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MAVA 2018 Conference



On June 6-8, 2018, 250 volunteer engagement leaders gathered in St. Paul, Minnesota to connect, network, learn and consider what’s next for our field. In the words of one attendee:

I think it says something about MAVA that so many in attendance were from out of state. Clearly the organization does a stand-up job providing leadership to those in the field! Thank you for your hard work and for putting on a great conference!





We laughed as our Keynote speaker warned us to “Stop being so bloody nice!” and as the Theatre of Public Policy actors helped us to recognize some ironies in the world of volunteer engagement leadership. In the words of another conference attendee:

The workshop sessions provided useful tools and strategies to advance the work of volunteer managers in their respective organizations. The presenters were well prepared and made the material both easy to follow and relatable. I felt well prepared to tackle some of the issues concerning volunteer management at my organization and I also felt empowered by these workshops. They were well presented, they had accurate and relevant information, they were engaging and educational. I was very content with giving my time to learn with these presenters.

Another highlight was recognizing MAVA Award recipients at the Twins game!

MAVA Award recipients at the Twins game

All in all, these words reflect what we heard from many:

This was a great conference and very high spirited! I met lots of people from all over the country.

The conference was almost entirely run by capable volunteers. MAVA Staff extend our sincere appreciation to the conference planning committee:

Sarah Berres

Kirstyn Blyth

Kate Hersey

Julie Jergens

Sabrina Jones

Cody Logsdon

Cairn Reisch

Kasey Tunell

Kristina Wilkes

Garrett Zaffke