That's a Wrap on #CLEAR2026! Recapping the 46th Annual Educational Conference

From September 14–17, CLEAR's regulatory community gathered in Portland, Oregon for the 46th Annual Educational Conference — and what a week it was. Over 400 attendees from four continents came together at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront for four days of learning, connection, and celebration of regulatory excellence.

Here's a look back at everything that made #CLEAR2026 one to remember.

Getting Started: Pre-Conference and Welcome

The week kicked off Monday with committee meetings, bringing together the volunteers whose work drives CLEAR's mission year-round — both in person and online. Monday also featured a pre-conference workshop on de-escalation, where attendees traded their seats for real-world role-play scenarios, building practical skills for navigating high-stakes interactions.

By late afternoon, it was time to connect. The "CLEAR-ly Connected: Getting the Most from the CLEAR Community" session gave attendees a first look at what's new at CLEAR, a chance to hear from committee members, and an early opportunity to start building relationships across the regulatory community.

The evening capped off with the Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall, generously supported by our Presenting Sponsor and CLEAR Partner, gov2biz — complete with a complimentary drink ticket for attendees kicking off the conference in style.

Day One: Keynotes, Connections, and Celebration

Tuesday opened with registration, eco-friendly conference bags courtesy of Gold Sponsor Tyler Technologies, and badges and lanyards made a little greener thanks to Gold Sponsor Prometric.

The morning's centerpiece was the Opening Keynote, "Regulatory Abundance: Not an Oxymoron," delivered by Jay Chaudhary of Simon Family and sponsored by Gov2Biz. The talk challenged attendees to think beyond harm prevention and consider how regulation can also unlock innovation, growth, and opportunity — a theme that echoed throughout the conference.

The day continued with:

• A locally inspired Welcome to Portland Lunch, featuring Pacific Northwest flavors, fresh salads, and salmon
• Complimentary professional headshots in the Exhibit Hall, sponsored by Pearson
• A well-timed coffee break courtesy of Deloitte
• A full slate of concurrent sessions across CLEAR's four areas of inquiry

The evening also brought the presentation of CLEAR's 2026 awards, honoring individuals and organizations advancing the field of professional regulation:

• CLEAR Consumer Protection Award — Utah Division of Professional Licensing & Office of Professional Licensure Review
• Investigative Excellence Award – Group — Office of Professional Standards, School District of Palm Beach County
• Regulatory Excellence Award – Group — Compounding Supervisor Training Team, Ontario College of Pharmacists
• Regulatory Excellence Award – Individual — Dianne Millette, College of Health and Care Professionals of British Columbia, and Dr. Yousra Alatiq, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties
• Regulatory Excellence Award – Individual — Dr. Yousra Alatiq, Saudi Commission for Health Specialties

Congratulations to all of this year's honorees!

Day One closed with attendees heading out to explore Portland's history and stories at the evening's social activities.

Day Two: Tough Conversations, Board, and Puppies

Wednesday morning brought the conference plenary, "Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High," led by Jillian Morenz. The session offered attendees practical strategies for navigating difficult conversations, managing strong emotions, and turning disagreement into productive dialogue.

The rest of the day was packed with highlights:

• A networking lunch in the Exhibit Hall, featuring Zuppa Toscana soup, garlic rolls, and grilled lemon herb chicken
• More complimentary headshots from Pearson
• The poster session, sponsored by Kyra Solutions, showcasing research and promising practices from across the regulatory community
• A genuinely unforgettable Puppy Break, in partnership with Guide Dogs for the Blind and sponsored by Kyra Solutions — a paws-itively popular mid-conference reset
• Another coffee break sponsored by Deloitte

Wednesday also brought exciting news: CLEAR announced its incoming 2026–27 Board of Directors, welcoming Michael Carpenter as President-Elect, along with regular members Christine Arnold and Jennifer Garrett (both incumbents), Andrew LaFratte, and Adam Slater. Congratulations to all — and thank you to everyone who participated in this year's election!

The evening rounded out with another social outing — an evening of wine, local history, and great company across Portland.

Day Three: Finishing Strong

The final day encouraged attendees to make the most of every remaining session and connection before heading home. CLEAR closed out the conference with "Setting Precedents: The Top Ten Cases You Need to Know About," featuring Graeme Keirstead, Carolyn Silver, and Amigo Wade. The session explored recent regulatory law cases from around the world — covering discipline, registration, investigations, and human rights — with live polling that kept attendees engaged right to the last minute.

Thank You

None of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors and exhibitors.

Special thanks to: Presenting Sponsor & CLEAR Partner: gov2biz, Gold Sponsors: Deloitte, Tyler Technologies, Prometric  and Silver Sponsors: Pearson, Kyra Solutions.

And to all of our exhibitors, including CLEAR, Deloitte, EBAS, Fortesium, gov2biz, Healthcare Regulatory Research Institute (HRRI), InLumon, Mi-Case, Pearson, Prometric, Propelus CE Broker, PSI, Salesforce, Sanswrite, System Automation, TruMerit, Tyler Technologies, and WES — thank you for showing up for the regulatory community.

We also want to recognize our outgoing Board members for their years of dedicated service and lasting impact on CLEAR: Staci Mason, Past President, and Shilo Tooze, Regular Member. Thank you for everything you've given to this community.

Interested in getting more involved yourself? Sign up for a CLEAR committee — we'd love to have you.

See You in Vancouver!

We're leaving Portland with new ideas, stronger connections, and plenty to bring back to our work — but we're already looking ahead. CLEAR's 47th Annual Educational Conference heads north to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from September 20–23, 2027, at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.

Registration is now open and if you register by December 31, 2026, you'll lock in 2026 rates.

Until next time, thank you for making #CLEAR2026 one to remember.

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