Schedule is Subject to Change
Monday, May 4
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Pre-Conference Trainings (Registration Required – Limited Space Available)
Beyond the Flames – Navigating the Financial Maze of Wildfire Recovery
Facilitators: Valerie Brown, Jeri Curry, Sidra Goldwater, Kate Bulger
Centering Children in Disasters
Facilitator: Greta Wetzel
DCM Essentials: Blended Delivery with Applied Learning Experiences
Facilitator: Melissa Hruska
Finding Your Leadership Core in Times of Uncertainty (Additional Fee Required)
Facilitator: Leonard J. Marcus
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
National VOAD Member and State/Territory VOAD Meeting (Closed Business Meeting – Designated Member Representatives)
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Annual Meeting (Open to All Attendees)
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Committee Leadership Meeting
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception (Open to All Attendees)
Tuesday, May 5
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Reflection Room
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Open
8:00 am – 11:45 am
Exhibitor Meet & Greet
8:00 am – 11:45 am
Service Project
9:15 am – 10:15 am
First Timers Mixer
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Meet the Members
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Welcome Luncheon
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Committee Meetings 1
Community Preparedness
International
Long Term Recovery Groups
Donations Management
Disaster Migration
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Breakout Session 1 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Beyond Immediate Relief: Long-Term Resilience and Sustainable Housing Solutions for Low-Income Survivors
Speakers: Jenn Dorsch-Messler, Seth Long
Tech Tools for Disaster Response, Recovery, & Rebuilding: Is there an APP for that?
Speakers: Valerie Brown, Jeri Curry, Patty Ratterman, Sierra Kos
Including Inclusion: A Reflective Exercise on How Emergency Responses Failed People with Disabilities—and How We Must Do Better
Speakers: Bjorn Betzler, Ann Diapaola
Building Community Resilience through Fellowship in Mass Casualty Events
Speaker: Leon Ferraez
Transforming Disaster Response Through Innovative Partnerships
Speakers: Juanicia Crump, Jose Madera, Luke Pratt
Transforming Disaster Response Through Innovative Partnerships
Speaker: Ashley Bustillo
Imagining a World Where the Emotional Aftershocks of Disaster No Longer Define Lives, But Give Way to Healing, Resilience, and Hope
Speaker: Jolie Willis
4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
Committee Meetings 2
Communications
Advocacy
Mass Care
Volunteer Management
Disaster Legal
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Awards Dinner Social Hour
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Awards Dinner
Wednesday, May 6
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
Reflection Room
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration
7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Open
7:30 am – 8:45 am
Expo Breakfast
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Plenary Keynote
10:15 am – 11:15 am
Breakout Session 2 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
The Appalachian Relay: Visionary Leadership, Trusted Messengers, Building Recovery
Speakers: Kat Latham, Leslie Dalton
Master Disaster Communication: A Hands-On Lab with Next-Gen Tools
Speakers: Vivi Siegel, Anne Meyers, Sabrina Riera
Small Disasters, Big Impact: The Importance of Community Resilience and Local Disaster Coordination
Speakers: Cindy Stewart, Jen Ponce
Rehumanizing Long Term Recovery: Centering Survivor-Determined Measures of Success
Speakers: Nyla Howell, Julia Frank
The Continuity You Can’t Download: Practicing Mentorship as Leadership
Speakers: Emily Kukulies
Building the Next Generation of Disaster Data Tools: How Louisiana VOAD Is Developing Innovative Technologies to Improve Disaster Response
Speakers: Andrew Holbein
Beyond the Basics: How Government and VOAD Partners Elevate Mental Health in Response and Recovery
Speakers: Jessica Geib
“Cast a Wider Net!”: How Collaboration with Non-Traditional and Traditional Partners Enhanced Community Recovery
Speakers: Charlotte Porter
11:15 am – 12:45 pm
Networking Lunch
12:45 pm – 1:45 pm
Breakout Session 3 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
AKVOAD: Unique Challenges for Disaster Response in Rural Alaska
Speakers: Jenni Ragland, Alan Budahl, Dan Wilcox, Mary Yoder Holsopple
The Future of Multi-Agency Resource Centers: Advancing Disaster Response with Fintech
Speakers: Hani Hamwi, Kirstin Trusco, Kevin Cox
Engaging Youth in Disaster Management: A Hands-On Exploration of a Summer Camp in Texas
Speakers: Seth Jordan, Michelle Meyer
Expanding Generosity: Building Lasting Recovery, Resilience, and Resource Strategies
Speakers: Jessica Nelson
Advancing a Unified Vision for Community Pet Protection: The Evolving Role of NGOs in Disaster Planning, Response, and Recovery
Speakers: Susan Anderson
Strategies for Effective Community Engagement and Partnerships in Disaster Recovery
Speakers: Kate Pifer, Stefanie Barnette, Jonathan Nazeer
From Abstract to Action: Practical Applications of Disaster Research
Speakers: Sydney Dyck, Julie Elliot, Roni Fraser, Mary Nelan
1:45 pm – 2:15 pm
Coffee Break in Exhibit Hall
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm
Committee Meetings 3
Emotional Spiritual Care
Disaster Case Management
Disaster Health
Housing
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Breakout Session 4 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Frontline Responders: Community Justice Workers Leading Long-Term Disaster Recovery
Speakers: Izzy Williamson, David Bonebrake, Sarah Carver, Cher Thompson
Activating Communities: Reimagining Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) Methods for Improving Community Access and Agency
Speakers: Clinton Carlson, Rodrigo Ramirez
Visionary Logistics: Securing Infant Health with Infant and Young Child Feeding Integration (The 4 C’s in Action)
Speakers: Ashley Mickelson, Melinda Delisle, Brandi Harrison, Rachel Fann
Mapping Needs of Underserved Populations for Rural Resilience
Speakers: Judanne Lennox-Morrison
Fighting the Fires of Wildfire Recovery
Speakers: Valerie Brown, Jeri Curry, Ian Anderson
Forging Cross-Sector Partnerships: Helping Mothers and Babies in Emergencies
Speakers: Rachel Almond, Kasey Rivas
Feeding Hope: The Hidden Impact of Disaster Feeding
Speakers: Victor Magana, Dana Reed, Kevin White
From Crisis to Clarity: How GIS Supports Disaster Response
Speakers: Evelyn Michael
Thursday, May 7
7:00 am – 12:00 pm
Reflection Room
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Registration
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Exhibit Hall Open
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Coffee with Exhibitors
10:15 am – 11:15 am
Breakout Session 5 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
Innovation in Disaster Case Management: Florida’s Combined Helene and Milton Program
Speakers: Christy Rojas, Jim O’Brien
Don’t Forget to Help the Helpers! Legal and Fundraising Support for Disaster Groups
Speakers: Kristine Hansen, Jason Susalla, Alicia Edwards, Marcus Coleman
Disaster Systems in Remote America: Lessons from the Pacific, Arctic, and Caribbean
Speakers: Heidi Simpson, Amelia Hoppe
Getting Cash Assistance Right: From LA Wildfires to a New Vision for Domestic Cash Assistance
Speakers: George Hernandez Mejia, Bjorn Betzler, Natalie Chang, Erin Coltrera
80 Years Later, Reimaging the Emergency CARE Package
Speakers: Rachel Almond, Alice Turner
Stronger Together: A Community-Wide Disaster Simulation
Speakers: Alexia Nobles
Better Together: How a Long-Standing LTRG from the Camp Fire Built a Collaborative Hub for Lasting Recovery
Speakers: Bruce Yerman, Aaron Singer, Theresa Azevedo
Practical Climate Adaptation for VOADs in a Changing Disaster Landscape
Speakers: Katie Mears
11:15 am – 12:00 pm
Last Look at Exhibits
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Plenary Luncheon
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Breakout Session 6 – Click Here to View Session Descriptions
The Power of Play in Disaster Recovery: Experiencing What Children Need Most
Speakers: Erin Myers, Caitlin McNamara, Carolyn Neher, Kathy Fry-Miller
Information as Infrastructure: Redefining How Communities Access Help Before, During, and After Disaster
Speakers: James Collins, Heather Black, Marcus Coleman, Alex Schwab
Reimagining Disaster Relief Through Small Business Support
Speakers: David Nelson, Kat Latham, Leslie Dalton
A New Vision for Collaboration: Reshaping State and VOAD Partnership for Recovery (A Case Study Discussion)
Speakers: Christine Heyser, Karl Jones, Staci Ferreira
BE READY: Visionary Disaster Cooking & Community Feeding Models for the Next Era of Crisis Response
Speaker: Sinnidra Taylor
The Power of Stories in Navigating Change: How MDS Used Personas in Updating its Volunteer Software
Speakers: Josh Carson, Jordan Kauffman
EMAC for Volunteer and Donations: How VALs Deploy, Integrate, and Serve Across State Lines
Speaker: Christy Rojas
Safe, Sanitary, Secure and CHOSEN: How to Embed Survivor Choice into Disaster Programming
Speakers: Katie Mears, Race Hodges, Katharine Boyette
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Cheers to 2027!