Track 1: VISION AND DIRECTION
• Community Action 101: Board Roles and Responsibilities (Org . Std. 5.8)
Presenter: Dr. Keith Vire, CEO, Arkansas Support Network
Boards are foundational to good organizational performance. Understanding your duties and responsibilities as a
board member is critical to your community action agency’s success. This workshop discusses legal, fiduciary, and
leadership aspects of board service specific to community action.
• Governing the Governors (Org. Std. 5.1 – 5.6)
Presenter: Denise Harlow, CCAP/NCRT, CEO, Community Action Partnership
An important aspect of board service is ensuring that the board governs itself appropriately and in compliance with its
own bylaws and with laws and regulations that affect the organization. This includes avoidance of conflict of interest,
adherence to a code of conduct, and periodic self-assessment of the board’s own performance.
• Setting Your Agency’s Course (Org. Std. 4.1 – 4.2)
Presenter: Mae Frances Rowlett, Program Coordinator, Region VI Administration for Children & Families
What is your agency doing to reach its mission? A primary responsibility of the governing board is to ensure that the
agency’s mission addresses poverty and that the organization’s programs, services, and Community Action Plan align
with the mission and are outcome-based. Learn how to determine if your agency is on the right path.
• Strategic Planning for Your Community Action Agency (Org. Std. 4.1 – 4.4; 6.1 – 6.5)
Presenter: Dr. Keith Vire, CEO, Arkansas Support Network
An efficient and effective organization knows where it is headed, how the board and staff fit into that future, and how
it will measure its success in achieving what it has set out to do. Key elements of strategic planning and the role of the
board will be explored in this workshop.
Track 2: OPERATIONS AND ACCOUNTABILITY
• Ensuring Your Personnel Policies and Procedures Are in Compliance (Org. Std. 7.1, 7.2, 7.6, 7.7)
Presenter: Kimara P. Randolph, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP
Maintaining a strong human resources infrastructure and a productive working relationship between the organization
and staff are key to agency capacity and success. This workshop explores the importance of written personnel policies
and procedures that meet CSBG and other funder requirements and what you need to consider in meeting new requirements for legal review of your personnel policies.
• Job Descriptions that Work (Org. Std. 7.3)
Presenter: Kimara P. Randolph, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP
The human element of Community Action’s work is evident at all levels of the agency, and the relationship an organization has with its staff often reflects the agency’s values and mission. Better understanding expectations can enhance
job performance. This workshop will explore best practices in developing and maintaining appropriate job descriptions across your agency.
• Organization-Wide Budgeting and Reporting (Org. Std. 8.7, 8.9)
Presenter: Bradley Manning, Executive Director, Texas Neighborhood Services
Fiscal accountability includes more than daily accounting activities. This workshop explores the importance of the
bigger financial management picture and how an organization-wide budgeting and reporting approach gives your
board and management team a finger on the pulse of your agency’s financial health.
• Financial Policies and Audit Procedures: Is Your Agency Up-to-Date? (Org. Std. 8.10)
Presenter: Tony Gilbert, Audit Coordinator, AR DHS Office of Quality Assurance
Biennial review of your agency’s financial policies is required. This workshop includes elements of your policies that
may need to be updated and discusses new OMB Supercircular requirements that may affect your financial policies,
procurement practices, and audit procedures.
Track 3: MAXIMUM FEASIBLE PARTICIPATION
• Community Engagement and Assessment Process (Org. Std. 1.1, 2.2, 3.1)
Presenters: Beverly Buchanan, NCRT, CSBG Manager, AR DHS OCS, and
Robin Freeman, NCRT, Planning Director, CADC
Comprehensive assessment of needs and resources at the community level is a vital management and leadership tool
of community action. Learn who should be involved, what should be considered, and how this assessment process
should be conducted.
• Data Collection: What Do We Need to Know About Our Community? (Org. Std. 3.2, 3.3)
Presenter: Denise Harlow, CCAP/NCRT, CEO, Community Action Partnership
Your agency needs to collect both quantitative and qualitative data related to poverty and demographics in your service area – information which is needed for sound decision-making, strategy development, and allocation of agency
resources. Tools and techniques will be discussed.
• Data Analysis & Decision-Making: Using What We’ve Learned (Org. Std. 1.2, 2.2, 3.3, 3.4)
Presenter: Dr. Kimberly Aaron, President/CEO, Arkansas Rice Depot
You gathered the data, so now what? This workshop will present data analysis and decision-making considerations for
thinking both broadly and deeply about data you’ve collected and interpreting what that means to inform the planning
and resource allocations processes for your agency.
• Reporting the Results of Your Community Assessment (Org. Std. 2.3, 3.1, 3.4, 3.5)
Presenter: Dan “Lucky” Boyd, NCRT, Executive Director, Community Services of Northeast Texas
This workshop discusses content for inclusion in your community assessment report, including key findings on the
causes and conditions of poverty and the needs of the community assessed. Also discussed will be methods for disseminating the results of your community assessment to your board and across multiple sectors of the community,
including to those of low income.
Track 4: ROMA AT THE FRONT LINE
• Community Action History and the Purpose of Our Work
Presenters: Tim Ensley, NCRT, Director of Operations, OHC
Terry Bearden, NCRT, ROMA Coordinator, ACAAA
The foundation of Community Action’s mission is to help stabilize and move families out of poverty and to revitalize
communities. Examine how that mission drives your daily work and helps you create positive change for families and
in your community.
• Breaking Down Silos: One Mission
Presenter: Dan “Lucky” Boyd, NCRT, Executive Director, Community Services of Northeast Texas
You are “community action!” -- not Head Start, or LIHEAP, etc. More than just a single program, Community Action
ties together all of the services and programs offered by your agency and with community partners to help people
move forward. Take this opportunity to reset your thinking to an agency-wide and “one-mission” perspective.
• Building Family Stability: Bundled and Sequenced Services
Panelists: Brenda Fiser, FDC/NCRT, CADC Family Development Program;
Sandy Aguirre, CAPCA Head Start Program; and
Rebecca Hanlin, NCRT, OOI SUCCESS Program
Look at models presented by panelists that begin to shape how we may provide services in the future to improve our
ability to assist families in reaching positive outcomes.
• Tracking Progress and Documenting Impact (Org. Std. 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4)
Presenters: Beverly Buchanan, NCRT, CSBG Manager, AR DHS OCS, and
Robin Freeman, Planning Director, CADC
Community action agencies must better document the outcomes families, agencies, and communities achieve. Effectively telling the story of agency-wide impact and community change, with supportable evidence, requires a systematic
approach to tracking and reporting the progress of families and communities. This session will consider models that
may be feasible for your agency.