Annual Conference Session Descriptions

Thursday, May 23, 2024

8:30a – 9a
Welcome
Atrium Floor

Breakout Sessions
9:15a – 10:30a

• Session 19 – Advocacy: A Core Tenant of Community Action
  Presenter Marlo Fields, Housing Specialist – WISCAP
  Track -Programmatic (Housing, Economic Development, Food Security, Head Start etc.)
  Session Description: “Advocacy” is a word that brings up many different thoughts and feelings from different people. For some of you it is a core part of your identity; for others, it is the last thing you want to be doing, especially in the workplace. Yet, advocacy, in its various forms, is a core tenant of Community Action and should be an important tool to bring out our best when doing our job. Join Marlo Fields, Housing Specialist at WISCAP, as we go through what advocacy looks like at a local, state, and federal level, and the simple steps you can take to feel comfortable with advocating for you and your community.
  Room: Jonny Blood A
• Session 20 – Leveraging Your Data as an Asset
  Presenter Ryan Peasley, Partner – Wipfli, LLP
  Track – CSBG fundamentals (Risk Assessment, Community Needs Assessment, Agency Audits, Client Satisfaction, Data Management, CSBG Annual Report etc.) Non-profit management (Leadership, Project management, Supervisory Skills etc.)
  Session Description: In this session, we’ll delve into the exciting world of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential impact on your agency. Discover real-world use cases, explore how AI tools can enhance community outcomes, and empower agencies to achieve more – even with limited staff. Join us to unlock the power of AI in your agency.
  Room: Willie Davis B
• Session 21 – WI Consumer Protection: Working Together to Protect WI Consumers
  Presenter(s): Michelle Reinen, Administrator, Division of Trade and Consumer Protection – WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and Michael Domke, Director, Bureau of Consumer Protection – WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection
  Track: Programmatic (Housing, Economic Development, Food Security, Head Start etc.)
  Session Description: Overview of DATCP’s Bureau of Consumer Protection and the free services/resources available to serve and educate WI consumers/organizations.  Also highlight of scams and frauds circulating in WI and laws that exist to protect consumers.
  Room: Paul Horning C
  
• Session 22 – Beyond Requirements: Performance Management in Community Action
  Presenter(s): Terry Bearden, Project Director-Organizational Capacity Building – National Community Action Partnership (NCAP)
  Track: CSBG fundamentals (Risk Assessment, Community Needs Assessment, Agency Audits, Client Satisfaction, Data Management, CSBG Annual Report etc.) Non-profit management (Leadership, Project management, Supervisory Skills etc.)
  Session Description: Performance Management is integral to the success of the Community Action Network, during and after the Pandemic. This session will explore Performance Management concepts in the Community Action network, including the CSBG Performance Management Framework and ROMA, and take concept to action by sharing best real-world Community Action practices for managing and improving agency performance.
  Room: Bart Starr D
• Session 23 –Certified Community Action Professional (CCAP): What’s it all About?
  Presenter(s): Leah Pauletti, CCAP, NCRT, Director of Operations Minnesota Community Action Partnership (MinnCAP)Track: Non-profit management (Leadership, Project management, Supervisory Skills etc.)
  Session Description: While agencies strive toward excellence, staff, too can pursue their own professional development path to excellence through CCAP. This session will address the core CCAP process components and also how pursuing your CCAP will impact your view of Community Action as well as influence your daily work. While we know that CCAP tells others in our network that you have achieved a level of dedication, experience and knowledge, it also has significant personal value. Have you been thinking about going through the process to become a Certified Community Action Professional? Come to this session to learn about the steps it takes, the time commitment and what CCAP is all about. Hear from a CCAP Commissioner that went through the process with the study group and learn why you should too. 
  Room: 4th Floor Indoor Club
• Session 24 – Don’t Leave Laughter to Chance
  Track: Resilience, Self-Care, Burnout Prevention
  Presenter(s): Kaitlyn Nichols, Certified Laughter Yoga Leader – Mental Health Navigation Advocate – CAP Services, Inc.
  Session Description: Laughter Yoga is a unique concept where anyone can laugh for no reason without relying on humor, jokes, or comedy. We initiate laughter as an exercise in a group and with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The reason it is called Laughter Yoga is because it combines laughter exercises with deep breathing. This brings more oxygen into the brain and body which makes one feel more energetic and healthier. Scientific studies show that the body cannot differentiate between real laughter and voluntary laughter if done with willingness. One gets the same health benefits, whether laughter is from a joke or simulated in exercises. Benefits of Laughter Yoga include elevated mood, boosted immune system, social connector, resilience, and improved efficiency and productivity. Certified Laughter Yoga Leader, Kaitlyn Nichols, will be facilitating laughter exercises, laughter meditation, and a debriefing session to better understand the benefits of laughter as a form of healing and self-care.
  Room: MVP Box 4039

Breakout Sessions
10:45a – 12:00p

• Session 25 – Reducing Fraud Risk in Your Organization
  Presenter(s): Dru Carney, Senior Consultant – Wipfli, LLP and Dave Friedman, Partner – Fraud and Forensic Team – Wipfli, LLP
  Track: Fiscal (Fraud prevention, budgeting, financial management, etc.)
  Session Description: In this workshop, you will learn how to update and implement internal controls that can safeguard your organization from fraud risks. You will also discover the latest trends and techniques that fraudsters use to exploit vulnerabilities and how to detect and prevent them.
  Room: Willie Davis B
• Session 26 –Supporting HUD Certified Counselors and Agencies
  Track: Programmatic (Housing, Economic Development, Food Security, Head Start etc.)
  Presenter(s): Johanna Jimenez, Take Root Wisconsin Program Manager – WISCAP
  Session Description: HUD’s Housing Counseling Program provides counseling to consumers on seeking, financing, maintaining, renting, or owning a home. The program also addresses homelessness through counseling and assists homeowners in need of foreclosure assistance. With the current economic and real estate market conditions, the dream of homeownership is at stake. Join Take Root Wisconsin network to have a conversation on how we can work together to support and strengthen HUD counseling agencies and certified counselors. 
  Room: Paul Horning C
• Session 27 – Reporting Systems & Strategies: Using Data to Inform Action
  Track:
  Presenter(s): Terry Bearden, Project Director-Organizational Capacity Building – National Community Action Partnership (NCAP)
  Session Description: Community Action Agencies manage a multitude of complex federal and state programs that require varying data and reporting for compliance. But the information that can be gleaned from that data can be easily overlooked in the rush to meet funder requirements. This session will discuss approaches and strategies that Community Action Agencies can use to effectively manage their data, including planning for data collection, practices for reviewing data for quality and accuracy, and how to analyze the data to turn it into information that can be used to improve strategies and practices.
  Room: 4th Floor Indoor Club
• Session 28 – Data Analysist and Participant Focused Work Group Meet Up
  Track: Data Analysist Work Group Members, Participant Focused Work Group Members, People interested in learning the progress that has been made in these work groups.
  Presenter(s): Lauren Frederick, Contract Manager – WI Dept. of Children & Families and Barb Schachern Contract Manager –WI Dept. of Children & Families
  Session Description: WI DCF in collaboration with the Community Action Agencies launched work groups with the mission of working toward our 2024-2025 State Plan Goals. Both the Data Analysis Work Group and the Participant Focused Work Group have been diligently working on Community Needs Assessment improvements. This is a time for the two groups to come together in person to share ideas and open up more collaboration. 
  Room: MVP Box 4039

12:15p – 2:00p
Atrium Floor
Lunch & Awards

Hotel Information

Home2Suites – No Vacancy

810 Morris Ave. Green Bay, WI 54304

920-227-5757

Hampton Inn by Hilton Green Bay Stadium

830 Morris Ave. Green Bay, WI 54304

920-785-9660

Hilton Garden Inn Green Bay 

1015 Lombardi Ave. Green Bay, WI 54304

920-785-9660

Who should attend?