2025 CAAP Summit

2025 CAAP Summit

When: May 14th, 2025

Where: Best Western Premier the Central Hotel Harrisburg, PA

*virtual option available

The Venue: Best Western Premier the Central Hotel

The 2025 CAAP Summit will take place at the Best Western Premier in Harrisburg, PA, a modern and inviting venue that blends comfort with sophistication. Conveniently located near major highways and attractions, the hotel offers state-of-the-art conference facilities, exceptional service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Attendees can look forward to an enriching event experience complemented by top-notch amenities. Whether you're traveling locally or from afar, the Best Western Premier provides the perfect setting to foster collaboration and innovation.

Hotel Room Block Closes April 14, 2025.

Mark your calendar for May 14th, 2025, and join us at the Best Western Premier in Harrisburg, PA, for the 2025 CAAP Summit: Navigating Intersections. This hybrid event will explore the critical links between various facets of Community Action, offering practical tools to drive impactful change.

Whether you attend in person or online, you'll gain valuable insights into fostering unity, enhancing cultural competency, and improving community health.

Sponsorship

Support the 2025 CAAP Summit as a Sponsor!

Partner with CAAP by becoming a sponsor of the 2025 Summit. Your sponsorship helps create meaningful conversations, drive impactful change, and support the vital work of Community Action Agencies across Pennsylvania. Explore our sponsorship opportunities and discover how your organization can be a part of this transformative event.

After Selma Documentary Viewing & Q&A

Join us on May 13, 2025, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg for a special screening of the powerful documentary, After Selma. This film, directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Loki Mulholland (The Uncomfortable Truth), features civil rights veteran Joanne Blackmon Bland and New York Times bestselling author Carol Anderson (White Rage) as they dive into the history of voter suppression and the urgent need to challenge it in order to preserve democracy and equality for all.

Following the screening, stay for an exclusive Q&A session with Loki Mulholland and Freedom Rider Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, who will share their insights and experiences on the ongoing fight for civil rights. Don’t miss this inspiring and thought-provoking event.

*Drinks and appetizers will be served.

Keynote Speakers

Loki Mulholland

Loki Mulholland is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, author, activist, and son of civil rights icon, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland. His work has received over 40 Telly Awards and his films on race and social justice issues have won over 20 Best Documentary awards. Loki is the author of multiple books including “She Stood for Freedom” and “Get Back to the Counter”. His films have appeared on Showtime, PBS and Amazon where “The Uncomfortable Truth” has been viewed over three million times. Loki is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated and speaks all over the country on issues of race and social justice. In 2023, Loki received an Honorary Doctorate from Ithaca College. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation which was created to end racism through education.

Joan Trumpauer Mulholland

Her Freedom Rider mugshot has been called one of the most iconic in American history. By the time she was 23 years old, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland participated in over 50 sit-ins and demonstrations including the Freedom Rides, the Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-in, the March on Washington, the Meredith March and the Selma to Montgomery March. Her path has crossed with some of the biggest names in the Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, John Lewis, Diane Nash and Julian Bond to name a few. 

In 2023 Joan received an honorary doctorate from Tougaloo College. She is also the recipient of the 2020 Simeon Booker Award for Courage, the 2019 International Civil Rights Museum Trailblazer Award, the 2015 National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award, the 2013 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated Annual Award of Honor, and the 2013 Anti-Defamation League Annual Heroes Against Hate Award. 

She has appeared in several books including “Get Back to the Counter”, “Coming of Age in Mississippi”, “Breach of Peace”, “We Shall Not Be Moved”, and, “She Stood For Freedom”. She has appeared on television and news programs like the “CBS Nightly News” and award-winning documentaries including “An Ordinary Hero”, PBS’s “Freedom Riders”, “Standing on My Sister’s Shoulders” and the groundbreaking film “Eyes on the Prize”. 

Agenda at a Glance

Registration and Continental Breakfast  ——————————————————————————

Welcome  ————————————————————————————————————————

Governor’s Proclamation ————————————————————————————————--

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH  ————

Keynote: Loki Mulholland & Joan Trumpauer Mulholland —————————————————

Book Signing and Networking Lunch   ————————————————————————--

Breakout Session 1 ————————————————————————————————————

8:15 – 9:30 am

9:30 – 9:45 am

9:45 – 10:00 am

10:00 – 10:20 am

10:20 – 11:35 am

11:35 am – 12:45 pm

12:45 – 2:00 pm

  • Jacinta Willis, Business Consultant & Speaker, Clearing Space Wellness

    Explore workplace culture and its correlation to performance, personal well-being, and the ability to be resilient in the face of change, adversity, or shifts. Learn strategies to surmount stress, exhaustion, and burnout, while adopting tools for building 

  • Patrice Jones, Chief Creative Officer, Ohlinger Sudios/Enlight Media

    The workshop will focus on the role history can play in building the shared understanding of current society and lay the foundation for effective community collaboration on solutions.  The workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to engage directly in this process, using short, but compelling, research-based cinematic videos on housing discrimination, access to quality education and the struggle for reproductive rights as starting points for discussion. The video presentations will be followed by activities that encourage participants to challenge cultural narratives, consider what they’ve learned, and how that knowledge illuminates present-day issues and impact their work.   

  • Mona Mangloña Jacobs and Demitrah Rasmussen, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs, MPOWERD Solutions

    Move beyond compliance-driven data collection and learn how to use data as a tool for advocacy, community care, and organizational growth—without losing the human story behind the numbers. 

Break   ——————————————————————————————————————————

Breakout Session 2   ———————————————————————————————————

2:00 – 2:20 pm

2:20 – 3:35 pm

  • Hattie McCarter, Culture Strategist, MEND Solutions, LLC

    This interactive workshop will explore strategies that can be put in place to harness perspectives, experiences, and strengths across age groups, which will heighten collaboration, innovation, and adaptability in the workplace. 

  • Desireé Chang, Director of Education & Outreach, PA Human Relations Commission

    This workshop will explore the critical intersections of civility, social determinants of health, and opportunity, examining how these elements influence impactful change. Participants will also gain insights on navigating political uncertainties while staying steadfast in their commitment to fostering respectful dialogue and promoting social justice efforts. 

  • Jamee Boone, President, Eddee Boone Consulting LLC 

    Rosalind Spigel, Principal, Spigel Consulting

    This workshop will engage Community Action Agency (CAA) staff, board members, and leaders in exploring a transformational change model to drive positive impact. Participants will deepen their understanding of how to practically apply a structured approach to transformation in their organizations. Through interactive, hands-on activities, participants will identify strengths, envision a more impactful future, and create actionable steps to support sustainable change. The session is designed to be collaborative, fostering creativity and problem-solving to help CAAs align their mission and community impact goals with a structured model for change. 

Closing —————————————————————————————————————————- 3:35 - 4:00 pm

Presenters & Speakers

  • Jamee E. Boone, trainer, coach, strategist, consultant, helps transform people, processes, and workplaces through diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Jamee meets individuals and organizations where they are and develops customized plans to guide leaders and teams through strategies that embed DEI in their DNA. Jamee has over 35+ years of for-profit and nonprofit work experience). Jamee is a Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Senior Certified Professional. She acquired a diversity and inclusion certificate from Cornell University. She holds a Master of Science degree in Human Services from Wilmington University where she serves as adjunct instructor for the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; College of Business/Human Resource Management and a Bachelor of Science degree (Magna Cum Laude), from Wilmington University in Human Resources Administration. Jamee was awarded a certificate of completion by the Georgetown Public Policy Institute’s Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership, Jessie Ball duPont Developing Excellence in Leadership Institute. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Brandywine Chapter’s Board of Directors, Governance Committee, and Chair of the AFPB Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Committee; President of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR) Delaware Chapter; member of Wilmington University Human Services Advisory Board, former member of the Inclusion Council for United Way Worldwide. She leverages her broad background, formal/informal education, unique blend of skills, expertise and lived experiences to execute on strategies that, at their core, help to improve holistic outcomes for individuals, families, communities, and organizations.

    To learn more about Jamee/Eddee Boone Consulting LLC, visit eddeebc.com

  • Desireé Chang serves as the Director of Education & Outreach for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. Desireé has been with the PHRC for over four years. Prior to becoming the Director of Education & Outreach, she worked as a Civil Rights Mediator with the PHRC Mediation Division. During her tenure at the PHRC, Desireé has received the Director of Excellence Award (2020), PHRC Social Justice Team Award (2021) and the Employee of the Year, Central Office (2023). Most recently, she was recognized as one of the 2024 PA City & State Above & Beyond honorees. She is a graduate of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Institute (2021) and the Commonwealth Leadership Institute (2023). Desireé has been recognized for her participation on several committees and community social justice collaborative efforts. She currently serves as co-chair on the Equity Advisory Council for HEAL PA. Desireé’s educational acquisitions include an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Legal Studies from Drexel University. Much of Desireé’s professional career has been in roles that include assistance for, or advocating of, special interest groups. Her passions are married at the PHRC with the ability to educate Pennsylvanians and actively work towards eradicating discrimination both inside and outside of the Commonwealth.   

  • Håfa Adai yan Tirow, I'm Mona (they/them). For nearly a decade, my work in nonprofit leadership, community organizing, and across local, state, and federal government has shown me firsthand how systems are designed to prevent our communities from accessing the resources they deserve and need to thrive. My path has led me through managing multi-million dollar poverty-fighting programs and co-creating Texas's implementation of the first federal water assistance initiative. While I've had the opportunity to speak at engagements across the country about this work, what matters most to me is how we do it - with intention, care, and always in partnership with community.

    I'm passionate about transforming how organizations work with and for their communities. Whether I'm diving deep into community assessments, helping teams navigate change, or building equitable solutions for basic needs like water and housing, my focus is always on centering the voices that need to be heard most. This work is deeply personal to me - through it, I bring both professional expertise and cultural understanding, knowing that lasting change happens when we honor both.

    At MPOWERD, I get to combine everything I care about - using data to tell powerful stories, reimagining how programs can truly serve people's needs, and creating spaces where community wisdom shapes the path forward.

  • The eldest son of educator-activists, Patrice Lumumba Jones is an inspired storyteller and the co-founder of Enlight Media, where he guides the creation of compelling video-based content that uses history to anchor conversations about equity and inclusion. A former senior executive at Pearson, where he led global marketing and creative teams, Patrice draws on decades of experience in corporate leadership to guide organizations and communities toward deeper understanding through historical context.

    Following the murder of Michael Brown in 2012 and the global reckoning sparked by George Floyd's death in 2020, Patrice turned his focus to content that illuminates the structural nature of discrimination in America. His latest work, Patterns in American Racism, and Women Rising; Overcoming Patriarchy in America—both collections within the In Context learning platform—examine the recurring cycle of progress and backlash in the struggle for justice, helping audiences connect the past to the present in ways that inspire empathy, accountability, and action.

    Patrice believes that truth must be our anchor in the pursuit of a more equitable world—and that history offers us a foundation of irrefutable truth. Through In Context, Enlight Media equips organizations with the narrative power of history to fuel courageous conversations and lasting change.

  • Hattie B. McCarter is a Certified Executive in Health Diversity, with 17+ years of experience in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging; 21 years of public speaking; and 8+ years in Human Resources/Recruitment. Hattie is from Enterprise, Alabama, a small town that is surrounded by farmland, good soul food, and strong family values. Hattie obtained her master's in Rehabilitation Counseling from Alabama State University (HBCU), Montgomery, AL; and then moved to PA to start her next chapter in life.

    Hattie’s appetite for DEI blossomed before moving to PA, Hattie started her career at the Department of Labor & Industry’s: Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) where she worked for 10 years as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor while promoted to a Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Specialist. As the VR Specialist (Human Resource, Diversity and Communication), she redeveloped and led the agency’s DEI Program as well as their recruitment strategy for hiring diverse and qualified master’s level students for OVR’s employment and internships. In 2022, Hattie transitioned to the Department of General Services to oversee and implement their Equity Management Program (EMP) as the EMP Coordinator. Hattie pioneered and implemented the Commonwealth’s 1st Employee Resource Group for two state agencies; in addition to promoting and fostering a workforce that was diverse and inclusive through equity training(s), steering committee, assessments, and metrics.

    After 13 years of working in state government, Hattie stepped out on faith and launched her consulting business, McCarter’s Equitable and Distinctive (MEND) Solutions, LLC. MEND is a heart-focused agency that equips organizations and their leadership with tools in framing and integrating an equitable lens into a culture of belonging. MEND’s vision is to “mend hearts and shift mindsets.” MEND prides itself on nurturing spaces where leaders can demonstrate compassionate listening; promote systemic change and inclusion; commit to vulnerability; and be an active Ally with integrity.

    In being a Culture Strategist, Hattie continues to illuminate through her passion and purpose in leading with humanity. In 2023, Penn Live noted Hattie as one of the leading Trendsetters and Trailblazers for Central PA; and on November 3, 2023, Hattie was the recipient of the DEI Trailblazer Award from The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Harrisburg Chapter. As she expands her reach and opens her heart into the world of equity, she continues to live by the famous words of Former U.S Representative, Shirley Chisholm, “If you don’t have a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”

  • Hello and Håfa Adai! I'm Demi (she/her), and I've spent almost a decade learning what it really means to build with community. From growing a volunteer program from just 10 people to over 1,000, to working with Fortune 500 companies like Delta and Walmart to support families in need, I've seen how powerful it can be when we bring different people together around a shared mission. My work has centered around providing essential baby items and period products to families that need them most - evolving into understanding the intersections of these needs, and rooting solutions in what communities tell us they need - always centering their voices.

    As a CHamoru woman, I bring my whole self to this work - including the cultural values and community practices that shape how I see the world. Whether I'm designing programs, facilitating workshops, or building partnerships, I focus on creating spaces where everyone feels valued and heard.

    At MPOWERD, I get to do what I love most - bringing people together to create real change. For me, it's about more than just getting things done - it's about how we do it, making sure every step forward strengthens our connections to each other and to the communities we serve.

  • Working collaboratively with clients, Rosalind Spigel, MSOD, ACC designs and facilitates strategic planning and implementation, vision/mission/values statements, DEI training and initiatives, board development, professional development, and coaching. In addition, Spigel Consulting offers a variety of targeted capacity building workshops.

    Rosalind has a Master of Organization Development from American University, is a Standards of Excellence© consultant, the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, and a former Coach and Practicum Advisor to the American University and guest lecturer with Thomas Jefferson University. She received training through the Social Transformation Project Art of Transformational Consulting, Dare to Lead, and the Gestalt International Study Center. Additional DEI training includes National Coalition Building Institute Leadership for Diversity, Race Forward, and Training for Change. Rosalind is a certified facilitator for When Cultures Meet and Future Search. She has co-facilitated Open Forums on Race, a series of Intersectional Feminism conversations, and taught DEI classes for Jefferson University. She has written a series on gender bias and published articles, the most recent as a co-author, Dissecting Meaning, Scope, and Roles of Social Justice and Social Action. Rosalind is the recipient of the Hal Kellner Award for contributions to issues of diversity and social justice and is a Commissioner of the Haverford Township Human Relations Commission.

    For more information, SpigelConsulting.com.

  • Jacinta Willis has been active in the consulting industry since 2013, after successfully transitioning from the nonprofit sector where she worked for over 10 years. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Jacinta created programs for families and children residing in distressed areas in Washington, D.C. Using her Bachelor of Science in Family Studies with an emphasis in psychology, Jacinta worked to pair community members with the resources, education, and skillsets required to advance in society. In 2015, Jacinta successfully completed the Transformational Life Coach program at the Southwest Institute of the Healing Arts. Additionally, she completed leadership development courses at the Proctor Gallagher Institute. After growing in her experience with small businesses and life coaching clients, Jacinta launched Clearing Space Wellness Coaching LLC and CSW Coaching for Companies for business clients. Jacinta has learned to value her ability to help business leaders and industry professionals adopt fresh approaches that counter long-standing challenges and shifts in the workplace. She has been celebrated by a host of clients for her ability to address real issues and provide guidance through organizational and industry changes that impact how we interact within various business sectors. As a consultant and speaker, Jacinta’s company mission is driven by a singular focus: to help workforce members discover new thoughtways that address workplace culture, processes, and stress, and their impact on personal well-being and meaningful living.

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