STATE — Maine’s only statewide educational event focused on engaging citizens in volunteer service gets a new name, adds award program for its 33^rd year.

The conference will be at Donald P. Corbett Hall, University of Maine, Orono, Maine on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The registration deadline is Oct. 4, 2019 at Noon. For details, please visit: volunteermaine.org.
The Maine Commission for Community Service is excited to announce that the 33rd edition of the Maine Volunteer Leadership Conference will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine.

Elisa Kosarin, Principal of Twenty Hats, will be this year’s featured speaker and will present two of the 11 learning sessions available to those attending the conference. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Kosarin’s keynote and trainings will focus on three of her most requested topics: achieving buy-in, behavior-based interviewing and peer problem-solving.

For the first time, the annual Governor’s Awards for Service and Volunteerism will be presented at the conference. The awards celebrate and recognize the exemplary work of Maine’s most dedicated organizations, businesses and citizens. At the same time, the awards seek to inspire others to follow in the footsteps of those recognized. Information on how to nominate, plus additional details, are available at volunteermaine.org.

Conference registration is open until Oct. 4, 2019 at noon. A full list of sessions, list of speakers and online registration is available at volunteermaine.org.The conference fee is $75 for early bird registrants and $90 after Sept. 27. Check volunteermaine.org as well as the Volunteer Maine Facebook page (facebook.com/volunteermaine) information on available discounts.

Formerly known as the Blaine House Conference on Service and Volunteerism (BHCSV), the Maine Volunteer Leadership conference updated its identity to reflect the purpose and participants. Since 1986, this gathering has provided learning and networking opportunities for Maine’s volunteer leaders. It is the only professional development conference tailored exclusively to the needs and challenges of Maine’s volunteer sector, and it annually attracts between 250 and 300 volunteer managers.

About Elisa Kosarin, CVA: Elisa Kosarin, who is Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA), helps nonprofits deliver fully on their mission and raise more money by strengthening their volunteer programs. Kosarin consults, coaches and trains on volunteer management best practices. She has presented at numerous conferences and has served on the faculty for the Center for Nonprofit Advancement and the Catalogue for Philanthropy, both located in Washington, DC. Kosarin blogs regularly on her “Twenty Hats” website (https://twentyhats.com/) and guests posts frequently for the VolunteerMatch “Engaging Volunteers” website.

About the Commission: The Maine Commission for Community Service builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service. To learn more about the Maine Commission for Community Service visit our website at

www.maineservicecommission.gov.