(MHS/Mennonite Education Agency) — Momentum continues to build for the Mennonite Health Assembly and Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) Education Leaders Gathering (ELG), scheduled for March 9-12 in downtown Jacksonville, Florida.
More than two dozen workshops are now confirmed for the conference, covering a wide range of topics. Those include “Living Well and Talking Truthfully at Life’s End,” “Leading an Intercultural Team,” “Nonprofit Boards: How Shall We Govern?,” “What Does It Meant to Be a Mennonite Church-Related Institution?” and “Creating Organizational Alignment and Stakeholder Engagement.”
Mennonite Church USA executive director Ervin Stutzman will lead a workshop titled “Peering into the Future of Mennonite Church USA,” MEA executive director Carlos Romero will lead one on “Intercultural Competence in the Boardroom” and Valerie Rempel and Angela Hernandez will lead one on developing leaders from marginalized populations. Other workshop themes include fundraising, philanthropy, executive transitions, workplace violence, wellness programs, Title IX, sexual harassment, social media, branding, mentoring, technology, youth sports culture, collaboration, team-building, crisis communication, leadership, Mennonite education, self-care, best practices, entrepreneurship, diversity, financial planning and more.
Keynote speakers for the event are Dr. Drew Hart, author and professor of theology at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman, president of Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia; and Rev. Dr. Debora Jackson, executive director of the Ministers Council of American Baptist Churches, USA.
The overall theme for the gathering—which is the second joint conference for MEA and Mennonite Health Assembly—is “Beyond Buried Treasure: Turning Hidden Resources into Assets,” drawing on words from Matthew 13:44. It brings together health care and education professionals to learn and vision together and to build agency and institutional leadership, especially for board members.
For those planning travel to Jacksonville, flights—including some on low-cost carriers—are available to Jacksonville International Airport from many parts of the country. Discount codes are being offered by Delta and United and can be found on the ELG website, mhaelgconference.wordpress.com. For those driving, Jacksonville is located at the intersection of two major interstates, I-95 and I-10. More tips on finding reasonable rates for travel to Jacksonville can be found on the website.
For more information on the conference, including details on accommodations, visit mhaelgconference.wordpress.com, or go directly to the registration site. Participants are encouraged to register soon, and to make hotel reservations by Feb. 10 to ensure the discounted hotel rate.
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