Going to a Conference

The 40th Anniversary ALDE Conference
2/3/2019  dwm photo

I've been working in development (fund raising) nearly 15 years now (in June); one constant through the journey has been ALDE.

ALDE was the acronym for Association of Lutheran Development Executives.

The organization has opened membership further recently to include other Christian organizations and development professionals.

My mentor in the field and the person who suggested I consider making a career change, made sure I became a member and attend my first conference in St. Louis in 2004.

The annual meetings bring together folks from around the country (there are some international members too) for four days.  There are keynote speakers, multiple break-out sessions, opportunities for fun and fellowship; and worship.

Over the years, I've gotten to know others in the profession, talk shop, and share ideas on how our non-profit handles certain issues.  The time in worship is uplifting and energizing.  Conference attendance runs between 200 and 300 individuals depending on the location.  I've noticed conferences in the upper Midwest are better attended, likely because there is a higher concentration of Lutheran organizations and Lutherans there.

The sending worship gathering.  2/3/2019  dwm photo

This year ALDE celebrated its 40th anniversary and recognized its retiring executive director who stepped down after 15 years.

For professionals early in their careers, it is a valuable experience to meet others and get exposed to new concepts and programs.

Now that I have some miles on the odometer, I enjoy learning about the latest trends and hearing about things I can bring back to Oakwood Village.

The relatively small size makes it easy to get face-time with speakers and dive deep into the various subjects.

This was my seventh ALDE conference.  After St. Louis came Columbus, Ohio (driving distance to Indianapolis where I worked in 2006).  Baltimore in 2007 when ice delayed my flight home a full day.  In 2008 it was in nearby Chicago and in 2011, I flew out in February to surprisingly green Portland, Oregon.  Last year was another driving trip to Minneapolis.  2019 in Dallas brought a welcome change in weather from Madison.

This year, I took an extra day off to see some of the sights... you will be introduced to those in some upcoming blog posts.