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Opportunity Finance Network hosts 26th annual conference
By Grace Ami, publications and graphic design specialist
Each fall, Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) hosts a conference bringing together Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) from throughout the country for three days of networking, knowledge sharing and industry updates. The 2010 event, entitled “Capital Justice: If Not Now, When?” will be held in San Francisco, California on Nov. 2-5. More than 750 people attended the 2009 conference and expectations are high that this year’s event will attract similar numbers.
Thirteen tracks with more than 50 breakout sessions, ranging from introductory to advanced, will cover timely topics aimed at matching capital with justice. The opening plenary session will highlight OFN’s new 15 year strategic plan and feature speakers including Mary Matthews, chairman of the board, OFN; Ignacio Esteban, board member, OFN; Alex Moss, Praxis Consulting; and Andrew Lamas, University of Pennsylvania. Breakouts will tackle everything from board leadership to green financing to addressing the economic downturn. Networking opportunities are available each day as well as tours of community development facilities.
This year marks the conference’s 26th anniversary. RCAC, an OFN member, has helped plan the annual conference for the past 16 years. Linda Petta, Conference and Training Events (CTE) department manager, assisted in organizing the OFN conference from 1994-2006. Susan Buntjer, conference management specialist, has headed up the planning for the past four years and is responsible for many of the logistics needed to make sure the conference runs smoothly. Buntjer assists in site selection, food and beverage orders, sleeping room blocks, arrangements for the Wachovia Wells NEXT Awards banquet and the logistics for pre-conference sessions and tours.
RCAC’s Conference and Training Events (CTE) unit heads up the marketing, logistics and registration for trainings that RCAC hosts, as well as offers conference planning services on a contract basis. Services include hotel contract negotiation, site selection, onsite management, promotional materials, registration, marketing, logistics and budgeting. Staff members Linda Petta and Susan Buntjer are both Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) and offer a combined total of more than 40 years industry experience. For more information on utilizing RCAC’s professional conference management services, contact CTE Department Manager Linda Petta, CMP, at LPetta@rcac.org.
OFN is a network of CDFIs identifying investment opportunities focused on low-income, low-wealth populations in the United States. OFN members seek to provide lending options to urban, rural and native communities not typically able to access conventional financial institutions. Opportunity financing utilizes alternative lending options and is typically a focus of CDFIs. OFN’s purpose is to provide capital, technical assistance and development services to CDFIs throughout the country. Learn more about OFN at www.opportunityfinance.net.
RCAC’s Conference and Training Events (CTE) department heads up the marketing, logistics and registration for trainings that RCAC hosts and offers conference planning services on a contract basis. For more information contact Linda Petta at LPetta@rcac.org or visit RCAC’s website.
For OFN 2010 Annual Conference information and registration, visit their website.
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