Busy, busy, busy...

I am starting to establish a routine with school. The only problem is that there isn't quite enough time to do all of the "extra" things that I would like, say blogging, emailing, and reading. With that said, I believe I am learning at an exponential rate. My professors keep the train moving and we just have to keep up.

Along with the classes, I have been able to attend some conferences and workshops. Last weekend I attend the Sarah Smith Memorial Conference at the Yale Divinity School titled, Crumbs From the Table? The Creation of Wealth and the Persistence of Poverty. The focus of the conference was on the role of Christian entrepreneurs and business people in eleviating poverty. The speakers were exceptional, both in speaking and in practice. Included on the roster were Collin Timms (Trustee, The Bridge Foundation, India), Vinay Samuel (Co-Founder, The Bridge Foundation), Susy Cheston (Senior Vice President, Opportunity International), Dale Hanson Bourke (Former Board Member, World Vision International), and Tony Hall (US Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture, 3-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee), among others.

This past week I attended a workshop by McKinsey & Company's Nonprofit Consulting Practice titled Measuring What Matters in Nonprofits. This concept is relatively new to the nonprofit sector and difficult to employ. However, donors are holding organizations more accountable for efficient use of money. Many different methods of evaluation were presented and I am confident that the information will help me be a stronger leader in the future.

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I am starting to form a routine. With that, I hope to be able to find more time to update you on what is going on. My goal is a weekly summary of changes and exciting events...