2024 Celebration of Nonprofits

Our day begins with a discussion geared toward our nonprofit members. Next, explore the Nonprofit Expo to learn more about the important work your fellow Midway Chamber of Commerce members do each and every day. This leads to our December Monthly Luncheon.

Just interested in the membership luncheon? Come early and explore the Nonprofit Expo to learn more about the important work your fellow Midway Chamber of Commerce members do each and every day. 

  Seminar:

Retaining employees can be hard, and in nonprofits it can feel even more difficult. How do employees stay motivated, happy and prevent burnout? Hear from a panel of experts on how to retain talent and how to maintain joy in the workplace.

 

Panelists

Kari Aanestad, MN Council of Nonprofits

Kari Aanestad is the associate director at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. In this role, Kari partners closely with the executive director to chart MCN’s strategic response to organizational and sector challenges and plays a critical role as counselor, advisor, and strategic thought-partner for the executive director. Kari shapes and implements the organization’s strategy by providing oversight of fundraising, sector research, GreaterMN programs, special programs, operations, human resources, and financial management.

 

Amy Brendmoen, Mighty Consulting

Amy Brendmoen, an experienced leader in government and non-profit sectors, is a member of the Mighty Consulting team who specializes in Interim Executive Director roles. Her noteworthy background includes serving as a Saint Paul City Councilmember and Council President, where she spearheaded policy development and budget processes. In nonprofit work, she is a founding member of the Rice & Larpenteur Alliance and she served as Marketing and Communications Director at Children’s Home Society & Family Services before serving in elected office.   Currently, she holds the position of interim Executive Director at Emma Norton Services in the Highland Bridge, following an interim ED leadership role at the Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) in the Midway neighborhood.
 

Damon Shoholm, Ballinger Leafblad

Damon is grateful to be entering his third year as a partner with Ballinger Leafblad executive search and has been a leader in the non-profit/philanthropic sectors for the past 17+ years having developed a strong reputation in leadership development, civic engagement and facilitation training programs and services. During that time he has served as the Grantmaking Director for the Bush Fellowship at Bush Foundation (2021 to 2023), Director of the James P. Shannon Leadership Institute, Program Manager for the Neighborhood Leadership Program, Program Staff for the Youth Leadership Initiative all programs of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation (2007 to 2020) as well as lead facilitator for the DEI Collaborative, a program of the Saint Paul Area Chamber (2018 to present).  In addition, Damon is grateful to have served as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas since 2012 as part of the Aquinas Honors Seminar and the Justice and Peace Studies Program. 

Damon has come to a critical understanding of self that serves as the foundation for his own engagement across communities. He sums it up in the statement, "I support the changemakers among us." Not only does he feel this is a better description of his work, it gets to his core belief that we can all be a changemaker, leader or influencer no matter where we are positioned in organizations or in community.

Damon believes strong leadership development to be about creating the conditions for effective reflection and analysis that serves to increase the capacity of individuals in most effectively living into their best self. Damon believes it is a privilege to work with individuals as they do the deep, personal work of understanding self in order to better serve others.
 

• 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Nonprofit Expo
• 12 p.m.: Luncheon & Program  
• 1 p.m.: Close & Happy Holidays!

Program:

What does it take to run a major project? What needs to be considered, and do you contract out any of the pieces? Listen to Chris Coleman, CEO/President, talk about his experiences at Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and the recent Carter Work Project. 

Keynote:

Chris Coleman, President/CEO of Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and former Saint Paul Mayor. Chris Coleman joined Twin Cities Habitat in 2018 after serving as Mayor of St. Paul from 2006 to 2018. As Mayor, Chris was a champion for economic development, education, and racial equity. From 2013 to 2014, Chris was the President of the National League of Cities, a bi-partisan coalition of leaders from across the country. Prior to his election as Mayor, Chris was an investment advisor for RBC and he served for six years on the St. Paul City Council. Chris was born and raised in St. Paul and earned bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Minnesota.