The 2019 Co-op IMPACT Conference is holding a pre-conference workshop that’s a one-day version of the renowned co-op management course from Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia, Canada.
‘Excellence in Co-op Leadership and Management’ will be held at the headquarters of conference organiser NCBA-CLUSA in Washington, DC, on Tuesday 1 October. The conference runs from 2-4 October at the nearby Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.
The participatory, interactive course will discuss the challenges of leading and managing co-operatives; debate the co-operative business model and why it matters; and give participants the opportunity to recognise and avoid threats and risks to the model.
The course will be led by Karen Miner, managing director of Saint Mary’s University’s International Centre for Co-operative Management and her colleague, professor of economics Sonja Novkovic. Guest presenters from leading co-operative organisations from around the globe will also address the topics covered in the course.
The guest speakers are Erbin Crowell, executive director of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association; Ed Mayo, secretary general of Co-operatives UK, and Wayne Schatz, vice president of Canadian insurance and financial services co-op, The Co-operators Group Ltd.
The pre-conference course is offered at a special rate for conference attendees, and there’s an early bird rate for conference registration before 14 August.
NCBA-CLUSA has also announced that outdoor gear retailer REI Co-op will be hosting the opening night reception for the conference at its Washington DC Flagship Store.
The store’s general manager, Caiti Anderson, said: “REI’s Washington DC flagship is happy to partner with NCBA CLUSA to host the conference kick-off reception. It will be a great way to celebrate co-operatives and the communities they represent.
“REI in Washington DC helps shine a light on the co-op community by growing a sound business with a strong purpose, and celebrating all aspects of what it means to be a co-op. Operating for the benefit of our members and helping to create a life well-lived outdoors has been our guiding principle.”
