Vitalize 2013 report

On June 13-15th 2013, I attended the 25th Vitalize 2013 conference at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton. This annual conference is an opportunity for people involved with many different nonprofit associations all over Alberta to gather in one place to network with one another and attend professional development workshops on a wide variety of topics related to being a positive, productive force for the nonprofit community. I attended as a representative of both FACTsnet and the Alberta Association of the Deaf, on sponsorship from the latter.

The conference opened with a keynote lecture from Amanda Lindhout, who spent 460 days in captivity in Somalia. We learned about the value of the human spirit - how each and every person we meet in our daily lives - from the people next to us at the bus stop to the 'terrorists' we see on the news - has their own personal life story and want to do well and be a positive force, but sometimes life circumstances interfere. Amanda was a very powerful speaker, and her message will stay with me. I must remember to treat all people I come into contact with, with respect - everyone has their own stories and spirit.

For the conference proper, each delegate could create their own workshop schedule according to their preferences. For me personally, I decided to focus mainly on communication. Four out of five workshops I attended were on various aspects of communication. Communication is so vital in this sector - whether with coworkers, with the public, with executive boards, or with other associations or corporations.  I learned how to listen - really listen - and pay attention to what other people are saying or doing on more than a superficial level. I also learned how to respect and value other peoples' opinions and values, even if they clash with my own. After all, we are all united in one common goal in the nonprofit sector - to help other people. Communication breakdowns and misunderstandings waste time and energy that could be better spent working on our organization's goals and priorities.

The conference closer was a second keynote lecture by Michael "Pinball" Clemons, former CFL running back and coach. Pinball gave an energetic lecture on how each and every one of us was more than a hero. People consider Pinball a hero because he ran away from men in his day job. If that's what constitutes a hero, then the people who work in the nonprofit sector and do so much good for the world must be more than heroes. Pinball also spoke of the importance of taking care of oneself - that should be the first goal of anyone. We should not spend so much energy taking care of others that we neglect others, and end up drained or burned out and of no use to anyone. We need to remember who we are really doing the good work for. (For Pinball, this is his wife and daughters)

Overall, the conference was an amazing experience and I am grateful to FACTsnet and AAD for fully supporting my attendance. I learned many valuable lessons at Vitalize 2013 that I will take and apply to not only my work in the nonprofit sector, but to my daily life as well.