Relational equity is essential to effective strategic communication… simply stated, people don’t care what you know until they know that you care (about them).

Most strategic plans, especially those intended to disrupt the flow of things and introduce organizational change, start with ideas and concepts but they should really be starting with the people first. When you start with people before processes, you have the opportunity to create meaningful connections for lasting impact!

The Gumbo of Community College Fundraising has been cooking for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System since 2014 and the roux in the gumbo is just now being perfected for success. This session focuses on how elements of enrollment management, student affairs, academic affairs, workforce and economic development, fundraising, and governmental affairs are key ingredients to making the gumbo. Join this session to learn from a community college “Sous Chef” who has had the opportunity to work in each department at the college level and now is the “Executive Chef” at the system and what key ingredients played an important role to making a robust impact in Louisiana. These ingredients shared with attendees are key strategies to investments toward student success.

Join Advancement leaders from across the district, with over 75 years of combined experience between them, as they delve into the intricacies of planning and executing successful fundraising campaigns. They will share expertise on launching and managing successful campaigns at both big and small shops, help attendees identify and navigate potential pitfalls, offers practical tips and tricks for success, and provide ideas for maintaining high staff morale throughout the life of the campaign.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but why do we have to wait on hindsight. This session is designed to help you take your leadership to the next level. As a first-time CMO, Dr. Carrie Phillips faced several struggles when she was elevated into her first CMO role. And like most, she had some successes...and also some failures. In this session, she’ll candidly share managing mistakes she made, offer some lessons she learned the hard way, and provide practical takeaways to support your management journey. Whether you’re a seasoned leader, interested in the CMO role, or leading a team for the first time this session will help you think about your own leadership and ways to continually improve.

While rich institutional knowledge and experience can be invaluable and provide priceless insights into an organization's history, culture, and procedures, it also presents challenges. New employees often discover that there are many unwritten rules (highlighting the importance of documentation), historical details, and old practices, which can be confusing. Additionally, institutional knowledge is often associated with sticking too rigidly to old ways, which can block new ideas. It’s important to find a balance between preserving valuable old knowledge and welcoming new ideas to help the team improve its overall efficiency and effectiveness.