University News
Crossroads Cooperative Summit Nov. 7; IIRA's Two-State Summit to Feature IL Co-Op Experts
October 30, 2014
MACOMB, IL/INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Increasing member participation will be the theme of the Crossroads Cooperative Summit, a one-day event for Illinois and Indiana cooperatives next week in Indianapolis (IN). Set for Friday, Nov. 7, the two-state summit is co-hosted by the Illinois Cooperative Development Center, a program of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) at Western Illinois University, and the Indiana Cooperative Development Center.
The Crossroads Cooperative Summit will start at 9 a.m. (eastern time) at the Indiana Farm Bureau (225 S. East St., Indianapolis), and the registration fee is $50 per person, which includes all materials, breaks and lunch.
"The Crossroads Cooperative Summit is intended for managers, staff, board directors, members and supporters of cooperatives, who want to make their established or start-up co-ops more successful," said Fred Iutzi, manager of IIRA's Illinois Cooperative Development Center. "To go with this year's theme, there will be featured speakers sharing practical examples demonstrating how they have helped their individual cooperative's members fully own, use, serve and belong to the co-op," he added.
"If you find yourself asking how can we get members to actively participate, earnestly listen and eagerly engage, our panel of presenters will offer tips on how they have inspired their members to become more actively involved under each part of the 'Own, Use, Serve and Belong' framework for member participation," noted Deb Trocha, executive director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center. "We have drawn speakers from a variety of sectors, so your next good idea may come from a credit union, a food co-op, an organic dairy, a telephone co-op or a co-op development foundation."
According to Iutzi, the event will feature several expert speakers from Illinois, including Bill Buchanan of McDonough Telephone Cooperative, Mike Turner of Illini FS and Francis Murphy of Neighborhood Co-op Grocery.
"We hope Illinois co-op folks will see attending the Crossroads Cooperative Summit as a great opportunity to learn from experienced cooperative professionals from throughout the region," he said.
Online registration is available at www.crossroadssummit.coop, which also includes information about the full schedule.
For more information, contact Iutzi at (309) 298-1453. Learn more about the Illinois Cooperative Development Center and the IIRA at www.iira.org.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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