2019 National Leadership Conference

Location

The 2019 NLC will be at the historic Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The Brown Hotel
335 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202

As of January 23, the room block at The Brown Hotel has sold out. Additional nearby hotels within walking distance include:

Complimentary Registration

Each State Tree Farm Committee will be allotted two (2) complimentary full NLC registrations, to be redeemed via promo code. All complimentary registrations must be redeemed online by January 4, 2019. States may submit a request for a third complimentary registration no later than January 4, 2019, but only a first-timer is eligible to receive the third complimentary registration. Requests are not guaranteed and ATFS will allocate additional complimentary registrations based on overall need and registration pick-up, after January 4. Program Administrators should email requests to Sara Anrrich, to be added to the waiting list. Complimentary registrations cannot be transferred to another attendee after January 29.

Cancellation Policy

Registrants may receive a refund (minus $35 processing fee) if a cancellation request is made on or by January 29, 2019. Cancellations after this date are not eligible for any refund. Cancellation and refund requests must be made in writing to sanrrich@forestfoundation.org. Complimentary NLC registration(s) cannot be transferred after January 29, 2019.

Growing Forest Conservation, Together.

Click Here to Download the 2019 NLC Conference Program

Click Here to Download the Flip Chart Pages from the WISE Workshops

National Leadership Conference Purpose Statement:

The ATFS National Leadership Conference (NLC) is an annual event which brings together state Tree Farm committee leaders, ATFS Inspectors, IMG Managers along with other strategic partners and volunteers. The purpose of NLC is to:

Provide a collaborative venue for attendees, ATFS national staff and AFF leadership to coordinate and develop ideas, provide and share feedback, and develop long-term approaches that will ensure a vibrant, impact-focused future for the ATFS program;
Impart critical program updates to the network;
Create professional development and outside-the-box learning opportunities for attendees; and
Furnish peer-to-peer networking and information-sharing opportunities in order to inspire leaders and committees to take greater leadership and stewardship action.

National Leadership Conference Provisional Schedule:

This is a provisional schedule, which may be changed at any time. Check back for updates.

Tuesday February 26:

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Optional Facilitator Training Workshop
8:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.: Optional Tour: Churchill Downs & Derby Museum, hosted by the Kentucky Tree Farm Program
Lunch on your own.
2:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Conference Kick-Off and Opening Plenary Session
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.: Welcome Reception and Off-Site Event
9:00 - 11:00 p.m.: Hospitality Suite Open, Hosted by the Kentucky Tree Farm Program

Wednesday February 27:

7:00 - 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast Available
8:00 a.m. - 12:10 p.m.: Concurrent Sessions
Lunch Available
1:45 - 3:00 p.m.: Afternoon Plenary Session and presentation of the 2019 Inspectors of the Year
3:10 - 4:00 p.m.: Optional Workshops
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Optional Tour: Louisville Slugger Museum, Hosted by the Kentucky Tree Farm Program (SOLD OUT)
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.: Optional Tour: Bourbon Tasting & Brewery Tour, Hosted by the Kentucky Tree Farm Program (SOLD OUT)
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.: Emerging Leaders Workshop
Dinner on your own.
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: Hospitality Suite Open, Hosted by the Kentucky Tree Farm Program

Thursday February 28:

7:00 - 8:00 a.m.: Breakfast Available
8:00 - 9:40 a.m.: WISE Forums: Workshops for Ideas and Solutions Exchange, Hosted by the 2019 WISE Task Group
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.: Closing Plenary Session

What is the National Landowner Outreach Communities of Practice (COP) event?

The inaugural National Landowner Outreach Communities of Practice (COP) event will be held in conjunction with the ATFS National Leadership Conference in Louisville, KY. The dates for the COP are February 25-27, and some COP programming will be combined with NLC (Feb. 26-28) programming. The 2019 COP event is by invitation-only, due to space and budget limitations.

Attendees of the COP event represent partners working with the American Forest Foundation’s regional conservation project teams. The COP event will bring together conservation organizations, alongside leaders from the ATFS community, to create opportunities for networking & information sharing, increasing partner and project success, and building core capacity. We are excited to merge the COP and NLC communities as we all work toward a more impactful future. For questions about the COP event, contact Caroline Kuebler.