2026 CCOV Presentations
The CCOV Planning Committee is proud to present the 2026 CCOV presenter lineup!Wisdom at Work: Engaging and Supporting Aging Volunteers
Session Description: Aging volunteers bring a lifetime of experience and heart to their work, and they thrive best when we remain attentive to changing physical and cognitive needs. When we listen closely and adapt thoughtfully, aging volunteers can continue to share their strengths in ways that feel safe, valued, and sustainable.
Presenter: Bobbie D'Addario
Presenter Bio: Bobbie is a Senior Program Manager with the Alzheimer’s Association, bringing more than 40 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside volunteers to create meaningful change in communities—whether through faith-based initiatives, programs supporting individuals experiencing homelessness, or recovery-focused services. Her leadership has extended beyond management to include training, coaching, and guiding workshops and retreats that equip others to serve with compassion and effectiveness. With a career rooted in service and empowerment, Bobbie is passionate about building communities of care where people feel supported and connected. At the Alzheimer’s Association, she leads programs that provide education, resources, and hope for families navigating the challenges of dementia. Known for her warmth, humor, and ability to inspire, she continues to champion both volunteers and professionals in their efforts to make a lasting difference.
Back to Basics: Auditing Your Volunteer Program Before You Rebuild
Session Description: Rebuilding starts with reflection. This session explores how to audit your current volunteer program, policies, systems, and volunteer experiences, to clarify what to keep, what to change, and what to release before moving forward with intention.
Presenter: Alina Hecht
Presenter Bio: Alina H. (they/them) is the Volunteer Manager at Inside Out Youth Services, where they revitalize and strengthen the volunteer program in less than a year. A yoga instructor and community-builder, Alina centers equity, inclusion, and mental health in their work, helping volunteers feel supported and empowered to make a meaningful impact.
Effective Volunteer Recruitment: Creating Supportive Environments for Prospective Volunteers
Session Description: Supportive Environments for Effectiveness (SEE) is a research-based framework created by reDirect that helps us consider what people need to succeed. We will apply the SEE framework to volunteer recruitment to explore how we can meet the informational needs of prospective volunteers and hopefully convert interest into meaningful action.
Presenter: Traci Lato-Smith
Presenter Bio: Traci Lato-Smith, a Certified Volunteer Administrator, has spent her career developing systems for engaging volunteers to support mission-focused work. Traci has created volunteer engagement strategies for organizations in the fields of social justice, senior support, and education, and consults on building infrastructure for effective, efficient volunteer engagement across all sectors.
Using Strategy, Structure, and Purpose to Set up Volunteers for Success through Onboarding
Session Description: Volunteer retention is less about perks and more about everyday leadership. This session reframes retention as a leadership practice, explores why volunteers disengage, and highlights small, practical behaviors that increase commitment, trust, and long-term engagement without adding more work.
Presenters: Tracy Vlnicka & Katie Lundy
Presenter Bios:
Tracy Vlnicka, Associate Director of Volunteer & Visitor Experience at Denver Botanic Gardens, strives to connect volunteer engagement professionals and volunteers with what motivates them. Tracy guides teams to excel by creating solid purpose, expectations, and community. She has experience in community engagement, service learning, volunteer engagement, nonprofit leadership and visitor experience.
Katie Lundy, CVA, Manager of Volunteer Services at Denver Botanic Gardens, has over 10 years' experience in the volunteer engagement field and non-profit sector. Katie has built her capacity to lead staff, volunteers and being an advocate for the best standards of volunteer involvement and engagement. She manages the new volunteer onboarding program and implements new strategies for recognition and engagement.
Collaborate to Increase Your Capacity: Co-Running Volunteer Programs with Partner Agencies
Session Description: Fort Collins Natural Areas & Larimer County Natural Resources co-manage specific volunteer roles. This partnership has expanded capacity, created opportunities, & strengthened connections between agencies. Participants will learn how this might benefit their organization, the logistics that make collaboration work, & creative solutions to challenges related to capacity/recruitment of volunteers.
Presenters: AJ Chlebnik, Ellen Harris, Lauren Hennessey, Ashley Krueger
Presenter Bios:
Ashley Krueger specializes in volunteer training and education in conservation organizations including zoos, aquariums, natural resource organizations and nature centers. She is currently the Volunteer and Education Coordinator for Larimer County Department of Natural Resources.
Ellen Harris is the Larimer County Education and Volunteer Specialist! She grew up in Longmont and have loved exploring the ecosystems of the Front Range. She wants to share our amazing places with everyone, in whatever way people feel comfortable with.
Lauren Hennessey began as a volunteer for the Victorian “Avery House Museum” in Fort Collins while earning a BA in History from Colorado State University. She started working for Fort Collins Natural Areas as an intern in 2022 and oversees volunteer-led community education programs as a Public Engagement Specialist.
AJ Chlebnik is the Volunteer Coordinator for the City of Fort Collins Natural Areas and received her CVA in 2025. She manages volunteer training, recruitment, and retention, as well as school field trips and stewardship events.
Retention Is a Leadership Practice: Why Volunteers Leave (and What Actually Keeps Them)
Session Description: Volunteer retention is less about perks and more about everyday leadership. This session reframes retention as a leadership practice, explores why volunteers disengage, and highlights small, practical behaviors that increase commitment, trust, and long-term engagement without adding more work.
Presenter: Deanna Bakken
Presenter Bio: Deanna is a people and leadership development professional focused on volunteer retention, engagement, and sustainable systems. Her work reframes volunteer management as a leadership practice, helping organizations strengthen commitment, reduce burnout, and build programs that support both mission and people.
Engaging VolunTOLDs: When and How to Engage Those Who Are Required to Volunteer
Session Description: The number of individuals volunteering because they “have to”—from court-ordered service to school or graduate program requirements—is growing, and 2027 Medicaid policy changes will accelerate this trend. Engaging “volunTOLDs” alongside traditional volunteers can bring benefits, but also raises challenges around roles, screening, training, support, and tracking.
Presenter: Beth Steinhorn
Presenter Bio: Beth partners with organizations and their leadership to increase impact through strategic and innovative volunteer engagement. As a thought leader, Beth regularly participates in the national dialogue about volunteerism and engagement and provides consulting and training to organizations across the US and Canada.
Leading Volunteer Engagement in Complex Organizations: Practical Strategies for Influence and Integration
Session Description: Volunteer engagement professionals often work inside complex organizations where priorities compete and influence is unclear. This session offers practical strategies to integrate volunteer engagement with fundraising, programs, and events, strengthen leadership influence, and communicate impact in ways organizational leaders understand to build sustainable, strategic volunteer programs.
Presenter: Kay Emerson, MS
Presenter Bio: As a national trainer, Kay Emerson, MS, has over 20 years of experience in volunteer engagement and national service leadership. She has supported AmeriCorps programs and community-based organizations in strengthening volunteer systems, improving compliance, and building sustainable program structures that elevate volunteerism as a strategic organizational function.
