8 United Way NEXT Members Share Their Experience at the 2026 Western Regional Conference
Every two years, the Western Regional Conference brings together hundreds of United Way professionals and volunteers from across the West for four days to “learn, connect, and take action, in service of ensuring our collective resilience, equity-centered impact, and capacity to serve our communities effectively.”
The 2026 conference took place August 24 through 27 in Portland, Oregon in partnership with United Ways of California and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. More than 350 United Way professionals from across the 15-state Western Region gathered for dynamic plenaries and breakout sessions that explore best practices and bold strategies for addressing the complex challenges facing their region, their communities, and their organizations.
With the themes of unity, collaboration, resilience, courage, transformation, and innovation in mind, this year’s priority focus areas reflected the core competencies, challenges, and opportunities facing our network today–from advancing equity and community engagement to enhancing organizational excellence, financial, sustainability, innovation, and board leadership.
Although United Way NEXT was unable to attend this year, several of our Board Members, Consultants, Sponsors, and local United Way members were. Their reflections capture the spirit of the conference and highlight why gatherings like this continue to play such an important role across the United Way network.
Praise for the Conference Hosts
From the opening reception to the final session, the conference created plenty of opportunities for attendees to connect with colleagues, explore new ideas, and experience the United Way network in community.
Pete Manzo, CEO of United Ways of California, praised the conference co-hosts for creating an experience that went beyond the traditional setting.
“The United Way of the Columbia-Willamette really rose to the occasion as local host,” Pete shared. “They helped our team arrange fun things for participants, including comfort llamas at the opening reception, a volunteer activity along the river bank, fun runs, and two nights of excursions to neighborhood food truck pods and LGBTQ locales.”
He also highlighted intentional touches throughout the conference, including dedicated spaces for Culture and Belonging, Democracy and Leadership, and a Quiet Room for meditation. With 59 breakout sessions selected from more than 95 proposals and five plenary sessions, attendees had plenty of opportunities to choose the conversations most relevant to their work.
Collage of UW NEXT members, colleagues, & UWW team members (August 2026).
UW NEXT Consultants Take the Stage
One of the most exciting parts of United Way conferences is seeing members of the UW NEXT community share their experience and expertise with colleagues across the network.
Lindsay Fox, a United Way alumna and member of the UW NEXT Consultant Collaborative, co-presented with Lexi Savage, Senior Vice President of U.S. Network Engagement for UWW, and came away with a deeper understanding of the challenges facing local United Ways.
“Attending the Western Regional Conference as a consultant provided me with a front-row seat to what United Way leaders are wrestling with,” Lindsay shared. “I left Portland with a clearer picture of where local United Ways need support on governance and leadership. I also gained insight into innovative ideas from United Ways across the network. More than anything else, I was inspired by the depth of talent in this network.”
Megan Joseph, another member of the UW NEXT Consultant Collaborative, also took the stage with United Way Bay Area and United Way of the Wine Country to present “Leading Through Complexity.”
“Our team had an amazing time at Western Regional this year,” Megan shared. “As United Way alumni ourselves, it is such an honor to blend that experience with our deep practice of transformational leadership across the nonprofit, philanthropy, and local government ecosystems to support United Ways through these complex and challenging times. Participants walked away with a new toolbox and we walked away inspired!”
Collage of UW NEXT members, colleagues, & UWW team members (August 2026).
Board Member Representation
In addition to several members of UW NEXT and the Consultant Collaborative, a number of current and former Board Members were present, including Barbara Edmond, a longtime United Way Leader and 2023 Board Chair.
Barbara co-present “Building a Vibrant Community Culture” alongside Pete Manzo for more than 25 attendees. Together they discussed the connection between organizational culture, community, and democracy complimenting their group’s virtual UW NEXT session titled “United Way’s Civic Superpower.”
For Barbara, the conference was also an opportunity to reconnect with longtime colleagues and friends, including UW NEXT member Susan Stearns, a former United Way of Lane County leader who now serves on the Board of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.
Another UW NEXT Board Member, Rodney Prunty also participated in a panel of United Way peers, sharing insights from more than 20 years in the network. “I had a great time reconnecting with colleagues and sharing learnings and best practices at the United Way Western Regional Conference,” he shared.
Kiran Handa Gaudioso, CEO of United Way of Northern New Jersey and UW NEXT Board Chair Elect, also reflected on the value of coming together in person.
“The power of the United Way is our people,” Kiran shared. “The Western Regional Conference was a great reminder of what’s possible when passionate, committed people come together around a shared purpose. I’m grateful for the conversations, ideas, and connections with colleagues across our network and for the collective commitment to creating stronger communities and advancing opportunities for ALICE households.”
Collage of UW NEXT members, colleagues, & UWW team members (August 2026).
Strengthening the Network Together
The Western Regional Conference also demonstrated how coming together creates opportunities to strengthen the broader United Way network.
“There is so much incredible and impactful work happening at local United Ways of all sizes, and opportunities like the Western Regional Conference allow us to share, learn and connect,” Lexi Savage shared. “That time is invaluable and will truly help drive Network performance!”
Lexi’s involvement also reflects the strong relationship between UW NEXT and UWW. She has supported UW NEXT programming through UWW Town Halls and recently presented an exclusive Consultant Collaborative learning session focused on the Thriving United Way Framework.
UW NEXT Board Member & CEO of United Way of Pierce County, Dona Ponepinto also reflected on the significance of gathering with colleagues from across the region. “While there is still much work to do, I always leave encouraged by the collective impact our network is making and inspired by what is possible when we work together,” she stated.
Experiences like the Western Regional Conference serve as a reminder that the strength of the United Way network lies in its people. When leaders come together to share ideas, ask questions, and support one another, the entire network grows stronger.
For anyone considering attending in the future, the message from this year’s attendees is simple: Go. Connect with colleagues. Share ideas. Ask questions. Learn from others.
And if you’d like to hear more about this year’s conferences, you can also explore UW NEXT’s event recaps or ask Carole Peters about her 2024 Western Regional Conference experience in Henderson, Nevada 💙