SEACAA 2026 Annual Conference

Human Resources Pre-Conference Track

Explore the workforce issues shaping Community Action today, from recruitment and retention to culture and compliance.

Finance Pre-Conference Track

Stay ahead of changing regulations, compliance requirements, and funding challenges with practical guidance for fiscal professionals.

Charleston City Tour (Optional Excursion)

Skip the classroom for the day and explore historic Charleston — cobblestone streets, waterfront views, and Lowcountry charm, timed to run alongside the Pre-Conference tracks.

Feeding Success: Farm-to-Preschool Initiatives

Kierra Mitchner

A ready-to-use Farm-to-Preschool model that puts fresh, local produce on the plates of the kids your agency serves.

Fiscal Hot Topics: Cost Allocation, Allowability, Non-Federal Share

Susan Chaberski

Straight answers on the two fiscal questions that keep Head Start finance teams up at night.

Unlocking Your Potential: Personality & Temperament

Angela Howell

An interactive look at temperament styles that will change the way your whole team works together.

Data Silos to Synergy: Unified Data Strategy

Wipfli

How to break down data silos and finally get every program working from one playbook.

The "Why" for Organizational Standards for Board & Staff

Jennifer Carroll

The real reasoning behind ADECA's organizational standards — and how to make them work for you, not against you.

Connecting Communities: How Intelligent Cloud VoIP Helps Community Action Agencies Do More With Less

George Platt

Details Coming Soon

Young Professionals Mixer

A relaxed, low-key space for rising leaders to connect, swap ideas, and build a network across the region.

Executive Directors Mixer

A dedicated space for EDs to trade notes, unwind with peers, and talk shop away from the day's sessions.

The Question: What's in Your Backpack?

Tina Ray

An honest, interactive look at the pressures leaders carry — and permission to set some of it down.

Uniform Guidance

JamesMoore

A practical refresher on federal Uniform Guidance every fiscal and program team should have on lock.

From Chaos to Culture: Strategic HR, Leadership, Alignment

Keno Simmons

A real-world model for rebuilding agency culture through stronger HR and sharper leadership alignment.

Data Driven Leadership

Shawn Howell

Trade gut-feel decisions for real data — and lead with confidence instead of assumptions.

I've Got Data, Now What: Needs Assessment for Strategic Planning

Julie Jakopic

Turn your needs assessment data into a strategic plan your agency will actually use.

Retirement Readiness for Your Employees

Earl Jones

Help employees reduce anxiety through a retirement readiness check-in, including for early retirement. We can help employees calculate how much they need in retirement and understand the role that social security plays. We can also review their current and future income and expenses and explain how they can access their retirement savings without penalty.

The 24/7 Front Door: AI Playbook for Expanding Access

Chip Kennedy

A real playbook for using AI to keep your doors open around the clock, without adding headcount.

Program and Fiscal Working Together

Wipfli

What happens when program and fiscal teams finally speak the same language.

CAP Poverty Simulation

Deborah Cottingham

An immersive simulation that puts you in the shoes of the families your agency serves every day.

Upstream Systems, Downstream Health

Nicholas Wharton

A bold reframe of Community Action as healthcare infrastructure, grounded in real science on stress and health.

LIHEAP

Fortell.ai

The latest on LIHEAP — what's changing, and what it means for the families who depend on it.

Updates from Region IV Young Professional Representative

Jesse Gozalez

Details Coming Soon

Open Session

Details Coming Soon

Maximizing Impact: Integrating WIOA Services

Cris Ritchie

A proven, 23-county WIOA partnership model you can take home and adapt.

AI Made Simple: Practical Tools for Teams & Leaders

DeAnne Wingate

No-fuss AI tools your entire team can start using tomorrow to lighten the admin load.

Pathways, Standards, and Sanity: Community Action Framework

Holly Morgan

Stop treating Organizational Standards as a compliance chore — start using them to build a genuinely stronger agency.

Making the Mission More Than Just A Poster

Shawn Howell

A leadership session on turning your mission from a wall poster into a daily practice.

Plan It–Fund It: Fundraising Workshop

Allison Jennings

A hands-on, 90-minute working session to build your own path toward unrestricted funding — not just another lecture.

Leaders Lead Change: From Urgency to Adoption

Wipfli

Practical strategies for driving urgency and adoption when your organization needs to change fast.

Session To Be Announced

Details Coming Soon

Session To Be Announced

Details Coming Soon