Breakout Sessions

BIOGRAPHY

Jason Anderson is the owner of Gradmetrics LLC, a college and student loan planning firm. He is also a Lecturer and Academic Program Associate at the University of Kansas School of Business and Doctoral student in the Personal Financial Planning program at Kansas State. He received his Certified Nonprofit Professional certificate in 2009 and graduated from Rockhurst University with a degree in Nonprofit Leadership. 

Session

• Title: Managing Student Loans for Your Wellbeing
• Description: Are your student loans causing you anxiety? Stop making unnecessary mistakes and get on the right plan that fits your life goals. This presentation guides you through the complex world of repaying student loan debt and regaining your sense of financial dignity, covering student loan repayment plans, consolidation, and loan forgiveness opportunities including Public Service Loan Forgiveness. 

BIOGRAPHY

Sheila Armitage is at her “work happiest” enabling leaders, teams, and organizations to enhance strength, vitality, and energy to meet and transform any obstacles while maintaining optimism and joie de vivre. Her research and resilience behavioral model is core to her executive coaching and workshops. She has coached and consulted internationally in diverse business sectors from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses, public sector organizations, and non-profits. Serving as adjunct faculty with Nonprofit Austin at ACC for four years, Sheila gives her time to social impact and public service leaders through workshops, coaching, and volunteering. Sheila has spoken at South by Southwest, It’s Time Texas, The American Quality Association, Austin Business Group on Health, HR Southwest Conference, and with professional groups such as engineers, healthcare, human resources, and learning.

Session

• Title: Resilience Workout: Building Your Leadership Resilience Muscles
• Description: Develop your strength, vitality, and energy to meet and transform any obstacles, while maintaining optimism and joie de vivre for sustainable impact. How do you do that in reality? Leaders who thrive have strengthened six “muscle groups” that allow them to respond rather than react to life’s challenges. These leaders are also happier, healthier, and living “la buena vida.”  In this session,  assess if you are living "la buena vida, " examine personal resilience, and strengthen your muscles to live "la buena vida" while learning to maintain sustainable impact at work, home, and in your community.
  
  
  
  

BIOGRAPHY

Session

• Title: Joyous Fundraising for Nonprofit Leaders - Learn the JOY System
• Description: Nonprofit professionals understand the need for resources and funding to elevate their missions; however, the prospect of fundraising often evokes feelings of dread and hopelessness. What if those negative feelings could be replaced with a sense of peace and joy? What could your nonprofit accomplish if fear was not in the way of achieving critical funding goals?

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Juana Bordas is the author of Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age and The Power of Latino Leadership. Both books received the International Latino Book Award and are breakthrough works in the multicultural leadership field. Her new book The Power of Latino Leadership ¡Ahora! is being released in March 2023. Juana served as an advisor to Harvard’s Hispanic Journal, the Kellogg National Fellows, and as trustee of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership and International Leadership Association (ILA). She was the first Latino to receive ILA’s lifetime achievement award.

She is a founder and served as Executive Director for Mi Casa Resource Center. As founding president of The National Hispana Leadership Institute and The Circle of Latina Leadership, she was commended by Latina Style Magazine for creating “a Nation of Latina Leaders.” Juana served in one of the first Peace Corps Groups in Chile and worked organizing production cooperatives in the barrios of Santiago. Today this type of microenterprise work is recognized as foundational in assisting people to achieve economic security.

Session

• Title: Envisioning and Elevating Multicultural Leadership and Inclusive Organizations
• Description: We stand at the threshold of immense social transformations. Ten thousand baby boomers retire every day while the Millennial and Z generations are the largest in history. Fifty percent come from communities of color- heralding the rise of our multicultural nation. And Latinos make up 35% of Gen Z’s and 27% of Millennials. By 2045 one in four Americans will be Latino. By sheer numbers alone, Latinos will shape the 21st Century.  These transformations make integrating intergenerational and multicultural leadership into our organizations imperative! This session provides practices and models for nonprofits to foster more diverse and equitable organizational environments. A special emphasis is understanding the unique assets Latinos bring as people who value inclusiveness and come from many races and cultures.

BIOGRAPHY

Eric Camarillo currently resides in Orlando, Florida, and is a University of Central Florida Alumni. He obtained his bachelor's in social work, master's in nonprofit management, and also received his certifications as a CFRE and ACNP. He founded SALT Outreach in 2011 and transitioned full-time with the nonprofit in April 2021. Just from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, SALT has been able to serve over 5,000 people experiencing homelessness, with over 250,000 different services and resources. From August 2020 through March 2022, SALT has been involved in helping to end homelessness for over 1,000 different people.

Eric is passionate about teaching and empowering others in the nonprofit sector. In 2022, Eric started Advent Fundraising, LLC, to create a vehicle in which he can coach nonprofits to accomplish their fundraising goals to achieve even greater impacts in the communities they serve.

Session

• Title: Fundraising from Scratch: Practical Lessons to Go From 4k to 2.5 million
• Description: A nonprofit under Eric's Leadership, SALT Outreach went from earning $4,000 per year, to roughly $2,500,000 per year in seven years. Over the past four years, SALT has grown its total revenue by 25 times, with private giving at least doubling with each passing year. This session shares practical lessons, step-by-step tips, and how to avoid the same mistakes during this process.

BIOGRAPHY

Latisha A. Chastang is the Chief Visionary Officer of Bright Minds Consulting, specializing in nonprofit management and leadership for large and small nonprofit organizations. The vision came from her experience in the nonprofit sector and the need for staff, leadership, and start-up nonprofits to fully understand the business aspect of successfully managing an organization. Most importantly, she seeks to motivate nonprofit organizations to understand and embrace social entrepreneurship in order for organizations to be sustainable. Latisha has her bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Human Resources from Franklin University, and her master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Capella University. She has secured over $15 million dollars in new funding sources organizations in her career and continues to work with nonprofits to create innovative services and programs.

Latisha currently serves on the Board of Health for Franklin County Public Health, ECDI’s Women's Business Center Advisory Board, Focus Learning Academy, and Helen Fuld Health Trust Community Core Advisory Board. Latisha is the wife of Carl of 21 years, mom of two college students, Xavier and Danielle, and dog mom to Dashie.

Session

• Title: Reimaging Strategic Vision
• Description: The difference between nonprofits who are still struggling to regain their footing and those who are emerging stronger than ever largely comes down to one key factor: whether or not they reimagined the organization's mission, strategic vision, and sustainability plans in light of the changing circumstances. Nonprofit organizations that do not pivot their strategic vision are likely still struggling as much today as they were when the pandemic began. During this session, organizations will be provided with the tools and techniques to ensure organizations can continue to thrive and impact the communities they serve.

BIOGRAPHY

Maeve is currently a member of the AmeriCorps NCCC: FEMA Corps program. On her team Maeve acts as the Community Relations Representative and Life After AmeriCorps Representative. She is originally from Pennsylvania and graduated from West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Environmental Planning and a minor in Geographic Information Systems.

Session

• Title: Volunteering in the Nonprofit Sector Through AmeriCorps NCCC
• Description: An overview of AmeriCorps and choosing a year of service, told from active and past AmeriCorps volunteers.

BIOGRAPHY

Caroline Frenzel graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs and Anthropology in 2021 and is currently serving a year with AmeriCorps NCCC through the FEMA Corps program.

Session

• Title: Volunteering in the Nonprofit Sector Through AmeriCorps NCCC
• Description: An overview of AmeriCorps and choosing a year of service, told from active and past AmeriCorps volunteers.

BIOGRAPHY

Mary Gladstone-Highland is a Certified Nonprofit Professional with seventeen years of experience leading organizations. Mary is a graduate of the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She holds a Master of Public Administration and a Certificate in Advanced Study in Conflict and Collaboration. She leads courses on leadership, fundraising, and strategy with nonprofit leaders from across the country. Mary is skilled at analyzing large amounts of information to find creative solutions to complex problems. She strives to use an asset-based approach in every situation.

Session

• Title: Lessons from the Pandemic: Excellent Leadership in a Crisis
• Description: Nonprofit leaders experienced a historic disruption over the past three years. Prior to COVID-19, the sector's leaders were solving the world's most pressing challenges with limited resources. During the pandemic, nonprofit leaders solved even greater problems with fewer resources. In this new reality, business-as-usual leadership techniques no longer apply. This session takes an important look back to identify what we can learn from that intense experience and how it can help shape us into better leaders moving forward. Focused on lessons learned, learn how to apply those concepts to your unique situation, and develop and detailed roadmap to continued leadership growth.

BIOGRAPHY

Riley McConnell is currently a Team Leader for the FEMA Corps program, a national service program dedicated to helping people before, during, and after disasters. Riley has a degree in National Security and Foreign Affairs from Virginia Tech which has led her into the field of emergency management and disaster relief. Riley, who is from Northern Virginia, has volunteered most of her life and has been extremely grateful for the opportunity to volunteer on a national scale for the year. She earned the CNP credential in October 2022 after her work with AmeriCorps and various nonprofits throughout the country. Riley is excited to see the future of emergency management through preparedness, response, and recovery, and its overlap with the nonprofit sector.

Session

• Title: Volunteering in the Nonprofit Sector Through AmeriCorps NCCC
• Description: An overview of AmeriCorps and choosing a year of service, told from active and past AmeriCorps volunteers.

BIOGRAPHY

After a decade as an in-house nonprofit marketer, Jordana Merkin founded Voice for Good to bring her insider knowledge and outsider perspective to help growing nonprofits raise awareness and funds through strategic marketing and communications. Her work as a mission-driven marketer includes crafting clear messaging guides and strategic marketing plans. Every nonprofit has a story to tell, and Jordana partners with under-resourced organizations to build a foundation for each one to share its story effectively. With a mission to give voice to good causes, Jordana grows capacity for small nonprofits, building meaningful connections with those who matter most.

Session

• Title: IMPACT Storytelling: How to Harness the Power of Storytelling to Engage Supporters
• Description: Storytelling has become a buzzword in our sector. We know it’s important, but how do we do it well (especially when we’re under-resourced and strapped for time)? IMPACT storytelling breaks it down into doable steps, so nonprofits of all sizes can successfully collect their stories, identify how to use them and who to share them with, and tell them in a way that keeps them top of mind for supporters. In this session, participants will learn all of the above with actionable steps for their organization to implement—and all they have to remember is the acronym, IMPACT.

BIOGRAPHY

Lillian began her career as a counselor and advocate for child and adult survivors of domestic violence and/or sexual assault, a parenting educator for Spanish-speaking individuals, and a case manager for justice-involved youth. During graduate school, she interned with former State Representative Jessica Farrar’s office as part of the GCSW Austin Legislative Internship Program and subsequently became Representative Farrar’s chief of staff and campaign manager. Since then, she’s worked in numerous positions involving advocacy, policy, governmental relations, and public affairs as well as an adjunct professor with the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work. She currently serves as the GCSW’s Director of Innovative Academic Programs and Partnerships, where she oversees the David M. Underwood Chapter of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

Session

• Title: Advocacy in the Nonprofit Sector: What, Why, and How?
• Description: More than ever, the nonprofit sector has an important role and responsibility in advocacy work. This session provides a framework to understand what advocacy work actually entails, how and why the nonprofit sector fits into it, and concrete and practical ways nonprofit professionals may be advocates for the communities they serve, the causes they care about, and the organizations they represent.

BIOGRAPHY

Nonprofit Daily News and Philips Nonprofit Consulting were founded by Victoria Philips. Victoria has a Master's degree in Nonprofit and Leadership Studies. A Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) with 10+ years of experience training over 10,000 nonprofit fundraisers, executives and board members in strategy and operation. Victoria genuinely cares about and devotes her skills to boost the growth of nonprofits in service of the greater community as well as the development of people working in the nonprofit sector.

Session

• Title: The Future of Fundraising And Philanthropy: What Will Successful Fundraising Look Like in 2030
• Description: Due to technological changes and the rise of new generations taking the lead in becoming the most generous benefactors, fundraising practices are ever changing and there will be an increased need for fundraisers to keep up with the new changes and challenges in the industry. This session addresses seven specific questions regarding the future of fundraising:
  • Who will replace the Greatest Generation as the most generous benefactors?
  • What ethical challenges will fundraisers face that are the same or different than today?
  • What skills and talents will fundraisers need in 10 years?
  • Today, most major gifts are secured face-to-face. What role will social media, artificial intelligence, crowdsourcing, etc., play in fundraising for significant gifts?
  • Will direct mail—still the #1 way to fundraise from mass audiences—be dead? If so, what will replace it? How will Millennials—all of you—change fundraising practices and donor engagement strategies?
  • What will be the best way to secure gifts and form long-lasting relationships from the largest living generation as they move into gift-making capacity?
  • The number of Americans who contribute to philanthropy is shrinking. What will happen to the nonprofit sector? Will it contract as more nonprofits go after a smaller market of potential donors?

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Jarrad D. Plante, CNP, serves as Unit Leader for AmeriCorps NCCC FEMA Corps. A realtor and Certified Nonprofit Professional, Dr. Plante received his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership for Higher Education & Policy Studies (HEPS) from the University of Central Florida. He is an Eagle Scout and an AmeriCorps*NCCC Alum. His research interests include domestic, international, and the institutionalization of service-learning, community engagement, and national service. His published works include The Central Florida Service Collective: Connecting National Service to Higher Education to Strengthen Communities, Civic Value of National Service: Ethics to Students, City Year History, Model, and Impact, and Teammates For Life. Dr. Plante has won several awards for his scholarship including the Graduate Research Forum as well as the Service-learning Showcase. He is also an adjunct professor at UCF, teaching the Volunteer Management course. As a community connector, Dr. Plante developed and leads the Central Florida Service Collective – an incubator of service year programs and partnering organizations for the purpose of collaborating on service-related engagement that positively impacts the community.

Session

• Title: Volunteering in the Nonprofit Sector Through AmeriCorps NCCC
• Description: An overview of AmeriCorps and choosing a year of service, told from active and past AmeriCorps volunteers.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Allison Quintanilla Plattsmier has twelve years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has collectively raised approximately $5 million for over 75 organizations. She currently serves as Executive Director of Edgehill Neighborhood Partnership and runs her own nonprofit consulting firm, AQP Consulting, where she helps grassroots nonprofits with fundraising strategy, strategic planning, board development, and grant writing.

Allison is a vocal advocate for gender parity, closing the wage gap, and ending the motherhood penalty. With accolades such as AFP’s Outstanding Young Fundraising Professional, Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30, NBJ’s 40 Under 40, Diversity MBA’s Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leaders, 2021 National Latino Leader, and 2022 Women Who Rock Nashville Social Justice Award, Dr. Quintanilla Plattsmier is a true emerging leader in the Middle Tennessee community.

Session

• Title: Closing the Wage Gap: Negotiating Your Salary
• Description: This session focuses on empowering employees to advocate for themselves and provides tools for salary negotiation.

BIOGRAPHY

Guided by her background in Social Work with an emphasis on policy, planning, and administration, Hilary works closely with organizations to help grow their capacity and utilize data to guide decision-making. She has worked almost exclusively in the nonprofit sector and has experience with strategic planning, culture and climate improvement, DEI capacity building, and data implementation and analysis. Hilary has extensive experience in equity and belonging as a former Director of Diversity and Outreach Initiatives.

Session

• Title: Preventing Burnout: The Big, Bad, "B-Word" in Nonprofits
• Description: Preventing burnout is easier than reversing it. In nonprofit organizations, a proactive approach to burnout prevention is essential, but it’s more than just hosting an office potluck or a team-building session. Burnout prevention is intentional and involves creating an organizational culture and systems where employees can thrive. This session presents strategies to help prevent burnout and promote employee well-being in nonprofit organizations. Attendees will acquire and practice research-based tactics they can utilize at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels to help create resilient organizational systems that work to prevent burnout.

BIOGRAPHY

Olivia holds her MBA, is a certified nonprofit board consultant, as well as a strategic planning specialist with experience working and consulting in the nonprofit sector. Olivia leads with enthusiasm, a strengths-based approach, and her skills in project management and communication to ensure client processes are inclusive, efficient, and productive. Her expertise includes board training, strategic planning, team building, and leadership development. Currently, Olivia serves as a member of a nonprofit board of directors and as governance committee co-chair. In her last position, Olivia was a member of the leadership team of a social services nonprofit. She has built a volunteer program from conception to over 200 active volunteers, managed a staff of 8, and led a team to design and organize over 200 activities and events per month. Olivia has a deep passion for nonprofits and thrives on helping them overcome, grow, and sustain.

Session

• Title: Strengthening Your Board's Culture to Improve Your Agency's Performance
• Description: Most of us spend a lot of time focused on staff culture, yet little if any time focused on the culture being cultivated at the board level. What is the culture (the collection of values, expectations, and practices) that guides and informs the actions of your agency’s board members? Is this culture driving your agency’s desired performance? In this session, the important role of a positive board culture and the key elements of a positive board culture are discussed. Actionable tips and easy-to-use tools are provided to help you take concrete steps to strengthen your board’s culture in the coming year, steps that will lead to the improved performance of your agency.