I AM BECAUSE WE ARE
2021 Missouri CAN Annual Conference
The Professional Development Event for Community Action Staff in Missouri.
May 25 – May 27, 2021
Virtual Event
Relevant Workshops
Dynamic Speakers
Meaningful Connections
Conference Agenda
Tuesday, May 25
8:30 AM – Behind the Scenes: The Making of Conference
9:30 AM – Conference Opening and Keynote
1:00 PM – Workshop Block 1
3:00 PM – Hallway Moment: Sponsors and Exhibitors
Wednesday, May 26
8:30 AM – Conference Insights and Daily Overview
9:30 AM – Workshop Block 2
11:15 AM – Hallway Moment: Refresh and Reset
1:00 PM – Workshop Block 3
3:00 PM – Hallway Moment: Reflections and Next Steps (organized by region)
Thursday, May 27
8:30 AM – Conference Insights and Daily Overview
9:30 AM – Workshop Block 4
12:00 PM – Behind the Scenes: Community and History
1:00 PM – Conference Closing and Awards
I Am Because We Are
I AM BECAUSE WE ARE is a translation of the Zulu word “ubuntu.” It means we are all connected. It means community. The well-being of an individual is connected to the well-being of others. As the theme for the 2021 Missouri CAN Annual Conference, we celebrate the idea of community—the heart of the work we do in Community Action.
As a staff person or board member of a Community Action Agency, you know how dynamic communities are. We know you want to be part of something bigger than yourself. You want to make a difference within the Community Action movement.
As the state association for Community Action in Missouri for the past 50 years, we understand how much you care about your communities. Attend the virtual 2021 Missouri CAN Annual Conference to grow your skills that in turn elevate communities.
Keynote Speaker
Cecilia-Ananya Belser-Patton is the Principle and Culture Curator of JUST Systems, a systems change management, capacity building and sustainability consulting firm that specializes in Restorative Practices, specifically, REDI+A– Race, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion + Accessibility Development ; Restorative and Social Justice framework and implementation, leadership development and strategic systems change. As a veteran educator, her core compass in which she views the world is a strong conviction in restorative practices, racial and transformative justice, educational and health equity and social justice. JUST Systems provides lectures, workshops, organizational development, transformative leadership coaching, and grassroots strategy development and coalition formation designed to build equity and create systems change.
As the Director of Leadership Development for Alive & Well Communities, Cecilia is committed to the Social Emotional Wellness of all stakeholders, and applies these practices through a Trauma Informed and Restorative lens. She advocates strongly for everyone’s ability to empower and advance themselves through awareness, organization, mobilization and action. An educator, strategist, organizer, lean startup/design thinking entrepreneur and professional development facilitator, she advocates for her clients values that are mirrored with their organizational structure. An active member of The Cultural Competency Collective of Kansas City, as well as a member of its Leadership Team & Planning Council, Cecilia-Ananya is also an active citizen volunteer with the Racial Equity Institute KC Project, funded by the Kauffman Foundation. She is President of Uzazi Village’s Council of Elders, and is the Diversity and Inclusion Chair of Women In Technology and board member of LatinX Education Collaborative, Communities In Schools-KC and Black Archives of Mid America. Cecilia is MOST proud of the work that she does with Kansas City youth, as an advocate, volunteer and Steering Committee President of Anytown KC, a youth leadership development institute.
Conference Workshops
Five concurrent workshops are available during each workshop block.
Click the workshop title to read a full description of each session.
Workshop Block 1 – Tuesday, May 25 at 1:00 p.m.
What are some of the best and most innovative initiatives in the Community Action network? How can we share our knowledge to benefit every Community? This workshop will describe how the Community Action network is highlighting its best work and supporting CAA capacity-building across the country. Through the Partnership’s Center of Excellence and the network of State Associations and other stakeholders, every CAA will be able to learn about the best our network has to offer and how we can support one another to build a stronger network and more resilient communities.
Aaron Wicks is a non-profit professional with over 15 years of experience in the Community Action Network. As Vice President for Organizational Capacity Building at the Community Action Partnership, Aaron oversees the Center of Excellence (COE) which provides support to the Community Action Network for highlighting and replicating effective strategies for strengthening families and communities. Throughout his career, Aaron has provided training and technical assistance to support Community Action initiatives in the areas of strategic planning, community assessment, program evaluation, quality assurance & compliance, customer satisfaction, partnership building, grant writing and Board governance. Aaron holds a PhD in Political Science, a CCAP and is a nationally-certified ROMA trainer.
The WAP field team is the public face of the local agency, the State, and the WAP. This interactive session discusses principles guiding the conduct of WAP staff and looks into complex, sometimes gray ethical issues that WAP crews encounter.
Andrea Schroer is the WAP Director of the National Association for State Community Services Programs (NASCSP). Prior to joining NASCSP in 2020 as the WAP Program Manager, Andrea served as the Senior Program Manager for the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority for 11 years. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with decades of program management experience and dedicated to empowering states to deliver successful WAP programs that conserve energy and improve lives.
Jonathan Ballew has served the Weatherization industry in a variety of roles, including Grantee Monitor, Subgrantee WAP Director, and an independent consultant. This has offered him a depth of knowledge of all levels of the WAP network. Jonathan is committed to eliminating barriers and supporting all stakeholders in the WAP network to ensure the success of this crucial work that we do. Jonathan has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Montana, QCI certification, and serves on the Boards of Directors for the Building Performance Association and Energy OutWest. When Jonathan is not delving into the facets of Weatherization policy and processes, you can find him chasing his three young boys, wife, and enormous dog through the mountains around Helena, MT.
Along with the challenges of COVID, 2020 has brought new challenges for managers of federal funds. OMB finalized revisions to the Uniform Grants Guidance, and the federal response to COVID brought CARES funding and PPP loans and loan forgiveness requirements. Learn how CAAs are coping with-
• 2020 Revisions to the Uniform Grants Guidance
• CARES funding – admin limits & no “indirect cost rates”
• PPP loans – avoiding double dipping and ensuring forgiveness
• Cash flow challenges posed by COVID slowdowns
Kay Sohl has provided training and consultation for Executive Directors, CFOs, and Boards of Directors of over 8,500 nonprofit organizations throughout the United States. Kay focuses her work on rethinking strategies for financial sustainability, Board financial oversight, compliance with federal funds management requirements, and the challenges of nonprofit accounting and financial reporting. Kay has worked extensively Community Action Agencies and with CAPLAW and the Community Action Partnership. She has authored multiple financial management toolkits for CAAs and other nonprofits, including resources for cost allocation, financial reporting, dashboard development, and the 2020 revisions to the OMB Uniform Guidance.
Twenty-five percent of all individuals worldwide experience some form of mental illness. Despite this staggering statistic few people are equipped with the knowledge or the communication strategies to be able to effectively engage with these individuals. Because of this, interactions frequently escalate to unhealthy negative levels. This can be especially true for “helping professionals” who are daily faced with helping clients who most likely are suffering from some type of mental illness or toxic stress. Not only do these professionals find themselves in negative interactions with stressed, aggressive clients and/or mentally ill clients, they also frequently report a lack of confidence in knowing how to talk to clients about their symptoms. This combination can lead to a vicious circle for our essential frontline helping professionals as well As for the stressed, aggressive clients and/or mentally ill clients- inevitably leading to increased stress and anxiety for both parties.
this training is designed to assist helping professionals feel more confident talking to clients about their symptoms. In addition, it provides participants with strategies on how to verbally deescalate negative interactions with stressed, aggressive clients and slash or mentally ill clients while also giving them strategies to proactively eliminate such negative interactions in the future. Refrain and Initiate is a training that does just that -teaches how to “refrain” from engaging in negative interactions while also teaching how to “initiate” better and more positive interactions.
Participants will exit this training with newfound confidence regarding how to talk about mental illness with clients, how to verbally deescalate negative interactions with clients, and most importantly how to proactively eliminate stressful interactions with clients.
In this course you will learn:
– the importance of talking to clients about their mental health needs
– acceptable ways to talk to clients about their mental health needs
– Ways to verbally deescalate aggressive clients
– tactics to use to avoid future negative interactions- including interaction plans
Jill Quaid is presently the CEO of the Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corporation in Missouri. Jill has both a Masters Degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. In addition, she has more than thirty years of experience with nonprofit program management and administration. In Jill’s 30 years in this industry, she has had the unique opportunity to work with countless populations in a variety of settings. Jill is most noted for her passionate desire to explore innovative new programming ideas and her strong belief that success with at-risk populations can never be achieved with band-aid approaches. In addition, Jill is a strong believer that self-sufficiency is a necessary goal for all nonprofits. These strong convictions have motivated Jill to become skilled in ways to assist agencies increase unrestricted dollars including, but not limited to, the opening of social enterprises, creating fundraising programs, and building fee for service opportunities within agencies in order to reduce dependency on state and federal dollars. Beyond this, Quality Improvement is also a strong focus for Jill. She has been instrumental for years in building Quality Improvement programs in agencies and is a huge advocate for continuous quality improvement efforts in all nonprofit programming. Jill is presently serving on numerous Boards and Committees in the State of Missouri. She is skilled in conflict resolution and is a Civil and Family Mediator in the state of Missouri – Rule 17 and 88 Certified. In addition, Jill is a certified practitioner of the MBTI Step I and Step II Instruments and a strong believer in building effective leadership teams.
Our goal is to show the impact of Conscious Discipline within our agency through data and shared experiences. We will detail how we use Conscious Discipline’s philosophy and strategies to connect, implement, and align them with the Head Start Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Framework and how it has impacted our families, staff, and community. The workshop’s objective is to empower and support others in building resilient classrooms, teachers, staff, and families through relationships, connections, teamwork, and community partners.
Dana Ferguson I have been employed with Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph for 20 years. When I began working here it was with the thought that Head Start was just the place I would work until I got a “real job.” Sadly, I was unaware of all that Head Start had to offer, not only to their employees but to children, families, and community. I quickly fell in love with the program, and here I still am 20 years later. I have held the positions of Assistant Teacher, Lead Teacher, Lead Teacher/Family Advocate, Partnership Specialist, and my current position of Training Specialist. One of the things I love about our agency is its passion/support of their employees. Our Head Start Director, Ashley Phillips, has been one of my biggest supporters. She has consistently encouraged me to pursue opportunities that increase personal and professional abilities. I began to have a dream of sharing my passion for teaching with others around 10 years ago. My goal was to gain the education and knowledge required to obtain a position that would allow me to professionally train others. Five years ago, I was offered the position of Training Specialist and I have run with it, always with the support and guidance of our agency. I first learned about Conscious Discipline as a teacher around 2010. I began to implement it in the classroom. I quickly noticed behaviors declining and an atmosphere of “school family” developing. After acquiring the position of Training Specialist, I had the opportunity to work alongside Jill Molli, Certified Conscious Discipline Instructor, at which time I began to utilize it as a coach. Since then, I have participated in several Conscious Discipline Summer Institutes as both a participant and a helper to Jill Molli. Conscious Discipline has had a significant impact on our program, impacting the lives of children and families we serve as well as staff. I look forward to sharing my experiences with/and knowledge of the curriculum at the conference.
My name is Lacey Raymond. I am a Head Start Alumni as well as a past Head Start consumer. I was 16 years old and a high-school drop-out when I found out that I would be a mom for the first time. I enrolled my firstborn in Early Head Start when he was two years old in 2007 and briefly served on the Policy Council. My second son was enrolled in 2009, and my last child was enrolled in 2011. I obtained my GED in 2007 and, with my child’s classroom teacher’s encouragement, enrolled in school for my Child Development Credential (CDA) in 2010. Once I finished my CDA, I applied to Head Start for an Assistant Teacher position and became employed at Community Action Head Start in 2013. With no initial intention to continue school and become a Lead Teacher with time, my desire to go further and confidence in my abilities grew. With the support and encouragement from leadership, specifically Ashley Phillips and our local Community Action Agency, I enrolled and pursued my Associates of Arts in Teaching (AAT). I applied for a promotion to Lead Teacher and accepted the position and began school. With time I realized the true power and value that our families hold and the impacts that can be made when we partner and support the family as a whole. I applied and accepted a position as a Family Support Specialist. As I was sitting in the HR department excited to take my new job still on my path to my AAT, our Executive Director, Whitney Lanning, said to me, “So are you going to get your Social Work degree?” At the time, I was just trying to survive my associate degree and had never considered going for my bachelor’s degree and definitely not in social work. In 2018 I graduated with my Associates in Arts, and in July 2020, I graduated with my bachelor’s in social work. I am currently enrolled and taking classes to obtain my Master’s in June of this year. During my time at Head Start, I was introduced to Conscious Discipline as a parent, implemented it while I was a teacher, and now I get to coach and support the families and community. I have seen my Community Action agency’s transformation as they have continued to implement, support, and grow while using Conscious Discipline.
Workshop Block 2 – Wednesday, May 26 at 9:30 a.m.
Racial equity is something we are forever working toward achieving. When tragedy strikes, many are quick to engage, educate, raise awareness and call for perpetrators of injustice to be held accountable. Too often things get quiet when we get comfortable in the celebration of our small wins, and we go back to business as usual. That has to change. In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, none of us are free until all of us are free. Until true racial equity is achieved in every area of our lived experience, the work must continue.
Nikki serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for MU Health Care, in Columbia, Missouri. Nikki leads MU Health Care’s DEI efforts across its extensive network of hospitals and clinics. Prior to joining MU Health Care, Nikki led the Inclusive Impact Institute as its first Director and gave the community its first comprehensive organization dedicated to innovation, strategy and solutions to issues of diversity and inclusion. Nikki earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Columbia College in Columbia, MO, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Arts in Human Resources Development from Webster University in St. Louis, MO.
A loss of key talent can create a catastrophic ripple throughout any organization that is not prepared. With a variety of factors at play, it is not a question of if you will lose talent it is only a question of when.
So, Are you ready?
In this workshop, you will learn how to:
– generate momentum and executive support for the process
– apply a structured approach for identifying the roles critical to your organization
– build success profiles that combine current requirements with future needs
– identify successors through a formalized nomination survey
– assess candidate development needs, individually and organizationally, to focus your organizations development initiatives
– build and develop the breadth and depth of your talent pool
– measure, monitor, and communicate ROI
Glen started his journey with SIGMA Assessment Systems over two decades ago manning a large scale talent development project for Chrysler that involved over 30,000 management and staff. Over his career, Glen has worked with a third of the Fortune 500 and with every level of government in Canada and the United States. In the process, Glen has delivered workshops to over 15,000 people across 49 states, 10 provinces, 1 territory, 107 cities, and 9 countries.
West Central Missouri Community Action Agency has leveraged partnerships and funding to make transformative change in our rural communities specifically focused on Transportation, Business, Communication, and Food Systems. This has been done through concerted efforts to engage partners and find the right funding opportunities. In this workshop the four presenters will talk about how these programs got started and why they are seeing success.
– Spark new ideas about how to make a lasting impact in our communities
– How to go beyond direct assistance to get at the root of persistent poverty
– Leveraging partnerships to make more of an impact
– The role communication has in getting public buy-in
– Funding opportunities
Katie Nixon has worked for Community Action for seven years. She is also a farmer. She has been working in Agriculture and food systems for over 15 years in Missouri and is dedicated to helping farmers find viable markets and eaters get access to local food.
Patty Cantrell leads our New Growth community development corporation, which has brought regional partners together, launched new business and rural development programs, and begun telling a new Hometown Revival story for our region. She has worked in journalism and community development for 30 years.
Lisa Zimmerman is a powerhouse when it comes to all things Business related. She has worked for West Central for less than 2 years and has already started the Women’s Business center that covers 15 Counties. Lisa has over 20 years of experience in poverty alleviation through asset development.
Kelly Ast came to West Central 4 years ago with many ideas one of which was to transform the transpiration problem in our region into an opportunity. Since starting her time with WC she has been head of launching the Rides to Health and Wealth program that takes people who lack transportation back and forth to appointments.
As our network faces the challenges of a global pandemic, we can use the ROMA Cycle for continuous improvement in a way that will support a rapid understanding of what is needed, what can be accomplished and what our role is in meeting the needs. “Improvement” usually means “change” and it is sometimes hard to understand the difference between knowing that something needs to change, and knowing how to change it. Join this interactive workshop to discuss how the collection, aggregation, reporting and analysis of data can produce information to work for your decision making.
Barbara Mooney, who has been involved with the Community Action network since 1986 in many different roles, is Director of the Association of Nationally Certified ROMA Trainers and Implementers (ANCRT) and co-author of Introduction to Results Oriented Management and Accountability. Dr. Mooney provides consultant services to the Community Action Partnership, National Association for State Community Service Programs, and Region 3 RPIC; is Professor Emeritus, Waynesburg University and provides other training and technical assistance. She is contributing author for the Temple University Strengths-based Family Worker Credential Training and assists with development of that program.
Carey Gibson holds a Master of Social Work and is the Project Manager for the National ROMA Implementer Training and Certification Project. Prior to this she held a leadership position at a local CAA, worked as a Forensic Investigator, and various other social work positions. She has been instrumental in the development of several curriculum packages, including training manuals and on-line courses. As an independent contractor, she provides training and technical assistance to non-profit organizations across the country, and has been active as a volunteer in her community.
Community level work (Module 3 in ROMA and Annual Report) has the possibility of making large-scale changes for the betterment of life in low-income communities. It should be a major component of our work. Yet many agencies do no community level work at all. Anecdotally, it is an area of work that people find confusing for themselves, hard to explain to other, and hard to report. By better understanding what defines community level work and addressing the confusions and challenges of making it happen, we can open up huge new possibilities to improve the lives of those we serve.
Jim Thomas has a long career in community building from the local to the international level, including LGBT activism, vaccine development and advocacy, journalism, neighborhood leadership, and emergency preparedness. Having returned to school working toward a master’s degree and just prior to implementation of the Affordable Care Act, he suffered a medical catastrophe. He came to Community Action as a client. He joined the staff of People’s Community Action Corporation in 2013. His responsibilities include the community needs assessment and strategic planning processes, data management and systems involvement, and program development. He currently serves as secretary of the Board of Directors for MCAN. He is also vice-chair of the Outreach Managers Professional Alliance.
Workshop Block 3 – Wednesday, May 26 at 1:00 p.m.
This relaxed workshop will cover the basis and purpose of Play Therapy and how to use these principles to build rapport in working with children and caregivers. Amy will discuss ways for educators to focus on subtle yet powerful elements of the educational experience, in particular components of connection: ways to approach the learning environment with renewed perspective and shifted focus will be dis-cussed. The workshop will give attendees an understanding of how to make their classroom or other environment a place of warmth and resource, rediscovering life and energy in one’s work with children.
Amy Fitzwater is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Play Therapist. She is married with three young children. She has worked in the private sector in private practice, provided support groups for the community, and worked as a school counselor in the public school system. She is passionate about play and the wonder of children, and delights in coffee, books, walks in the woods, and rainy days.
During this session, Team Dynamics’ co-founders, Trina C. Olson + Alfonso T. Wenker, layout the 6-part process outlined in their forthcoming book, Hiring Revolution: A Guide to Disrupt Racism + Sexism in Hiring. They’ll share what they have done to find and hire teams of people that are incredibly diverse – across race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious tradition, age, ability, ethnicity, immigration experience, and more. Hiring Revolution is an invitation to stop, start, do more of, do less of, and do differently. It is a purposefully tactical approach to hiring the team you claim you want. Through a thoughtful reimagining of team building, you will begin the process of reckoning with all the times and places where your hiring intent (find “the best” “most qualified” workers) did not ultimately match your impact (inadvertently convincing yourself that white male workers were the best choice). The session explores small, medium, and large shifts that can transform your hiring practices toward a more equitable way of doing business. The session does not spend time pointing out everything done wrong in hiring days past – the Hiring Revolution session will identify specific problems and pair each with a viable solution you could start implementing today.
Trina Olson is the next guiding voice in the conversation about the future of work and equitable work culture. CEO and Co-founder of Team Dynamics, Trina believes going to work in America can feel fundamentally different—if and only if—we deal with the impacts of racism and sexism. After the murder of George Floyd, Trina crafted a curriculum for white leaders, including the staff of Senator Bernie Sanders, to process and plan (without burdening POC colleagues). For the past 25 years Trina has held key leadership roles around the country, in New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Los Angeles; a two-time executive director, she has lobbied the White House, raised millions of dollars, and effectively mobilized for major progressive policy and culture change. Trina has authored numerous pieces on race and gender issues, including “Seeking Safe Haven: LGBTQ People and the American Immigration Experience” (as coauthor). She’s a cohost on the BEHAVE podcast and a highly sought-after workplace equity advisor.
Alfonso Wenker is a lauded movement and thought leader driven to convene, connect, and coach top executives to better align values with practice. President and Co-founder of Team Dynamics, Alfonso is focused on organizing teams to co-create new paradigms for how people can work and lead. During the historic campaign for the freedom to marry, Alfonso was recruited and served as the Deputy Finance Director for Minnesotans United for All Families. As a third generation Mexican American, queer, Christian, man living in Minneapolis, Alfonso consistently gathers and responds to communities calling for racial justice and gender liberation. Before Team Dynamics, Alfonso spent more than a decade in the field of philanthropy where he worked tirelessly to advance racial and LGBTQ justice while creating new opportunities for People of Color to break into and lead in the field. Alfonso’s work has been recognized as a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, Minnesota Nonprofit Catalytic Leader, and St. Paul Foundation’s Facing Race Anti-Racism Awardee.
With the standard training time of one year or less, many SkillUp participants seek guidance for continuing education to provide growth in their chosen career path. We will cover the path of common training programs from entry level to degree obtainment, as well as understanding financial aid (FAFSA) and the other payment options for degree seeking participants.
Beth Duba is the SkillUp Project Manager with Missouri Community Action Network. Beth comes from a background in Education at the local and state level. Beth is a Missouri native and enjoys giving back to the community in which she has been a part of her entire life.
As numerous COVID-19 vaccines become available and accessible to the workforce, CAAs across the country and the state of Missouri are considering whether they have the right to require that their employees be vaccinated in order to re-enter traditional in-person workspaces. In the interest of promoting workplace and employee safety, many CAAs are also considering extending the paid leave benefits that were available to employees under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Understanding the legal questions associated with implementing a voluntary extension of FFCRA leave or an employee vaccination policy is key to ensuring that these policies effectively protect the safety of employees and the community. In this webinar session, we will discuss some of these questions, including FFCRA reimbursement qualifications, reasonable accommodation considerations, direct threat analysis, and liability for injuries stemming from vaccinations as they pertain to leave and vaccination policies CAAs might adopt.
Caroline F. Kelley is a Staff Attorney at CAPLAW. She advises community action agencies on legal issues related to governance, strategic collaborations, federal grant compliance and other legal matters. Prior to joining CAPLAW, Caroline was a corporate law associate in the Boston office of Ropes & Gray LLP, where she worked on leveraged buyouts, debt refinancing transactions, and other mergers and acquisitions. She also represented pro bono clients in connection with their applications for asylum in the United States. Caroline is a graduate of New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and Northeastern University School of Law.
Ted Faust is an Assistant Staff Attorney at CAPLAW. He advises community action agencies on legal issues related to employment law, federal grant compliance, governance, and other legal matters. Prior to joining CAPLAW, Ted worked as a Contracts Administrator and Legal Assistant for clients throughout the Greater Boston area, preparing documents for litigation processes and reviewing complex manufacturing and supply chain contracts. Ted also worked at Boston College Law School’s Entrepreneurship & Innovation Clinic while earning his law degree, advising startup companies on legal issues related to corporate governance and intellectual property law. Before earning his law degree, Ted earned his bachelor’s degree in English at Boston College’s Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences.
This workshop will go over all aspects of becoming a USDA 502 direct loan packager including: packager responsibilities, intermediary responsibilities, and fee generation. The workshop will also cover: pre qualification of clients, assessing applicant eligibility, reviewing credit report with client, 502 application and submission to the intermediary.
Carla Potts is the Deputy Director for Housing Development at NECAC and is a CCAP as well as a Certified Housing Counselor. Carla has been with NECAC for the past 40 years. She has experience in a number of programs including asset and property management, homeownership, foreclosure modification, weatherization, home rehabilitation.
Cheryl-Ann Phillips is the Home Ownership Programs Director at NECAC and is a Certified Housing Counselor. Cheryl-Ann has been with NECAC for three years and has over 20 years of finance experience.
Sheila Vorce is the Housing Director at CMCA and is a certified Tax Credit Compliance Professional and a Licensed Real Estate Agent. Sheila has been with CMCA for almost 2 years and has been in the affordable housing industry for more than 15 years with experience in tax credits, home funds, project-based Section 8 and student housing.
Workshop Block 4 – Thursday, May 27 at 9:30 a.m.
The purpose of this workshop is twofold: (1) develop a better understanding of the current barriers to attracting new talent, and (2) develop strategies to emphasize and promote the attractiveness of each agency as an employer. Often, employers struggle obtaining an objective view of themselves. This can potentially hurt an employer when trying to attract new talent. A better understanding of how a firm looks from the outside not only aids in addressing shortcomings, but also in revealing hidden treasures that candidates are searching for in a new employer.
Omar has 10 consecutive years of both workforce development and recruiting experience in a wide range of industries. His experience training and connecting candidates to employers includes: recent college graduates, adults with developmental disabilities, engineering and manufacturing professionals, transition and offender workforce development, senior-level nonprofit and social services professionals. Omar is passionate about people utilizing their talents in a way that not only leads to a fulfilling life, but also an empowered community.
Supporting our state’s communal sense of health, wellbeing, and wholeness begins with an understanding of community. Centering the relationships we have with one another is a vital step in the process of healing. By focusing on restorative practices, trauma-informed care, and social/emotional learning, we will explore how we can make a chose to be WITH one another in community and wellness. We must shift our paradigm from what’s “wrong” with the students and the families we served to what happened to them. When this is accomplished, we are able to give the gift of healing and wellbeing.
Cecilia-Ananya Belser-Patton is the Principle and Culture Curator of JUST Systems, a systems change management, capacity building and sustainability consulting firm that specializes in Restorative Practices, specifically, REDI+A– Race, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion + Accessibility Development ; Restorative and Social Justice framework and implementation, leadership development and strategic systems change. As a veteran educator, her core compass in which she views the world is a strong conviction in restorative practices, racial and transformative justice, educational and health equity and social justice. JUST Systems provides lectures, workshops, organizational development, transformative leadership coaching, and grassroots strategy development and coalition formation designed to build equity and create systems change.
As the Director of Leadership Development for Alive & Well Communities, Cecilia is committed to the Social Emotional Wellness of all stakeholders, and applies these practices through a Trauma Informed and Restorative lens. She advocates strongly for everyone’s ability to empower and advance themselves through awareness, organization, mobilization and action. An educator, strategist, organizer, lean startup/design thinking entrepreneur and professional development facilitator, she advocates for her clients values that are mirrored with their organizational structure. An active member of The Cultural Competency Collective of Kansas City, as well as a member of its Leadership Team & Planning Council, Cecilia-Ananya is also an active citizen volunteer with the Racial Equity Institute KC Project, funded by the Kauffman Foundation. She is President of Uzazi Village’s Council of Elders, and is the Diversity and Inclusion Chair of Women In Technology and board member of LatinX Education Collaborative, Communities In Schools-KC and Black Archives of Mid America. Cecilia is MOST proud of the work that she does with Kansas City youth, as an advocate, volunteer and Steering Committee President of Anytown KC, a youth leadership development institute.
How do we take our CAAs to the next level? What is the best way to get there? This workshop will start with the Organizational Standards as our baseline and describe the path toward the Community Action Standards of Excellence. This interactive workshop will ask participants to consider key areas of their CAA’s function and where there are opportunities to rethink internal practices and processes. Ideal for both agency leaders as well as aspiring leaders, this workshop will prompt discussion about tackling challenges of organizational culture and how to support staff leadership and innovation.
What a year! 2020 has changed and shaken up everything: the way we live, communicate, and work. This workshop will explore the top human resources-related trends impacting our workforce and workplace. We will look at the top considerations and trends for 2021 and how they may impact your organizations, staff, and the communities we serve.
Andrea Allison-Putman serves as the Chief Development & Equity Officer for the YMCA of Greater Kansas City. She leads the areas of People Services, Marketing and Fund Development including staff and volunteer development, training, payroll, benefits, internal communications marketing, payroll, benefits, diversity, equity and inclusion, communication, recruitment, fund development, marketing and public relations. In her spare time, Andrea volunteers with many nonprofit organizations including the International Relations Council, Harvesters – The Community Food Network, Level-Up Kids, the Mizzou Alumni Association and the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Collaborative. Andrea holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Development and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. She resides in Kansas City with her husband Andre’ and they have three adult children.
This workshop will explore ways Community Action agencies can use their local media resources to their advantage. During this workshop you’ll learn:
– how to make media contacts and develop relationships
– how to keep those relationships going
– how to craft a press release and pitch a story
– how to work with various and differing media
– tips and tricks for getting outlets to run your story
Ed Button is currently the Housing Division Director at Ozark Action in West Plains. Prior to changing careers in January 2020, he was the sole reporter, writer, editor, and news director for a local radio network for more than a decade and has been recognized on a local and state level for his work in local journalism.
Registration Rates
Missouri CAN Member
As a Missouri CAN member, you get a special rate for the virtual conference.
$250
Conference Registration
+ 1-Year Missouri CAN Membership
Register for the conference and become a member of Missouri CAN!
$349
Non-Member
The standard registration rate is available to non-members.
$365
How it Works
1. Register for the Virtual Conference
Pick the registration rate for you.
2. Join the Event
We’ll send event access information to you the week before the event.
3. Grow Professionally
Learn frameworks, tools,
and skills to use in your job
immediately after the event ends.
2021 Missouri CAN Annual Conference
Join us virtually for the 2021 Missouri CAN Annual Conference
to grow professionally and connect with peers across the Network.