By Jason Helsen, CPA, CFO, SFO, MSBO Associate Executive Director of Business and Finance
The 69th Southwest MSBO conference was held at Kalamazoo Valley Community College earlier this month. The event changed venues after many years at the Bernhard Center at Western Michigan University, which was recently demolished. The conference is held annually except for a brief pandemic hiatus and is a fixture of spring for many MSBO members.
Over 270 attendees took advantage of 30 breakout sessions, a vendor exhibit show, and listened to a great keynote address from speaker Kim Becking. Kim highlighted a message of positivity, encouraging attendees to use fun and joy and to find their inner rock star. Near the end of her talk, Kim asked the crowd to help her record a message of congratulations for a family member finishing cancer treatment. It was touching and a terrific way to cap off her talk.
SWMSBO co-president Kara Corniel from Paw Paw Public Schools challenged attendees to take keynote speaker Kim Becking’s message of a 3 to 1 positivity mindset back to their district offices. Kara also gave the participating vendors a lot of credit, adding, “Thanks to all our vendors who contributed time and money that allowed the committee to keep the cost below $50 for attendees, keeping SWMSBO as a great value.”
SWMSBO co-president Amy McMann from Olivet Community Schools served as co-chair of the successful planning committee and welcomed attendees to the KVCC auditorium for the final session. Amy also thanked all the presenters of the event who brought their knowledge and expertise on the vast array of topic areas of school business. ”The emphasis on creating a professional support network during this event is what we tried to achieve, and we believe that this initiative is critical for a successful future for school business officials in the state of Michigan,” said Amy.
Other committee members also commented on the change in venue. RJ Wiersema from Comstock Public Schools said, “The site was great for vendors. The ease of access to exhibit space was a nice change!” Stacy Ritchie from Dowagiac Union Schools, commented, “We do what we do because it feels like we’re making a difference.”
No doubt about it – the great work of the SWMSBO planning committee made a difference for the attendees, allowing for some great professional development and exchange of ideas that will help MSBO members make a difference in their districts. Another shining example of the MSBO network at work!
Other Articles in this Newsletter
- Congratulations MSBO Awards and Scholarship Recipients
- Group Solutions Workshops: Foster Collaboration
- Know Your Why – Tim Peraino
- Meet the Candidates: MSBO 2024 Board of Directors
- MSBO Annual Conference & Exhibit Show Update
- MSBO Update – Robert Dwan
- Sometimes You Just Need to Be Wild – Mary Beth Rogers
- Welcome New Members