My Week that Was - February 28

Step 1: Vacuum. 2/21/2026 dwm photo

Saturday morning we were preparing for the week ahead.

My wife, the doula, learned her next birth assist would be Monday while I ran some errands and picked up some things to take on a four-day conference in Chicago.

After a trip to the grocery store for snacks and cereal, I filled the car then took it to Mermaid Car Wash to get cleaned inside and out.

It's getting the car's interior clean I like the most, and it had been awhile since I did anything but sweep the car with a glance. 

Sunday I drove to Chicago for the Faith & Fundraising Conference put on by the Association for Christian Fundraising. I was enrolled in an early session Monday morning and the idea of driving in during the Monday morning commute wasn't appealing. Instead, I arrived without a problem around 3:30 and checked into my room on the 28th floor.

From my room you could see a lighthouse. 2/22/26 dwm

 When I asked for a room facing Lake Michigan, the clerk said there was a nice view of the city. He was right, there was plenty of city out my window, but it didn't take long to see the Chicago Harbor Lighthouse on it's perch on a breakwater.

 At night I saw the flashing red light, but couldn't get a decent picture.

 My room for the week was in the Marriott on the Magnificent Mile.  

 I'll write specific posts about some of the adventures between conference sessions. It was a good location where I parked my car in a garage and walked everywhere

Monday was the first day of the conference and for several years now the first sessions are a Master Class with 2-and-a-half-hour sessions that provide the opportunity to get a thorough understanding and ask questions of people who know their stuff.

The conference logo. 2/26/26 dwm

The first was "Big Ideas for Big Donors," that looked at ways to connect people with your non-profit in a way that a successful proposal becomes inevitable. 

Between the two sessions, I had time to get out and explore the area. I walked to Navy Pier where I expected to photograph four lighthouses. It was pretty quiet on the pier. A few restaurants were open but most things were buttoned down until spring. The first Chicago lighthouse blog should be posted tomorrow.

With the final shots in the camera, I headed to lunch at Ed Debevic's, an iconic restaurant that was only two blocks from the conference hotel. I'll have more on Monday's lunch on Tuesday (March 3). 

The second master class was with Chester Santos, who has developed ways to improve remember names after you just met someone. 

This was the 14th conference I've attended sponsored by the Association for Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE). It changed it's name a few years ago when all Christian fundraisers and fundraisers working for Christian organizations could become members; we're now known as the Association for Christian Fundraising (ACF) 

The conference usually attracts three- to four-hundred attendees, which is small enough to get to know new people and re-connect with those you've met at earlier conferences. One colleague actually goes back to an earlier career, when we both worked at KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She worked out of the main newsroom in Sioux Falls while I was in the Pierre bureau. We knew each other, but that was about it.

It's been ten years now since we first ran into each other at an ALDE conference, and we make it a point to catch up each year.

Another reason I like to attend the conference is that there are a lot of sessions that can be used for continuing education points. I earned a CFRE, Certified Fund Raising Executive, in 2016. In order to keep the credential, it takes 45 hours of credits in the following three years to renew the certification. There are additional requirements, but the classes are the most time-consuming, which is why getting to get 25 credits over four days is so inviting.

Tuesday and Wednesday were full of breakout sessions and four keynote speakers over three days. Our free night came Tuesday, so attendees could get out on their own. Wednesday started with breakfast and ended with a banquet celebrating award winners and featuring an inspiring keynote speaker. This year's speaker was Shirley Brooks-Jones, who was on one of the airplanes that was forced to land in Newfoundland on 9/11. 

38 airplanes carrying thousands of passengers landed. Their story is told in Come From Away, Brooks-Jones was depicted by James Earl Jones, Junior in the Broadway show. 

She shared her story and how the passengers on her plane joined to create a scholarship fund for students where they were housed while waiting for their airplane to take them home. Since 2001, Brooks-Jones has made regular trips back to the island from her Ohio home, and was awarded a prestigious medal from Newfoundland for her work. 

Thursday morning wrapped up the conference with a session featuring four speakers who tied a bow on the event. Because the conference was in Chicago, I didn't need to fly and could get home faster by driving home. My last week also included exchanging emails with colleagues in the office so we could finish a couple projects that were close to the finish line. As I write this, I'm still waiting to hear from our printer to send us the final proof.

Instead of going back to work Friday, I took time-off to recover.  

Thanks for reading, I hope you have a great week!