Schedule is Subject to Change
Monday, May 19
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
Room: Registration Desk, 2nd Floor, East Tower
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Committee Leadership Meeting
Room: Wilkinson, 1st Floor, East Tower
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
National Member & State/Territory VOAD Meeting (Closed)
Room: Grand AB, 2nd Floor, East Tower
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Annual Meeting (Open)
Room: Grand AB, 2nd Floor, East Tower
3:15 pm – 4:45 pm
Home Rules: Kentucky 101
Room: Morrow, 3rd Floor, East Tower
3:15 pm – 4:45 pm
National Convening on Disaster Recovery Follow Up
Room: Wilkinson, 1st Floor, East Tower
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception (All Attendees Invited)
Room: Grand C, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Tuesday, May 20
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Reflection Room Open
Room: Willis, 2nd Floor, East Tower
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
Room: Registration Desk, 2nd Floor, East Tower
7:45 am – 11:45 am
Service Project: Blood Drive
Room: Jones, 3rd Floor, East Tower
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction Open
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
8:00 am – 11:45 am
Exhibitor Meet & Greet
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
9:15 am – 10:15 am
First Time Attendee Orientation (First Time Attendees Only)
Room: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
10:30 am – 11:45 am
Meet the Members (Open)
Room: Grand C, 2nd Floor, East Tower
10:30 am – 11:45 am
State/Territory VOAD Meeting (Closed Meeting – Open to Primary & Secondary Leadership)
Room: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Welcome Luncheon
Room: Grand AB, 2nd Floor, East Tower
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Committee Meetings Group 1
Community Preparedness: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
International: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Long Term Recovery Groups: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Donations: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Committee Meetings Group 2
Communications: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Advocacy: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Mass Care: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Volunteer Management: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Disaster Legal: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Committee Meetings Group 3
Emotional Spiritual Care: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Disaster Case Management: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Disaster Health: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Housing: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Migration, Displacement, Refugee: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm
Awards Dinner Social Hour
Room: Grand Foyer, 2nd Floor, East Tower
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Awards Dinner (Business Formal)
Room: Grand AB, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Wednesday, May 21
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Reflection Room Open
Room: Willis, 2nd Floor, East Tower
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
Room: Registration Desk, 2nd Floor, East Tower
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction Open
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
7:30 am – 8:45 am
Expo Breakfast
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Plenary Keynote
Room: Grand AB, 2nd Floor, East Tower
10:15 am – 11:30 am
Workshop Session 1 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
State Service Commissions and Disaster Services: Roles State Service Commissions Play in Disaster Preparation and Response
Presenter(s): Chad Driscoll
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Multi-State Collaboration in Disaster Response: Going the Distance Together
Presenter(s): Christina Rojas, Jessica Geib, Kristy Kulberg, Robbie Sofaly
Room: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Direct Financial Assistance as Long-Term Recovery Approach
Presenter(s): Katie Mears, Karla Sikaffy duPlantier, Lura Steele, Michelle Aguirre
Room: Jones, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Eastwick – A Resilient and Sustainable Future
Presenter(s): Brian Baer, Ramona Rousseau-Reid, Korin Tangtakul, Denise Shelton
Room: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
The 4 C’s at their Best: Leveraging Recovery Tools Workshop Modules for Local Success
Presenter(s): David Rauer, Mellie Thomas, Matt Glei
Room: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Going the Distance: Sustaining Public/Private Partnerships in Long-Term Disaster Response
Presenter(s): Ashley Bustillo, Pulin Thakkar, Mike Ball, Brigid McKeon
Room: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
National VOAD: Global Collaboration, Best Practices & Social Enterprise
Presenter(s): Peter Gudaitis, David Guadalupe, Debra Boudreaux, Lucy Cummings
Room: Coe, 3rd Floor, East Tower
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Lunch on Your Own
1:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Workshop Session 2 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Empowering Recovery: Innovative Financial Aid Solutions for Disaster Survivors
Presenter(s): Nicole Huguenin, Joe Delaney, Richard Johnson
Room: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Climate Equity – Getting Involved with VOAD’s Newest Roundtable Discussing the Intersection of Climate Justice and Disaster Response
Presenter(s): Katie Howe, Katie Mears, Lucy Cummings
Room: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
The Application of the Model for Adaptive Response to Complex Cyclical Disasters in Caring for School-Aged Children After a Disaster
Presenter(s): Lindsay Mixer
Room: Coe, 3rd Floor, East Tower
The Importance of Partnerships in Mass Casualty Events Across the Spectrum
Presenter(s): Adrian Grieve, Joshua Riddle, Stephanie Matonek, Nic Bennion
Room: Jones, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Winning the Marathon of Donations Management
Presenter(s): Charlene Sargent, Laurynn Myers, Travis Stone, Dante Gliniecki
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Going the Distance through the Emotional & Spiritual Care Committee
Presenter(s): Thomas Ryan, Naomi Paget, Mary Gaudreau Hughes, Susan Taylor
Room: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Are You Protected? Using the Emergency Law Inventory to Understand Laws that Impact Disaster Response
Presenter(s): Elizabeth Van Nostrand
Room: McCreary, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Pet Shelters of the Future
Presenter(s): Celia Jackson, Roxana Petzold
Room: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Coffee Break in Exhibit Hall
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Workshop Session 3 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Going the Distance: Bringing Health and Hope to Underserved Communities Across States Impacted by Hurricane Helene
Presenter(s): Kennedy Sease, Shonda Scott, Jen Peng, Prabu Selvam
Room: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Navigating Change: Supporting Migrant, Displaced, and Refugee Communities in Disasters
Presenter(s): George Hernandez
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Supporting Infant Feeding in Disasters: Lessons from the SAFE Infant Feeding Team and CGBI Collaboration
Presenter(s): Love Anderson, Julia Bourg, Brandi Harrison, Jayne Capenter
Room: McCreary, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Collaborative Solutions: The Intersection of Philanthropy and Academia in Fostering Equitable Disaster Resilience
Presenter(s): Brooks Nelson, Timothy Davidson, Regardt Ferreira
Room: Jones, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Leveraging Blockchain Technology for Rapid and Transparent Disaster Relief: A Collaborative Approach
Presenter(s): Niall Dennehy, Matt Keller, Cathy Garcia
Room: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
The LTR Orientation: The Important Pieces of an LTRG
Presenter(s): David Rauer, Mellie Thomas
Room: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
State Emergency Management Support for its Nonprofit Community in Disaster Response and Recovery
Presenter(s): Christy Rojas, Jessica Geib, Gannon Gan
Room: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
House for Worship Migrant/Asylum Seeker Sheltering: Government & Faith Sector Solutions
Presenter(s): Peter Gudaitis, Laura Sword, Emily Ashton
Room: Coe, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Thursday, May 22
7:00 am – 12:00 pm
Reflection Room Open
Room: Willis, 2nd Floor, East Tower
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Registration
Room: Registration Desk, 2nd Floor, East Tower
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Exhibit Hall & Silent Auction Open
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Coffee with Exhibitors
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
9:45 am – 11:00 am
Workshop Session 4 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Increasing Food System Resilience Through Long Term Recovery
Presenter(s): Courtney long, Sommer Sibilly-Brown
Room: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Filling the Gaps in Disaster Response and Recovery – Use of CERT
Presenter(s): Gannon Gan, Christy Rojas
Room: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Mobile and Manufactured Home Residents: The Challenges in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Legal Issues
Presenter(s): Kristine Hansen, Brian Candelaria, Peter Dennis
Room: French, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Responding to Climate Disasters and Human Displacement Caused by Rapid Climate Degradation
Presenter(s): Peter Gudaitis, Jono Anzalone, Katie Mears, Lucy Cummings
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Twin Realities: The Arts as Disaster Recovery Partners and Clients
Presenter(s): Mollie Quinlan-Hayes, Leah Hamilton, Janet Newcomb
Room: Coe, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Building Disaster Financial Resilience (DFR) – People, Small Businesses, Non-Profits, Government, and Communities
Presenter(s): Kirsten Trusko, Joe Delaney, Carla Harward, Louise Holden
Room: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Navigating the Journey: Disaster Case Management for Long-Term Recovery
Presenter(s): Mellie Thomas, Julia Frank, Dominque Stephenson
Room: Jones, 3rd Floor, East Tower
GoFundMe: The Trusted Way to Give and Get Support
Presenter(s): Emily Barson
Room: McCreary, 3rd Floor, East Tower
11:15 am – 11:45 am
Last Look at Exhibits & Silent Auction
Room: Grand Hall, 2nd Floor, East Tower
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Plenary Luncheon & Passing of the Hat
Room: Grand AB, 2nd Floor, East Tower
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Workshop Session 5 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Equitable Disaster Response & Recovery: Going the Distance for Black Communities
Presenter(s): Atyia Martin, Annelle Primm
Room: Carroll Ford, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Supporting Pregnant and Lactating Families During Emergencies
Presenter(s): Love Anderson
Room: Coe, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Strengthening Disaster Food Distribution: Innovative Practices for Resilience and Collaboration
Presenter(s): Racine Droz, Mike Darrow, Eric Davis
Room: Jones, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Disaster Legal Scenarios – An Interactive Approach
Presenter(s): John Lawless, Josh Gaul, Christa Figgins, Whitney Bailey
Room: Segell, 3rd Floor, East Tower
When Disaster Hits Over and Over: How to Navigate Over 40 Community LTRGs
Presenter(s): Christy Rojas, Jessica Geib, Robbie Soflay, Kathy Strader
Room: Combs Chandler, 2nd Floor, East Tower
Post Katrina 20 Years of Resilience: Headwaters Relief Organization’s Journey in the Ninth Ward, New Orleans – Lessons in Going the Distance
Presenter(s): Roshan Khatri, Rebecca Thomley
Room: Stopher, 3rd Floor, East Tower
Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Support Training
Presenter(s): Dorie Jones, Morgan Gordy, Sean Coffman
Room: McCreary, 3rd Floor, East Tower
3:15 pm – 4:45 pm
Closing Reception – Kick Off to 2026!
Room: Grand C, 2nd Floor, East Tower