Habitat Florida 2025 Affiliate Conference: Full Schedule

We are excited to welcome you to our 2025 Habitat Florida Affiliate Conference! This year’s theme is Building Tomorrow, Together. As a network, we are embracing change, overcoming challenges, and finding innovative ways to serve our communities. Across Florida, the affordable housing crisis has required our affiliates to continually adapt. Yet, in the face of these challenges, the spirit of Habitat remains strong. Affiliates across the state are scaling up, building more, and serving more families than ever before. Together, we are forging a future where safe, affordable housing is within reach for all.

We have lined up an incredible slate of speakers and sponsors to share their wealth of knowledge with our affiliate network! Thank you for your participation! If you are looking to book your rooms for the conference, you can do so here. The hotel will discount the taxes with a copy of your tax-exempt certificate. This conference, from April 28-30, 2025 at The Shores Resort and Spa is exclusively for Florida affiliate employees and volunteers.

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8:00am EDT

Breakfast Habitat 2.0 Financial Model Plenary Session

Saturday March 15, 2025 8:00am - 10:15am EDT

Richard Petty Ballroom

This plenary session will include breakfast, a devotional by Becky Lucas, CEO of Lee & Hendry Habitat, and a panel discussion of the Habitat 2.0 Financial model.

Ed Lee: HFHI, VP US Transformation and Affiliate Engagement
Tina Forcier, CEO Hillsborough Habitat

Saturday March 15, 2025 8:00am - 10:15am EDT
Richard Petty Ballroom 1st Floor

Food and Beverage

10:15am EDT

Break

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:15am - 10:30am EDT

General

10:30am EDT

Local Advocacy 101

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Surf Room

Join this session to learn the nuts and bolts of advocacy as well as new ways to deepen relationships and grow partnerships for your affiliate. We will cover the basics of advocacy including the who, what, why and how and then dive into tools you can add to your “Advocacy Toolbox”. This session is for any affiliate regardless of size or experience that wishes to learn and share best practices that lead to results. The focus will be on advocacy within your affiliate service area, but time allowing we may touch on State and Federal initiatives.

Speakers: Sean King, Habitat Pinellas and West Pasco, VP of Government Relations & Justine Morgan, Habitat Broward VP of Capital and Community Relations

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Surf Room 11th Floor

Advocacy

10:30am EDT

Repair Best Practices

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

River Room

Presenters:

Karyn Bryant, Indian River Habitat for Humanity, Neighborhood Revitalization and Deconstruction Manager
Daniells Stroud, CEO Lake Sumber

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
River Room 11th Floor

Construction & Repairs

10:30am EDT

Build Capacity and Fund Development Infrastructure

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Sandpiper Board Room

Session Description
Let's commit to build capacity and fund development infrastructure, together! Let's understand our roles and resources, assess our starting point, and create a timeline/plan for people, processes, tools, and strategy. Case studies are included.

Perfect for the small to midsize affiliate who does not yet have a formalized development department.

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Sandpiper Board Room 2nd Floor

Executive Leadership

10:30am EDT

Finance Challenges and Solutions

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Coastal Room

Finance Challenges & Solutions will be an interactive session covering topics such as accounting and mortgage software issues, sustainability with rising construction and labor costs, IT challenges and other topics that are the responsibility of Finance Executives.

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Coastal Room 11th Floor

Finance & Mortgage Services

10:30am EDT

Creative Ways to Engage Volunteers

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Dolphin Room

Learn how Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties engages with volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels. You will hear about their Community Partner Program, Campus Chapters, and other exciting and engaging ways to utilize volunteers.
Speaker: Xavier Oliver, Habitat of Pinellas and West Pasco, Director of Programs

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Dolphin Room 2nd Floor

Homeowner Services

10:30am EDT

7 Steps of Intentional Leadership

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Atlantic Room

The 7 Steps of Intentional Leadership is foundational for authentic leadership.
STEP 1 Purpose – clarifying your principles creates an unshakable core to live your life, create balance and open you mind to the possibilities of authentic leadership.
STEP 2 Choice – your life is the sum of your choices, make the right ones using emotional intelligence, effective decision making and increase your options applying critical thinking.
STEP 3 Strengths – We have been told to eliminate weaknesses for way too long! Let’s focus on strengths, be aware of limitations and have grit!
STEP 4 Organize – Know your organizations mission, values, and strategy and intentionally succeed by aligning goals, roles and priorities.
STEP 5 Relationships – Building relationships is at the core of leadership. Trust is the cornerstone of all relationships. Clarity, Commitment, Consistency, Contribution, Connection
STEP 6 Competency – Leadership, Management and Functional Skills are needed for every job and unique in every organization.
STEP 7 Execute – Get things done!
Speaker, Gary E McGrath, Statarius LLC, CEO

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Atlantic Room 11th floor

Management Training

10:30am EDT

State Financing Options (SHIP, PLP & HOP)

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Bill France B

Learn about affordable housing resources that can benefit your work. Michael Chaney with the Florida Housing Coalition will introduce the SHIP program. Learn about trends with SHIP purchase assistance, construction subsidy, and acquisition/rehab/resale. George Rusaw from Habitat in Citrus County will discuss the Predevelopment Loan Program (PLP) and other programs and supports used in recent developments. In addition, Lainie Lowery, President of RCL Consulting Services of Florida, will review the Home Ownership Program (HOP), a source of down payment assistance. Learn why HOP is popular with so many Habitat affiliates and how you can benefit from leveraging state and federal dollars.

Speakers: Michael Chaney, FHC, Technical Advosor
George Rusaw, Habitat Citrus County, President/CEO
Lainie Lowery, RCL Consulting and Management, President

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Bill France B 1st Floor

Resource Development

10:30am EDT

ReStore Best Practices: Donation Procurement and Store Design

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Bill France C

Donation procurement: Balancing store operations while supporting a robust donation stream

Store leaders are busy and wear many hats; successful donor outreach only adds additional work to the long list of to-do items. Finding a balance between effective store design, supporting store operations and continuing to grow donor partnerships is essential to successful growth strategies. In this session, we will discuss engagement strategies, partnership opportunities, and time management tips to support working to build ongoing giving partnerships with businesses in their geographic service area.

Led by: Jeremy Keen, Habitat International
Round table discussion facilitated by Thor Barraclaugh, Chief Program Officer, Broward County

Saturday March 15, 2025 10:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Bill France C 1st Floor

ReStore

12:15pm EDT

Plated Lunch with Keynote Speaker

Saturday March 15, 2025 12:15pm - 1:45pm EDT

Richard Petty Ballroom

Join us for lunch with a presentation from Keynote Speaker, Daytona Beach Commissioner, Paula Reed!

Commissioner Paula R. Reed is a motivator, trainer, and much more. For over 28 years, Paula has shared her expertise with an enthusiasm that has compelled hundreds to renew their passions and to pursue excellence. Elected to her position in 2012 to represent the Zone 6 constituents of the Greater Daytona Beach Area, Commissioner Reed is no stranger to service. She is the Immediate Past President of the Volusia League of Cities. A native of Daytona Beach, Florida, Paula received her undergraduate degree in Mass Communication from Bethune-Cookman University (BCU), her Master’s Degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Akron, and a Master’s Degree in Transformative Leadership from Bethune-Cookman University. Ms. Reed has served on the United Way Volunteer Board, the Daytona Beach Leadership Board, the Daytona Beach Enterprise Zone Board, and the Daytona Beach Adjustment Board all prior to running for office. Paula is a member of the Daytona Beach Links, Inc., lifetime member of the BCU Alumni Association. She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and current President of the Daytona Beach Alumni Chapter.

Saturday March 15, 2025 12:15pm - 1:45pm EDT
Richard Petty Ballroom 1st Floor

Food and Beverage

1:45pm EDT

Break

Saturday March 15, 2025 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT

General

2:00pm EDT

Construction Innovation

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Coastal Room

Led by Habitat International, this will be a combined training and affiliate peer-sharing session to discuss current implementation of and future opportunities for construction innovations intended to improve home quality and/or increase production rates. Includes a training on offsite production (modular, manufactured, panelization), compact homes/Accessory Dwelling Units, and 3D Homes.
Speakers:

Amy Anselm, HFHI, Senior Specialist (Moderator)
HabiJax - Tiny Homes
Anna Terry, Space Coast Habitat - ApisCor 3D home
Ramsey Cohen, Clayton Homes - CrossMod home

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Coastal Room 11th Floor

Construction & Repairs

2:00pm EDT

Leadership Operating Models

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Atlantic Room

Do you ever struggle with crisis? Last minute unexpected changes that affect your schedules, costs, people, and plans making you feel a lack of control? Learn transferable skills from companies that have made exponential growth a regular part of their business by attending this HANDS-ON leadership workshop. This workshop will help you and your leadership team get better at Vision, Traction, and Healthy Leadership.

Speakers: Gary E McGrath, Statarius LLC, CEO & Nacny Robin, CEO and Executive Director, Habitat for Humanity of Broward

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Atlantic Room 11th floor

Executive Leadership

2:00pm EDT

HFHI & Affiliate Mortgage Services

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Bill France C

Learn more about creating homeowner selection policies, complying with lending laws and regulations, and supporting homeowners before and after the house construction process.

Speakers: Tera Doak, HFHI, Associate General Counsel
Cathy Overway, Affiliate Mortgage Services, Chief Operation Officer

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Bill France C 1st Floor

Finance & Mortgage Services

2:00pm EDT

Building Your Marketing Toolkit

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Surf Room

Learn how to use Canva, social media, and homeowner stories to elevate your affiliate's brand!

Speaker: Morgan Brochetti, Habitat Pinellas and West Pasco, Chief External Relations Officer

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Surf Room 11th Floor

General

2:00pm EDT

Crisis Management

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Sandpiper Board Room

As we all have learned, a crisis can occur at any time! Effective Crisis Management can help ensure that the damage that may occur as a result of a crisis can be minimized and operational interruptions can be potentially limited or eliminated. A crisis is defined as any situation that threatens to harm a person or property, disrupt business, negatively impact an organization or damage its reputation. During this course we will review ways to identify and minimize risk before they become a crisis, plan and prepare for a crisis of any level, as they occur, and ways to move forward and recover in a post crisis scenario.

Speaker: Jeremy Hamilton, HFHI

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Sandpiper Board Room 2nd Floor

General

2:00pm EDT

HUD Counseling

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Bill France B

Learn about becoming a certified HUD Counselor. The benefits and challenges and everything in between.

Speakers: Jennifer Bowser, CEO Habitat Arcadia-Desoto
Betsy McDonald, Habitat for Humanity of Pensacola, Director of Programs

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Bill France B 1st Floor

Homeowner Services

2:00pm EDT

Outcome Measurement

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

Dolphin Room

Providing affiliate leaders at all levels with a basic understanding and knowledge of outcome measurement and how to tell our impact story.

Speakers: Kathleen Chaballa, HFHI, Senior Analyst
Melissa Rivera, HFHI Affiliate Engagement and Success Manager

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Dolphin Room 2nd Floor

Management Training

2:00pm EDT

Philanthropic Engagement

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

River Room

Effective philanthropic engagement for Habitat for Humanity consists in understanding the needs and priorities of the local community, developing relationships with donors, and communicating the impact of their contributions. We will explain how we engage our community through the donor life cycle – and expand our reach to bring supporters closer to Habitat’s Mission.

Speaker: Elisha Baird, Habitat of Lee and Hendry Counties, VP of Strategic Partnerships Team

Saturday March 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
River Room 11th Floor

Resource Development