how better hygiene delivers better business performance,” she said. “In order to help businesses meet hygiene expectations, Tork has collaborated with global partners, design experts, and advocacy organizations to develop the Inclusive Hygiene Playbook. This experience gives me a unique perspective on how restroom design improvements can drive business performance by meeting the hygiene needs of as many people as possible.”

She explained that educational seminars should inspire professionals to think beyond the day-to-day concerns that typically take their focus. Seminars provide an opportunity to gain fresh perspectives, learn from industry leaders, and connect ideas to real-world challenges to drive a business forward.

“For cleaning professionals, seminars can help bridge the gap between operational tasks and strategic impact — showing, for example, how restroom design decisions influence customer loyalty, employee wellbeing, and sustainability goals,” Carbonari said. “The best seminars leave people not just informed but empowered to drive change at their facility. Whether it’s adopting the latest technologies or trying out new ways to drive productivity, the goal is to spark meaningful progress.”

When asked how attendees of educational sessions can properly retain information for future use, Carbonari stressed the importance of asking questions, taking notes, and identifying one key takeaway they can implement in their facility or business.

“During this session, we will provide access to educational materials for attendees to revisit and share within their organizations. After the session, sharing what you’ve learned with colleagues is a great way to reinforce key takeaways and spark internal dialogue about how to drive impactful change at your organization,” Carbonari said. “If possible, attendees should identify one or two ideas they can implement right away — even small changes can lead to big results. And don’t hesitate to follow up with us; we’re happy to answer any questions after the session at the Tork booth to support your operation’s journey toward offering more inclusive hygiene in public restrooms.”

She added that education, in general, is vital to cleaning professionals as the industry is constantly evolving. Such changes include new technologies, regulations, market conditions, and people and business hygiene expectations. Facility managers and building services contractors need to stay informed to deliver high-quality, efficient, and impactful hygiene operations.

“It’s important for organizations to leverage hygiene as a competitive advantage and to demonstrate to their key stakeholders that through smart products, data-driven insights, and inclusive hygiene practices they can support the business. Jen and I are excited to share more at ISSA and look forward to connecting with leaders who want to learn how to use inclusive hygiene as a concept to drive their operation and offer more value to their customers, restrooms users, and cleaning teams.”