DATE: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
TIME: 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM
LOCATION: Bubolz Nature Preseve | Great Blue Heron Hall | Appleton
Bubolz Nature Preserve
4815 North Lynndale Drive
Appleton, WI 54913
Keynote Presentation Time
3:00 - 4:00 PM
Keynote Topic
Where Heart Meets Mind: Leadership with Wisdom
Summary
In today’s business environment, leaders must balance strategic thinking with emotional intelligence to build trust, strengthen culture, and drive sustainable results. This presentation explores how visible leadership behaviors shape engagement, accountability, and organizational performance, while offering practical tools, including the Handful of L’s framework and CARE model for feedback, to help leaders communicate with greater clarity, respect, and impact.
Learning Objectives
Keynote Presenter & Biography
Michael Durnin
President & Founder
Via Crucis Leadership LLC
Michael Durnin, D.Min., is a leadership speaker, educator, coach, and creator of the “Handful of L’s” servant leadership framework. Drawing from decades of experience in education, leadership development, coaching, and organizational culture, Mike equips leaders to build trust, strengthen culture, and align daily behavior with mission and values. His presentations combine practical leadership strategies, storytelling, and servant leadership principles to help leaders create workplaces where people feel valued, seen, and empowered to grow.
CLA Professional Development Workshop
Topic: To be announced
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 PM
Awaiting content from CLA.
CLA Professional Development Workshop from 1:00 - 2:30 PM = 1.5 credits
Keynote Presentation from 3:00 - 4:00 PM = 1 credit
Michelle Weiss
920.750.9110
michelle@mwcommunications.org
Register and send cancellations by noon on 10/7/26.