Management HQ (MHQ) client, the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA), recently held its annual licensing seminar in Williamsburg, Virginia. NARA is an international nonprofit professional association representing all human care licensing, including adult residential and assisted living, adult day care, child care, child welfare, and program licensing for services related to mental illness, developmental disabilities, and abuse of drugs or alcohol. The seminar, which is fully managed by Management HQ, featured keynote speakers, workshops and opportunities for attendees to network, learn and share ideas with colleagues.
The theme for this year’s seminar was “Emergency Preparedness,” which was appropriate given the timing of the seminar coincided with the approach of Hurricane Florence toward the Carolinas and Virginia. While MHQ managed the expectations and logistical questions regarding the possibility of the hurricane, NARA members attended seminars and exhibits to explore how emergency preparedness impacts their work protecting individuals in out-of-home care.
The seminar featured keynote speakers presenting topics focused on helping members be prepared to handle emergencies both personally and professionally.
Dr. Atira Charles, assistant professor of management in the School of Business and Industry at Florida A&M University and CEO of Think Actuality, LLC was the first keynote speaker. Her presentation entitled, “Put on Your Oxygen Mask Before Assisting Others: A Fresh Perspective on Provider Self-Care,” explored the influence of fatigue on caregivers’ health, professional performance and clients and offered tangible solutions and strategies to manage these at work and home.
On the second day of the seminar, NARA was fortunate to have Michael Sharon, federal preparedness coordinator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III, offer his unique insight into dealing with all types of crisis through his presentation, “Not If, But When: Developing Resiliency for Future Emergencies.”
Finally, Tara Orlowski, M.Ed., associate director of early childhood programs for the Florida Center for Interactive Media at Florida State University, presented, “Preparing Yourself to Communicate with Everyone: How Understanding Personality Types Can Help.” This interactive session gave attendees an opportunity to explore their own personality type as well as those around them and explore how these personalities impact our communication in order to strengthen our effectiveness during an emergency.
Each year, NARA partners with a local nonprofit agency for a service project benefitting the community in which the seminar is held. This year, NARA partnered with FISH, a local all-volunteer not-for-profit agency in Williamsburg. FISH depends entirely upon a caring community for food, clothing, volunteers and financial donations in order to serve neighbors in need. NARA encouraged seminar attendees to bring non-perishable items and financial contributions to donate.
As the association management partner for NARA, MHQ oversaw the planning and execution of the seminar, which enable nearly 200 attendees to attend seminars, participate in breakout sessions, interact with exhibits, and engage with other professionals in human care licensing. For their efforts, MHQ was honored with the President’s Award, which recognizes an individual, group, or organization for dedicated and meritorious service to NARA.
If you would like to talk with MHQ about supporting your association with event management services, contact us at info@management-hq.com or call (877) 834-5550. You can also submit a 3-Minute Association Management RFP.
