Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association upcoming events

Information Session on Joining our Board of Directors! (April 28, 2026)

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Are you interested in gaining board experience, and making great professional connections while supporting NOVAA's work in the community? Then we want YOU to join our Board!

We are primarily virtual and hybrid, and are looking for board members across the entire region!

NOVAA is an all-volunteer team providing resources for leaders in volunteer management through trainings, workshops, and networking events for a membership of 200+, and we are looking for new board members to join us for 26-27 fiscal year, July 2026-June 2027!

As a member of the board, you can gain valuable professional experience and work with an awesome team in a collaborative environment to help support our members through planning, administering workshops, other professional development and networking events, and more!

To learn more, join us for this virtual info session to hear from current board members and learn about open positions, board service, and ask questions. View position descriptions here.

Volunteer Management 201 Training (April 29, 2026)

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This training is for you! Take the next step into the amazing field of volunteer management and join us for Volunteer Management 201!

This advanced training prepares volunteer managers to tackle the challenging and complex issues of volunteer engagement and program sustainability, to help you build the skills you will need to lead the volunteers.

This 2-day training is designed for volunteer managers who have completed Volunteer Management 101 or those who are seeking advanced training in the field. Facilitated by Emily Coleman and Jenn Forristal, both of whom have been working in the field of nonprofit and volunteer management for 20 years. This interactive workshop will focus on next-level topics, including:

Equipping Staff to Engage Volunteers
Organizational Culture & Communication
Cultivating Leadership Volunteers
Volunteer Program Evaluation
…and more!

Volunteer Management 201 builds on the basics of Volunteer Management 101. Volunteer Management 101 is not required in order to take 201, but we do recommend it.

Day 1: Wednesday, April 29th, 8 a.m. - Noon

Day 2: Thursday, April 30th, 8 a.m. - Noon

Registration for this event will sign you up for both sessions.

Zoom links to join this training remotely will be sent out the week before the event to those who have registered, along with a workbook to be used throughout the training.

Trainers: Emily Coleman and Jenn Forristal

Emily Coleman, CVA, has been working in volunteer and nonprofit administration since 2004 and is very committed to the work of connecting individuals and groups with meaningful, rewarding opportunities to serve and build community. She is currently the volunteer program supervisor for Transition Projects, an organization supporting the needs of people experiencing homelessness while helping them find and maintain permanent housing. She has also run volunteer programs for youth development organizations, and in healthcare. These varied settings have given Emily insight into how volunteer recruitment, screening and risk management, training and retention need to be adapted to organizational needs.

An avid volunteer herself, Emily supports several local organizations with her time, experience that further increases her understanding of different styles of volunteer management. She has also served on the NOVAA Board of Directors for four years, as both the fiscal chair and later as the programming chair.

In her nearly two decades as a volunteer administrator, Jenn Forristal, CVA has managed programs for thousands of volunteers serving in diverse fields including social services, animal welfare, public media, national service, political campaigns, and professional associations. Currently, she is the Volunteer Resources Manager at OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting).

Jenn earned her Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) credential in 2016 and is committed to her own professional development and continued learning, averaging over 50 hours of training annually in topics related to volunteer program management. Additionally, she has training in equity in volunteer program and workplace implementation, and advanced training in equity facilitation.

Information Session on Joining our Board of Directors! (April 29, 2026)

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 19:30:00 GMT

Are you interested in gaining board experience, and making great professional connections while supporting NOVAA's work in the community? Then we want YOU to join our Board!

We are primarily virtual and hybrid, and are looking for board members across the entire region!

To learn more, join us for this virtual info session to hear from current board members and learn about open positions, board service, and ask questions. View position descriptions here.

Volunteer Management 201 Training (April 30, 2026)

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This training is for you! Take the next step into the amazing field of volunteer management and join us for Volunteer Management 201!

Equipping Staff to Engage Volunteers
Organizational Culture & Communication
Cultivating Leadership Volunteers
Volunteer Program Evaluation
…and more!

Volunteer Management 201 builds on the basics of Volunteer Management 101. Volunteer Management 101 is not required in order to take 201, but we do recommend it.

Day 1: Wednesday, April 29th, 8 a.m. - Noon

Day 2: Thursday, April 30th, 8 a.m. - Noon

Registration for this event will sign you up for both sessions.

Zoom links to join this training remotely will be sent out the week before the event to those who have registered, along with a workbook to be used throughout the training.

Trainers: Emily Coleman and Jenn Forristal

Welcome Home Volunteers: Creating a “House” for Thriving Volunteers (May 14, 2026)

Thu, 14 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome Home Volunteers: Creating a “House” for Thriving Volunteers

As a volunteer administrator, you’re the architect of your organization’s volunteer experience. This workshop gives you the tools and time to design — or redesign — your volunteer engagement “house” so it’s strong, welcoming, and built to last.

You’ll actively work through how to:

Evaluate your current volunteer engagement structure
Identify what needs reinforcing or renovating
Build a clear, practical plan for growth and improvement

This isn’t a sit-and-listen session — it’s a hands-on opportunity to apply new ideas directly to your own systems. Bring your laptop, your questions, and your creativity. You’ll reflect, plan, and start building real strategies you can take back to your organization right away.

By the end, you’ll walk away with:

A clear picture of where your volunteer engagement stands
Fresh inspiration to strengthen your volunteer program
A personalized, actionable plan to move your work forward

Stop patching problems and start building success.
Join us to create a volunteer engagement “house” that inspires, supports, and sustains your volunteers — and you.

About Angela Williamson

Angela Williamson has been involved with volunteer engagement and leadership for over 19 years in museums and currently is the Volunteer & Community Relations Specialist for the Blood Bank of Delmarva. She loves to help organizations engage volunteers more effectively and efficiently making a greater impact in their community through her Volunteer Engagement Accelerator consulting. Angela has presented for multiple groups and shared on a variety of podcasts. Angela was the president of DAVA for several years. She was awarded the AL!VE Impact Award in 2022. She volunteers in her local community. She is an instructor for Northwest Oregon Volunteer Administrators Association (NOVAA) 101 courses.