Workshop 1: The Case for Documentation
Presented by Chris Hesse, Managing Partner, The Hesse Group LLC, and Deb Tallo Senior VP & CHRO, Gateway Region YMCA, this session will touch on the case for documentation and numerous Human Resources and legal topics challenging Y leaders today.
Workshop 2: The Future of Childcare
Presented by Robin Phllips, CEO of Child Care Aware® of Missouri. Phillips leads efforts to strengthen early childhood education through advocacy, workforce development, and business partnerships. She has nearly 25 years of experience in systems building, nonprofit management, and child care policy.
Workshop 3: Self Awareness In Action
Presented by Terri Radcliff. In Self-Awareness in Action: Becoming a More Effective Leader and Communicator, participants will explore how understanding themselves more deeply can strengthen their leadership and communication effectiveness. Through interactive discussion and practical tools, you’ll learn what self-awareness truly means and why it’s essential for personal and professional growth. You’ll gain insight into the two types of self-awareness, discover four actionable ways to enhance it, and develop the ability to recognize when and how to adapt your behavior to different situations. By applying these skills, you’ll lead with greater intention, communicate with more impact, and build stronger, more authentic relationships.
Terri Radcliff is a leadership and organizational development professional with deep expertise in culture, talent, and leadership development. She is the former SVP of Talent & Knowledge Management at YMCA of the USA and has held senior roles in both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Terri now consults with mission-driven organizations, helping leaders build self-awareness and behavioral agility to increase effectiveness and impact.
Workshop 4: Impact of “movement” and “exercise” on insulin resistance, the primary driver of cardiometabolic disease.
Presented by Dr. John Thyfault, this session will provide information on how sedentary behavior, physical inactivity, and a lack of regular exercise drive insulin resistance; how insulin resistance drives cardiometabolic disease; and how increasing all forms of “movement” reverses these processes. The session will also cover how insulin sensitivity and resistance, along with poor glycemic control, drive cardiometabolic disease, and how these outcomes are measured in the lab or in the clinic. We will then explore how different forms of increased physical activity or exercise modalities affect cardiometabolic disease through insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Dr. John Thyfault’s research expertise focuses on exercise metabolism and mitochondrial energetics in the context of obesity, diabetes, hepatic steatosis, and aging using translational research approaches in animal models and human subjects. Dr. Thyfault is a Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Departments of Cellular Biology and Physiology and Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology. He is also a Research Scientist at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. He leads metabolism-based research at KUMC as Director of the KU Diabetes Institute, Co-Director of the NIH-funded Kansas Center for Metabolism and Obesity Research COBRE, and Co-Director of the TOMAD’s NIH T32 training program. His research program has been continuously funded by the AHA, VA, or NIH since 2008.
Workshop 5: Donors as Community Investors: Understanding Impact Through Data
In an era where financial contributions are increasingly viewed through an investment lens, this session will delve into how donors act as strategic investors in their communities. We will explore the necessity for clarity surrounding the business model, return on investment, and the tangible benefits of philanthropic contributions. Attendees will learn about the importance of evidence-based giving, mirroring investors' analytical approach to identifying high-impact opportunities. Additionally, we will highlight how data-driven insights, including market research and operational analysis, can enhance the donor experience by demonstrating how strategic investments lead to significant and measurable community outcomes.
John Biggins literally grew up in the firm’s family-owned business, and now serves as CEO of American City Bureau, Inc. Celebrating its 113 th year, ACB is America’s oldest fundraising consulting firm specializing in capital campaigns, capital stack planning, major gift development, partnership collaborations, New Markets Tax Credits and market analytics for YMCAs and other nonprofits across multiple
sectors. ACB’s current capital campaign portfolio is more than $750 million and is currently serving 24 YMCAs at various stages along the capital campaign pathway.
John has provided major gift and capital campaign consulting throughout his 30+ year career to over two hundred capital, debt reduction and endowment campaigns that includes over 120 for YMCAs alone. John is a frequent workshop presenter at NAYDO and various YMCA State Alliances.
Mario Trescone, Founder, Greater Than Analytics is passionate about data science and business strategy, especially bringing unfiltered, unbiased thinking back into the decision making process. Mario holds a Master of Science Degree in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University, a MBA from Strayer University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Wayne State University, with post-bachelorette studies in both Psychology and Cultural Anthropology. With decades of experience working in the fields of consumer research, business intelligence, and data analytics for non-profit, retail, and automotive industries, Mario is committed to bringing his expertise to organizations and helping them realize their potential and achieving their mission and margin objectives, promoting their sustainability, and relevancy in the communities they serve.
Workshop 6: Operational Excellence Assessment
Join us to learn about Y-USA’s new Organizational Excellence Assessment (OEA). We will provide an overview of the OEA as well as the supports that will be available to you and your team. We’ll talk about how you can prepare for the assessment and what the timeline is going forward. Finally, you will have a chance to ask all of your questions. Look forward to having you join us!
Presented by Janet Kafkas, the Senior Vice President, Service Delivery for YMCA of the USA responsible for leading, iterating and delivering our distributed support model for the YMCA movement in all areas of operations. Kafkas had spent the last 25 years working for the Y, at YMCA of the USA along with local associations in New York City, Charlotte, Houston and Chicago. Kafkas is passionate about helping people (and myself!) and organizations grow and develop in authentic and courageous ways in service to something worthwhile. She holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Educational Studies and a Ph.D. in Educational Studies, with a focus on non-formal leadership development in organizational contexts.
Workshop 7: Board Recruitment Reimagined: Winning Strategies for Any Community
Presented by Leighann Sibal, DBD Group. Finding qualified board members and people to serve on committees and boards often feels like searching for a needle in a haystack—today more than ever. But what if changing demographics, younger leaders with different opinions, and your tight-knit community are actually your secret weapons? This dynamic workshop will change your approach to board recruitment by leveraging geographical limits, generational differences and innovative strategies. You can build engaged boards and committees from untapped areas of your community while you provide a best-in-class volunteer
opportunity for local leaders. Perfect for CEOs, executive directors, board chairs, and nonprofit leaders who are tired of recruiting the same five people for every board position. Also applicable to staff of all levels charged with recruiting and leading volunteers as part of their role.
Session outcomes include:
* Master the art of "reverse recruitment" where potential board members
seek you out instead of you chasing them down.
* Create sustainable pipeline strategies that ensure you''re never scrambling
to fill board seats again
* Bridge the generational divide by understanding what motivates Boomers,
Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z to serve—and how to speak their language
* Crack the code on board recruitment using innovative strategies like real
estate agent partnerships, newcomer welcome programs, and community
foundation collaborations
What makes this different: This isn’t another generic board recruitment workshop.
We'll tackle the real challenges facing nonprofits—including those in the most rural
communities. Come and learn how to work with limited candidate pools, everyone
wearing multiple hats, and the unique dynamics of small-town relationships—while
equipping you with cutting-edge strategies that actually work in Main Street America.
Leave with: A personalized recruitment action plan and the confidence to build a
board or a committee that represents both your community's roots and its future.
Workshop 8: What to Eat, When to Eat: Diet Quality and Intermittent Fasting for Diabetes Prevention and Management
Presented by Dr. Felicia Steger, Nutrition guidance for diabetes prevention and management has evolved well beyond simple calorie counting. This session will review the latest evidence on diet quality—including dietary patterns, macronutrient distribution, fiber, and food-based strategies—that most effectively improve insulin sensitivity, glycemic control, and long-term cardiometabolic health. We will also examine emerging research on meal timing and intermittent fasting, clarifying what the data show, who may benefit, and where caution is warranted. This workshop will translate clinical research into practical applications for community settings. Participants will leave with clear, evidence-based talking points and program ideas they can bring back to their Y teams to better support members living with or at risk for diabetes.
Felicia L. Steger, PhD, MS, RD, is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Kansas Medical Center and Director of Nutrition Research for the KU Diabetes Institute. She is a Registered Dietitian and clinical trial investigator whose research focuses on nutrition and exercise interventions for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic disease. Dr. Steger has led and collaborated on multiple NIH- and ADA-funded clinical trials evaluating intermittent fasting, meal timing, and lifestyle programs to improve glycemic control and metabolic health. With over 15 years of experience delivering and studying lifestyle interventions across clinical and community settings, she is passionate about translating rigorous science into practical strategies that empower fitness and wellness professionals to improve health outcomes in the populations they serve.
Workshop 9: Finding Your Voice at the Podium
Presented by Jim Welty, MSAY Civic Engagement Manager.
In today’s corporate environment, leaders are expected to communicate clearly, confidently, and persuasively in high-stakes settings. Whether presenting strategy, leading teams through change, or representing their organization externally, taking the mic or podium is a ubiquitous expectation. This interactive training equips participants with practical tools to strengthen both what they say and how they say it.
The session is divided into two core components: content and delivery. Participants will learn how to structure messages that are concise, audience-centered, and outcome-driven, as well as how to refine delivery skills that convey confidence, credibility, and presence. Topics include message framing, clarity and concision, vocal control, body language, and techniques for managing nerves and adapting in the moment.
Designed specifically for Y leaders, this training emphasizes immediately usable strategies rather than theory. Attendees will leave with a repeatable framework for preparing presentations and practical techniques they can apply in boardrooms, team meetings, and public-facing engagements.
Workshop 10: Listen to Lead: Navigating Change Resistance
Resistance is a natural human response to change, yet it can impact the success of valuable change initiatives when not effectively addressed. This workshop will identify different types of resistance, explore tactics for addressing resistant behavior with care, and examine how resistance can be constructive toward your change goals. Focused on active listening and empathetic, human-centered communication, this session will equip participants with practical strategies to build trust while supporting others through change resistance.
Amelia Wagner is the Regional Training and Employee Experience Manager at the Gateway Region YMCA, where she supports learning and leadership development for Y's throughout Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and the Dakotas. Prior to serving the Great Plains Learning Center, she began her professional career in branch operations - at the same Y she grew up at - with the goal of offering members safe and enriching experiences for growth. Amelia is a Prosci® Certified Change Management Practitioner, and is passionate about advancing GRACE work, co-leading her local Women’s Employee Resource Group. Outside of work, you can find Amelia playing basketball at the Y, sitting at her craft table, or watching local live music.