Adam Suomala

He/Him/His

Equity and Aging

Adam Suomala serves as Executive Director of the Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging - a nonpartisan, statewide, nonprofit organization with a mission of uniting leaders to advance equitable opportunities for all Minnesotans as we age. Since 2000, he has worked at the intersection of community and policy to mobilize grassroots efforts that transform the various systems affecting each Minnesotan as we age. Suomala has a BA in Political Science and a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School.

Sarah Mackey

She/Her

Who’s Missing at the Table? Rethinking Volunteer Leadership

Dr. Sarah Mackey, CVA, CFRE is a nonprofit executive, educator, and advocate with over 20 years of experience leading mission-driven organizations and mobilizing volunteers for impact. She currently serves as Executive Director of Women in Security and Privacy (WISP), where she advances access, equity, and leadership opportunities for underrepresented communities worldwide.

Collin Kind

He/They

Simple Actions, Lasting Impact: Inclusive Volunteer Practices That Drive Change

Collin Kind, CVA is a creative thinker and problem solver who brings passion, authenticity, and purpose to Volunteer Administration. With a strong commitment to community impact through volunteerism, Collin leverages lived experience as a Queer, Trans, Disabled, and Neurodivergent individual to advocate for inclusive, accessible spaces that celebrate difference and drive meaningful change. Based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Collin can be found connecting with nature, doing art and crafts, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, playing video games, and enjoying time with his spouse and their cats. Whether he's presenting, or building community, Collin brings heart, humor, and a deep belief in the power of people working together to make a difference.

Kayla Paulson

She/Her

From Barriers to Bridges: Reasonable Accommodation Creates Inclusive Volunteerism

Kayla Paulson, CVA helps mission-driven organizations maximize the power of people. A Certified Volunteer Administrator and seasoned engagement strategist, Kayla partners with nonprofits and public-sector leaders to create effective, inclusive systems for staff and volunteer involvement. Having benefitted from reasonable accommodation in school and work environments, Kayla has embraced this well-known concept to help create inclusive environments for diversities beyond disability. She is known for her practical tools, people-centered coaching, and empowering, energetic facilitation.

Breauna Dorelus

She/Her

Building Co-Dreaming Ecosystems: Designing Volunteer Infrastructure for Shared Power

Breauna Dorelus is the Founder and Cause Consultant at Connecting the Cause, a consultancy dedicated to dismantling harmful volunteer practices implemented by organizations and volunteers specifically towards Black and brown communities. She started her career as an AmeriCorps member and spent 10+ years in various volunteer management roles in humanitarian aid efforts, refugee resettlement and ministry. Breauna believes in community inclusion in all aspects of the volunteer process and has dedicated her work to ensuring that service is centered around co- dreaming and not harmful charity. For the past 8+ years as a consultant, she's served as a keynote, speaker, session and webinar host, trainer, facilitator, and co-creator and builder. Breauna has worked on multiple projects helping co-create ethos, philosophy, and practices for those who wish to walk alongside others. Her heart work is connected to seeing others have moments of reckoning and reimagination as they move from charity to Co-Dreaming. In her spare time, she loves playing dinosaurs with her 4 and 2 year old, thrifting, and having a hot matcha latte.

Luiza Dreasher

She/Her/Hers

Recognizing Differences in Communication Styles: The Key to Creating Inclusive Volunteer Spaces

As the Founder and CEO of Mastering Cultural Differences, Dr. Luiza Dreasher has over 20 years of expertise in helping organizations create environments where all employees feel valued, welcomed, and appreciated. Her thought leadership in DEI+ and global inclusion has earned her recognition as a sought-after trainer, speaker, and author. She has shared her expertise with multinational corporations, government agencies, educational institutions, and numerous nonprofit organizations.

As a contributing writer, her articles have reached an audience of more than 254 thousand individuals. She has written about strategies for recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, the detrimental impact of microaggressions, achieving inclusive religious observance, age discrimination, how biases and lack of cultural competence keep diverse candidates out, success strategies for leading global teams, and many other topics. In her book, Mastering Cultural Differences: Strategies for Leading a Global Workforce, she provides incredible insight into cultural differences impacting today’s diverse workplaces as well as best practices for increased performance in a global economy.

Dr. Dreasher’s expertise has been featured on major media platforms, including ABC, NBC, Fox, iHeart Radio, and Google Podcasts. Recognized for her thought leadership in employee relations and workplace culture, she was invited to join LinkedIn’s prestigious Top Voices Program—an exclusive network of industry experts driving meaningful conversations in their fields.

Jessica Pang-Parks

She/Her

Volunteer Lived Experience Matters: Co-creating a Culture of Care

Jessica Pang-Parks, CVA, Trauma of Money Certified™, is a volunteer engagement thought leader who helps organizations build trust, create impact, and inspire belonging. She is the recipient of the 2021 Alison Caird Young Leader Award in recognition of her leadership and excellence in volunteer engagement and the recipient of the 2023 VMPC Exemplary Leader Impact Award in recognition of her contributions to the field as a mentor, leader, trainer, and advocate.

Jessica facilitates Fleming College’s Volunteer Management: Spectrum of Engagement course and was named one of the Top 10 Volunteer Leadership Voices in 2025. She has held professional volunteer and community engagement roles at Crohn's and Colitis Canada, Pathways to Education Canada, the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Volunteer Toronto, and WWF-Canada. Learn more about Jessica at www.learnwithjpp.com.

Brianna Miller

She/Her

From Microaggressions to Meaningful Engagement: Retaining Diverse Volunteers

Brianna Miller is a writer, coach, and consultant with over 25 years of leadership experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management, and volunteer engagement. She is the founder of On Paper LLC, a creative and consulting firm that integrates equity-centered training, publishing, and coaching. Brianna specializes in dismantling systemic inequities in volunteerism and philanthropy, using bold truth-telling and practical strategies to reimagine how organizations engage community. She has facilitated national and local trainings on microaggressions, racial equity, and volunteer management, centering the lived realities of diverse volunteers and staff. Her recently published memoir, The Possibility of Me, and forthcoming book, The Psychology of Whiteness at Work, deepen her work of naming unspoken dynamics and equipping leaders with tools for accountability and inclusion.

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Winter Conference Schedule