Registration must be received on or before March 1 to receive the early bird rate. After that date, regular rates apply.
Impact Partners and/or Organizations that Have Achieved COA Accreditation
Other Organizations
This event will offer learning and networking tailored to CEOs and executive directors of human and social services organizations. By bringing together leaders who truly understand each other’s day to day, it will help you develop relationships, share challenges, find solutions, and build community.
With facilitated sessions, the event’s programming will emphasize dialogue and collaboration to identify solutions. This year’s session topics include:
Chief executives and executive directors are invited to make new connections, deepen relationships, and grow their network of go-to colleagues.
Cancellation by Participant: All cancellation requests must be made in writing. Conference cancellations are subject to a $100 processing fee. Cancellation requests received after March 1 will not be refunded, including the optional tour. Credit toward future Social Current events is not currently possible. Notice of written cancellation must be emailed directly to Social Current.
Cancellation by Social Current: If Social Current cancels this conference, all registration fees will be refunded in full.
This session will engage CEOs in a focused discussion on the evolving landscape of insurance and risk management in human services. Participants will analyze complex challenges within the insurance industry, exchange knowledge and strategies, and generate actionable insights to strengthen organizational resilience and leadership decision-making.
Presenter: Eric Beck, senior vice president and national nonprofit practice leader, Marsh McLennan
Nonprofits are facing uncertainty unlike any in recent history. On the horizon are seismic changes at the federal, state, and local levels that will result in significant changes to the nonprofit industry. Nonprofit organizations will be challenged over the next few years in ways that were previously unimaginable. How will we manage to persevere? What steps can CEOs take to ensure that their organizations stay mission focused and successful? How can I prepare my organization to remain on top?
This high-energy discussion will highlight strategies to leverage your leadership practice, your team’s efficacy, and your organization’s resilience. Participants will come away from this interactive and dynamic session with at least three concrete steps to support their leadership practice and continue their organizations’ success.
Presenter: Paul L. Dann, president and CEO, North American Family Institute
Get ready for a unique and entertaining experience with Funny Bus Comedy City Tour. This 90-minute bus tour of Charlotte, featuring a local comedian as our tour guide, will be filled with laughter and learning. This rolling comedy show promises to be a memorable journey. Be sure to dress for the weather, as the bus is open air. Get ready for a one-of-a-kind adventure!
In this session CEOs will take a strategic look at the stages of AI readiness and frameworks for the safe, ethical, and effective design, development, and deployment of AI tools. Participants will engage in a collaborative effort to develop an AI readiness assessment rubric—an actionable resource designed to support organizational preparedness and implementation. Through this session, participants will explore how AI can be integrated responsibly into the human services sector.
Presenter: Lauri Goldkind, professor, Fordham University
This session will explore a strategic framework for human services leadership, emphasizing skills and strategies essential for navigating today’s complex landscape. Drawing insights from the Equip the Flip initiative, a collaboration between Social Current and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), participants will examine practical approaches to centering community voice, building generative partnerships, supporting people with lived experience, enhancing political literacy, and implementing participatory design. The session will also discuss strategies for fostering shared vision and achieving sustainable, systemic impact in the human services sector.
Presenters: Eric Schindler, president and chief executive officer, Child & Family Resources; and Robena Spangler, senior director of leadership development and organizational excellence, Social Current
Eric Beck
Senior Vice President, National Nonprofit Practice Leader
Marsh McLennan
Eric joined Bouchard Insurance in 2003 and was invited into the ownership group in 2007. He became one of the majority shareholders and a board member. In February of 2019, Bouchard was acquired by Marsh & Mclennan Agency where he is a senior vice president and national nonprofit practice leader. Prior to joining Bouchard Insurance, he worked in many social service settings, including residential group homes and as a teacher for middle school children with mental and behavioral health challenges.
Beck is active in many nonprofit associations and has served on numerous boards. He is the endorsed insurance agent for the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and does a lot of work with the Florida Coalition for Children. He is a graduate of Leadership Pinellas and CEO Direct. He spends a lot of time working with clients to help defend their interests and funding sources. He regularly speaks at nonprofit seminars on ways to reduce insurance costs and how to develop a sound risk management program.
In 2016 and 2017, Beck was recognized as a top 100 insurance agent in the country by Business Insurance magazine. He obtained his bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Mississippi in 1996. He currently lives in Clearwater, Florida, with his wife and their three children.
Paul L. Dann, PhD
President and CEO
North American Family Institute
Paul Dann is the president and CEO of North American Family Institute (NAFI). The multiservice nonprofit organization has an annual budget of $130 million and provides 128 services to individuals across the lifespan in nine states. Prior to stepping into the president and CEO role he worked for 31 years to develop one of NAFI’s subsidiaries, NFI North, from a single program with an annual budget of $400,000 and four employees in 1993 to the organization it is today, with more than 28 services and annual budget more than $54 million and more than 400 employees.
Dann has published two books, Introduction to Human Services: Policy and Practice, 2019, Pearson Publishing and Managing and Leading Nonprofit Organizations: A Framework for Success, 2022, Wiley and Sons Publishing. In 2022, he received the NH Business Excellence Award. He serves as a core faculty in public administration in the Carsey School at the University of New Hampshire and provides consultation and training nationally in organizational culture, change management, and leadership development. Dann also serves on multiple nonprofit boards.
In his free time, he is the frontman for a regionally recognized blues band, The Brothers Blues Band.
Lauri Goldkind, PhD, LMSW
Professor
Fordham University
Dr. Lauri Goldkind, PhD, LMSW is an associate professor at Fordham University and the editor of the Journal of Technology in Human Services. Her current research focuses on artificial intelligence in social work practice and data ecosystems in nonprofit organizations. She is a network co-lead for the Grand Challenges in Social Work Harnessing Technology for the Social Good.
Eric Schindler, PhD
President and CEO
Child & Family Resources
Since 2005, Eric Schindler has been the president and CEO of Child & Family Resources (CFR), a statewide community organization based in Tucson. CFR works in communities across 13 Arizona cities to promote strong, healthy families and ensure high-quality early childhood education so children can reach their full potential. CFR also partners with teens to prevent pregnancy, drug use, and suicide.
Schindler received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona in 1982. After postdoctoral studies in child and family psychology at U.C. Davis and pediatric psychology in Chicago, he has spent the last 43 years working in Tucson community settings as an administrator, director, teacher, and practitioner. A licensed clinical psychologist since 1984, he had a private practice focused on marriage and family therapy and substance abuse. Schindler was an adjunct faculty in the Family Studies and Human Development Department at the University of Arizona for many years.
Schindler and his wife, a family practice physician, have two adult sons. They enjoy scuba diving, travel adventures to different countries, yoga, hiking, and cycling in their spare time.
Robena Spangler
Senior Director of Leadership Development and Organizational Excellence
Social Current
Robena Spangler is an innovative senior executive with over 30 years of experience in behavioral health, human services, and advancing equity and inclusion work. The majority of her career has been dedicated to systems improvement within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Spangler held several leadership roles in the public and private sectors. She has provided professional coaching and leadership development for teams and individuals on a national level.
In addition to her public and private sector work, she is an adjunct instructor at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS), responsible for facilitating accelerated programs in human services for adult learners. Her current role, as an equity, diversity, and inclusion and leadership strategist, is to design and manage all aspects of Social Current’s leadership and organizational development portfolio. Spangler holds a bachelor’s in sociology and human services, as well as a master’s in leadership and professional advancement.
5-6:30 p.m. Welcome Reception
Thank you to Thompson Child and Family Focus for sponsoring this reception.
8:15-9:15 a.m. Networking Breakfast
9:15-10 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
10-10:15 a.m. Break
10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CEO Think Tank: Navigating Insurance and Risk Mitigation in 2025
12:15-1:30 p.m. Networking Lunch
1:30-3 p.m. Success during Uncertain Times: Strategies for Positive Outcomes at the Individual, Team, and Organizational Levels
3-3:15 p.m. Break
3:15-5 p.m. Networking Activity: Funny Bus Charlotte
Dine with Your Peers or Evening on Your Own
8-8:45 a.m. Networking Breakfast
8:45-11 a.m. AI and the Social Services Sector: Advancing Organizational Readiness
11-11:15 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. A New Operating Paradigm for Human Services Leaders
12:15-12:30 p.m. Closing and Evaluation
The Duke Endowment
800 E Morehead St.
Charlotte, NC 28202
Participants will be responsible for their own transportation to and from The Duke Endowment.
Participants are welcome to stay at the hotel of their choice. The Duke Endowment recommends:
Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte Uptown
201 South McDowell St.
Charlotte, NC 28204
*approximately 0.7 miles from The Duke Endowment
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Charlotte – South End
1617 South Tryon St.
Charlotte, NC 28203
*approximately 1.0 miles from The Duke Endowment
There is a plethora of places to enjoy a bite to eat in Charlotte. Here are just a few suggestions:
The Market at 7th Street
This nonprofit food hall is a bustling urban food destination in the heart of Charlotte’s Center City! The Market’s mission is to celebrate the food culture of the Carolinas and promote local and regional farmers, food artisans, and entrepreneurs.
Haymaker
Haymaker is known for using southern cuisine and ingredients in a fine dining setting. Locally sourced ingredients and a seasonal menu make dining at Haymaker a uniquely Carolina experience.
Mac’s Speed Shop
Mac’s Speed Shop has won numerous barbecue awards for its signature style and recipes. Pull up a stool and grab a cold one, just don’t forget the extra napkins when your meal arrives.
Amélie’s French Bakery & Café Uptown
Amélie’s French Bakery & Café Uptown focuses on French-inspired pastries, soups, salads, and sandwiches, creating a place of community, comfort, and nourishment.
McNinch House Restaurant
Perfect for special occasions, McNinch House offers three daily menu options for guests to pick their culinary experience. It is the city’s only AAA Four Diamond dining spot.
Spending a little extra time in Charlotte? There’s lots to do in Charlotte, but here are a few highlights.
Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
The Gantt Center serves as a reflective prism to present, preserve, and promote African-American art, culture and history for the enlightenment of all.
Tour Charlotte’s Public Art
Large and small, loud and subtle, Charlotte’s public art is reflective of the city’s vibrant, diverse culture.
Birkdale Golf Club
Located on rolling terrain, Birkdale Golf Club is a Championship golf course carved between tall pines and natural streams. It is Charlotte’s only Arnold Palmer signature design course. Check out Charlotte Golf for information on other courses.
NASCAR Hall of Fame
Located in Uptown Charlotte, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR.
Mike Bertrand
President & CEO
Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois
Tom Campbell
President and CEO
Family Service of the Piedmont
Mary Garr
President & CEO
Family Service Association of San Antonio
Andrea Hall
President/CEO
MYSI Corporation
Beverly Hardin
Chief Executive Officer
Carolina Youth Development Center
Lenora Hardy-Foster
President & CEO
Judson Center, Inc.
Desiree Jennings
President & CEO
The Children’s Center of Wayne County
Will Jones
President/CEO
Thompson Child and Family Focus
Jenny Livelli
President & CEO
The Children’s Guild
Michelle Murray
President & CEO
Nexus Family Healing
Kirsten Olson
Chief Executive Officer
Children & Families First
Anita Paukovits
Executive Director/President
The Children’s Home of Easton
Eric Schindler
Chief Executive Officer
Child & Family Resources
Michael Sexauer
President
Holy Family Institute
Outlook Live