Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - On Nov. 1-2 the University of Wisconsin-Platteville hosted the annual fall NACA Leadership Conference. NACA, which stands for National Association for Campus Activities, incorporates all of North America and is divided into seven separate regions. Platteville is located in the Northern Planes region along with eight other states including Montana, Wyoming, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and several Canadian provinces. Approximately 75 participants from this region representing 15 schools were present at the fall conference.

The Platteville campus students and staff included volunteers from Campus Programming and Relations (CPR). Theresa Sanderfoot, a CPR staff member, is also the NACA student regional representative for the northern plains region, and was student coordinator for the conference. She also serves on the regional leadership team comprised of a number of people, only two of which are students. Sanderfoot commented, "Of all the NACA events I've attended this was the best yet. I was equally impressed from start to finish at how smoothly everything ran."

The conference had many valuable aspects including a keynote speaker, Nancy Hunter-Denney, entertainment, and multiple workshops. Hunter-Denney received rave reviews and spoke about leadership potential while being motivating and uplifting for students and staff members alike. "She spoke about student and faculty potential and how being thanked every time doesn't matter as long as one stays motivated," stated Sanderfoot. David Nevins, 2003 project coordinator for the workshop and the leadership development coordinator for the Pioneer Involvement Center, agrees with Sanderfoot. "Seeing how she interacts and connects with each student on a personal level is very important to me as a professional staff member who on a daily basis interacts with college students. Overall, she set a great mood and tone for the conference." Hunter-Denney specializes in helping students see and realize their leadership potential.

The entertainment, featuring hypnotist and UWP alumnus Jim Wand, as well as, karaoke hosted by former UWP resident hall director, Marcus Weemes, was a huge success. Close to 200 UWP students attended the entertainment sections in addition to the NACA participants. Professional staff members from the region presented the workshops which covered a myriad of topics ranging from confronting conflict, diversity, icebreakers, and promotional ideas for campus events, to leadership styles, parliamentary procedure, presentation skills, and volunteer recruitment.

The fall leadership conference is one of three annual conferences sponsored by NACA and host schools across the country. As UWP's first time hosting a NACA event, Nevins feels there is very high potential for UWP to be a future host of NACA events due to this year's success. By utilizing the entirety of the Pioneer Student Center from conference rooms to the Pioneer Crossing, the NACA conference had the professional atmosphere with laid back qualities intertwined promoting student life. "The evaluation results from the end of the conference couldn't say enough positive things about the setting and how helpful UWP students were to answer any questions visiting NACA attendees had to ask," said Nevins.