2026 Leadership Retreat Agenda
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FEBRUARY 10 + 11
AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA
Pre-Retreat
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9
4:30 p.m.
PRE-RETREAT SESSION: The Gratitude Edge: The Well-Being Advantage in Philanthropic Leadership
with Linda Roszak Burton
Day One
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10
7:30 a.m.
BREAKFAST
8:30 a.m.
WELCOME
8:40 a.m.
OPENING PLENARY: Philanthropy in Flux: Redefining Health Care Giving in an Age of Disruption
Speaker: Betsy Chapin Taylor
9:35 a.m.
Well-Being Insight #1 with Linda Roszak Burton
9:45 a.m.
BREAK
10:00 a.m.
Track One:
Philanthropy
Unlocking Transformative Giving: Tools and Models for Principal Gifts Success with Cindy Reynolds and Debbie Ferguson
Track Two:
Issues & Opportunities
Pulse Check: Is Your Communication Strategy Still Breathing?
with Michael Beall
12:00 p.m.
POWER LUNCH: Live Podcast: Human First + AI Forward
Speakers: Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous, and Scott Rosenkrans, VP of AI Innovation at DonorSearch
12:55 p.m.
Well-Being Insight #2 with Linda Roszak Burton
1:00 p.m.
Track One:
Philanthropy
Corporate Giving in the New Era: Crafting Corporate Partnerships that Thrive in Today's Chaning Climate with Amy Dorrill
Track Two:
Issues & Opportunities
Peak Performance Leadership Coaching Techniques to Hire, Inspire and Retain High Performers with Lori Counts and James Gold
Track Three
1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Executive Think Tank Part 1 with Accordant Team Members
2:15 p.m.
BREAK
2:30 p.m.
Track One:
Philanthropy
The Hidden Path to Grateful Engagement: Patient Experience as a Philanthropy Driver with Erin Stitzel
Track Two:
Issues & Opportunities
Finding Your Value in the AI Era: Cultivating Flexibility, Adaptability and Human-Centered Leadership with Scott Rosenkrans, VP of AI Innovation at DonorSearch
3:30 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
3:45 p.m.
COOL-DOWN CONVERSATIONS
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Building Back and Sustaining Trust in an Instant Gratification World with John Donovan and Michael Beall
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The Philanthropy Leadership Exchange with Lori Counts
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Major Gifts: It Takes a Village (No Cowboys Allowed) with Heather Wiley Starankovic
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Resilient Leadership: Doing More with Less While Inspiring Your Team with Sarah TeDesco, COO at DonorSearch
6:30 p.m.
SOCIAL DRINKS
7:00 p.m.
DINNER
Day Two
FEBRUARY 11
Group Morning Walk on the Beach
7:30 a.m.
BREAKFAST (available at social tables or can be taken to Buzz Sessions)
8:00 a.m.
BUZZ SESSIONS
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Connected Leadership: Transforming Philanthropy Through Engagement Intelligence with Sarah TeDesco, COO at DonorSearch
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Keeping it Fresh: Sustaining Engaged Clinician Partnerships with Sarah Burdi
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Leadership and Team Assessments: Unlocking the Self-Awareness Superpower with Lori Counts and James Gold
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A Roadmap to Building AI Literacy and Adoption in 5 Steps with Debbie Ferguson
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Take the Harvard Human Flourishing Assessment with Linda Roszak Burton
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Marketing Meets Philanthropy: Who Really Owns the Donor Story? with Michelle Rovang
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New Thinking in Engaging Your Board in Prospect Development with John Donovan
9:00 a.m.
WELCOME BACK
Well-Being Insight #3 with Linda Roszak Burton
9:15 a.m.
KEYNOTE: Building a Culture of Curiosity to Thrive in the AI Era
Speaker: Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous
10:15 a.m.
BREAK
10:45 a.m.
Track One:
Philanthropy
Advancing Your Campaign: Leading Staff and Volunteers Through Uncertainty with Heather Wiley Starankovic and Amy Dorrill
Track Two:
Issues & Opportunities
Don't Make Me Work: Designing the Future of Fundraising Software with Jason VanLue, VP of Product at Virtuous
Track Three
Executive Think Tank Part 2 with Accordant Team Members
12:00 p.m.
BREAK
12:15 p.m.
POWER LUNCH / CLOSING KEYNOTE: Scaling Authenticity: Data, Engagement and Trust
Speaker: Brent Grinna, Founder and CEO at EverTrue
1:15 p.m.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The Illusion of Connection: Reclaiming Authentic Donor Relationships
Speaker: Pamela Ronka Maroulis
1:45 p.m.
Well-Being Insight #4 with Linda Roszak Burton
1:55 a.m.
CLOSING REMARKS
2:00 p.m.
CONFERENCE ADJOURNMENT