If you attended the recent NORDP 2023 in Crystal City, VA, you experienced firsthand the work of the NORDP Conference Committee. This group of NORDP volunteers supports many of the elements of the annual NORDP Conference, from putting out the call for abstracts to creating the conference schedule and planning the social and networking activities associated with each conference.
Each year in mid-late summer, the Conference Committee begins its work planning on the next year’s annual conference (typically held in April-May). “There are a number of facets to conference planning, so it’s important we start early. This also means that there are numerous ways for volunteers to contribute to both conference planning and execution!” says Conference Committee Co-Chair, Jessica Moon (2022-2024).
Conference Committee volunteers have oversight of a host of elements involved in planning and hosting the NORDP conference, including abstract solicitation and review, branding and communication, DEIB considerations, speaker support, planning social and networking events, and more. Committee members have the opportunity to volunteer for the specific working groups that most interest them. “Working groups have been a great way for conference committee members to participate in the aspects of conference planning that interest them most, without feeling overwhelmed about all the things that need to get done,” says Conference Committee Co-Chair Katherine Duggan. “Having a core group that can develop and execute a timeline for abstract review, or which questions to ask in the session evaluations, means we can have more focused conversations, more productive meetings, and more equitably spread the workload. This smaller group setting also means it’s easier to get to know your fellow conference committee members and to be empowered to contribute.”
One exciting recent win for the Conference Committee is the success of the inaugural NORDP Has Heart initiative at this year’s conference, which raised more than $5000 for Carpenter’s Shelter, an organization local to the 2023 Conference host region that supports people experiencing and at risk of homelessness to achieve sustainable independence through shelter and housing placement, guidance, education, and advocacy. Said Committee Co-Chair Jess Brassard, “This idea came from the creativity of Carolynn Julien, who served on the conference committee this year. She pushed our committee to think about how we can leave a positive mark on the community that hosts our conference. Carolynn took the enthusiastic response of the committee and ran with it. Conference attendees obviously loved the opportunity to give back to the community in a real tangible way. We are excited to find similar place-based ways to make an impact at future conferences.”
For those who may be on the fence about volunteering to serve on the Conference Committee, co-chair Becca Latimer offers the following advice: “Serving on the Conference Committee allows you to interact with all facets of NORDP – from committees to task forces to the Board of Directors. The experience is involved and can be demanding, but the reward far surpasses anything else. It has truly been one of the most exciting NORDP adventures I’ve been a part of and I encourage any enthusiastic NORDP member to consider joining this committee.”
The Details:
- Committee meeting scope/schedule: The conference committee creates the vision and mission for the conference every year. They work heavily with NORDP’s contracted event planners as well as coordinate with the executive conference committee (ECC), the NORDP board, and other committee co-chairs to create an event that meets the needs of the NORDP membership.
The committee meets every three weeks, adjusting for holidays and vacations. The committee may meet more frequently leading up to the conference.
- Current Co-Chairs: Jessica Brassard, Jessica Moon, Katherine Duggan, Becca Latimer (outgoing committee co-chair)
- You might enjoy serving on this committee if: You are energized by creating spaces for people to come together (hello all you facilitators out there!); you have burning ideas for NORDP programming that you think is missing for membership now; you like working with a creative and diverse team of doers; you like navigating the ins and outs of event management; you appreciate a good Gantt chart with concrete deliverables; you love stretching your skills and trying lots of different tasks.
- How to get involved: Email the committee co-chairs at rdconf@nordp.org (We love for members to be involved for the whole conference planning year, but welcome people to join anytime!)
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