Michigan Grantmakers Reinvent Michigan at CMF’s 39th Annual Conference
Nearly 600 members of Michigan’s dynamic philanthropy community, world-renowned speakers and experts gathered in Kalamazoo, October 10 – 11, 2011, for the Council of Michigan Foundations’ (CMF) 39th Annual Conference, an event packed with new ideas, networking, resources and a spectacular evening of the arts. 
Kicking off the conference was the opening plenary session, “A Conversation with Governor Rick Snyder,” featuring David L. House, House Family Foundation; Michael Finney, President/CEO, Michigan Economic Development Corporation; and William Johnston, President/CEO, Greenleaf Companies, with moderator, Ed Gordon, Head, BET News Division and Emmy Award-winning journalist.
Conference attendees could choose from a wide variety of concurrent sessions during the two-day event that provided each constituency – family, community, corporate and independent foundations – with experts in the field of grantmaking practices, finance and investment, governance, leadership, diversity and inclusion, communications, public policy and much more.
Featured speakers included Bradford Smith, The Foundation Center; William Ryan, Kennedy School, Harvard University; Cynthia Silva Parker, Interaction Institute for Social Change; Lisa Jackson, New Profit, Inc.; J. David Wetzel, Fund Evaluation Group; Deborah Richardson, National Center for Civil & Human Rights; Fred Keller, Board Chair, W. K. Kellogg Foundation; Lynn Perry Wooten, University of Michigan Ross School of Business; Robert Restuccia, Community Catalyst; and Harvey Hollins III, Michigan Office of Urban and Metropolitan Initiatives.
Resource Central was the knowledge and networking hub of the conference connecting attendees with the conference sponsors, exhibitors and partners, as well as the Bookstore, Resource Sharing and, new this year, the interactive Learning Lounge. 
Conference guests were treated to “The Arts are the heART of Kalamazoo,” a spectacular evening beginning at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (KIA), where food, drink and networking were enhanced by hands-on artist demonstrations, tours of KIA exhibitions, and music by Crescendo Academy of Music. Traveling across the street to Kalamazoo’s Civic Auditorium, home of the acclaimed Kalamazoo Civic Theatre, guests were treated to an evening of performances of musical theatre, dance, music and poetry, complimented by video vignettes produced by WGVU, all highlighting the arts as a crucial component of place-making and community-building. The evening’s event was generously underwritten by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation.
This year, the conference “Artist-in-Residence” was legendary Michigan singer/songwriter, Joel Mabus who treated attendees – and Governor Snyder – to his famous “The Lights Are On In Michigan,” conducted a lively session on “Writing Concisely,” and concluded the conference by signing a duet with none other than Elmo!
And speaking of Elmo – the conference closing plenary featured a very special “Conversation on Education,” with Kevin Clash, Sesame Street’s Emmy Award-winning senior puppet coordinator accompanied by his most popular character, Elmo! The conversation also included Dr. Barbara Schneider, Distinguished Professor in the College of Education, Michigan State University and was moderated by Dr. Juan Olivarez, President, Aquinas College.
Don’t miss our conference photo albums for picture highlights and mark your calendars for next year – October 7 – 9, 2012 for the County of Michigan Foundations and Michigan Nonprofit Association Joint Annual Conference in Dearborn!
Thanks to everyone – members, speakers, staff and most importantly our sponsors – who made this 39th Annual Conference a success!
