Agenda
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Optional Pre-Conference Sessions
1:00-4:00 p.m.
Foundant
AkoyaGo
Community Leadership Deep Dive
Room 104
Room 106
3 Dots Downtown
Conference Check-In Begins
1:00-4:00 p.m. | Hotel Lobby
Reception
5:00 p.m. | Senate Suites
Keynote Dinner
6:00-7:30 p.m. | President's Hall 3
Mary Thomas, CEO CFLeads. Mary Thomas knows that there is incredible momentum in the community foundation field to do more community leadership. With over 25 years of experience in the community foundation field, Mary is adept at amplifying community voice through grassroots leadership training and is a tireless advocate for racial equity. As the President & CEO of CFLeads, Mary is using her skills as a dynamic leader, connector and relationship-builder to identify opportunities, develop strategies and implement initiatives that will help strengthen community foundations’ capacity to do more community leadership. She previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of The Spartanburg County Foundation and as the Executive Director of the Robert Hett Chapman III Center for Philanthropy.
Continental Breakfast
7:45–8:45 a.m. | 2nd Floor Breakfast Area
PACFA Annual Meeting and Report to Membership with Phil Koch, Chair and Michael Batchelor, President
8:45–9:15 a.m. | Room 207
Concurrent Session One
​9:30-10:45 a.m.
“Evergreen Funds," a Better Way to Manage the “Messy” World of Private Equity Investments | Room 203
Will Thorpe, Chief Marketing and Development Officer, Mason Investments
All Kids Should Have an Equal Opportunity to Learn,
No Matter the Zip Code | Room 204
Dr. Myra Forrest, Education Advocate, Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation
Best Practice for Engaging Professional Advisors | Room 205
Franki Aitken, Chief Operating Officer, Berks County Community Foundation Jason Arbacheski, Director of Gift Planning and Stewardship, Chester County Community
Monika Collins, Vice President for Advancement and Philanthropic Services,
Foundation for Delaware County
Break and Refreshments
​10:45- 11 a.m. | 2nd Floor Breakfast Area
Concurrent Session Two
11:00-12:15 p.m.
The Erie Playbook, Driving Equitable Change | Room 203
Karen Bilowith, CEO, The Erie Community Foundation
Kim Thomas, Executive Director, Infinite Erie
Strategy in a Fast-Changing World | Room 204
Emmie Calland, Director of Strategic Projects & Foundation Initiatives, The Pittsburgh Foundation
Trenton Moulin, President and CEO, Bridgebuilders Community Foundation
Mike Kane, President and Executive Director, Community Foundation for the Alleghenies
When Disaster Strikes, Will Your Plan Work? | Room 205
Heidi Williamson, Chief Strategy Officer, Berks County Community Foundation
Kevin Murphy, President, Berk County Community Foundation
Keynote Lunch
12:20–1:30 p.m. | President's Hall
Donna Cooper, Executive Director, Children First. Prior to Children First, Donna was a senior fellow at the respected national think tank, the Center for American Progress, where she led the Center’s research on early childhood education, public infrastructure, and was a contributing researcher to the Center’s work to reduce the incidence of poverty. She served as the Secretary of Policy and Planning for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2003–2010. Donna led the development of the state’s Cover All Kids program which expanded access to affordable health care to nearly every child in the state. Donna also led the seven-year effort to boost funding for public education that increased K-12 funding by over $2 billion, and designed the state’s groundbreaking school funding formula which was enacted in 2008.