Presented by the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, the Black Hills Nonprofit Leadership Summit is a one-day gathering of nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and community partners sharing a common goal: strengthening Black Hills families, communities, and our local economy. Together, we’ll explore solutions that work, share practical strategies, and build partnerships that last.

What to Expect:

Registration for the full day is now closed.

For information about receiving an invitation, or to change your registration, please contact Crystal Ortbahn at cortbahn@jtvf.org. We appreciate North Star Solutions for assisting us with the registration process.

This agenda will be updated as details are confirmed. Click + to expand agenda items.

Advocacy (Without the Politics)

Presented by Erik Muckey and Rachelle Norberg

In this session, nonprofit leaders will learn how to build strong working relationships with state and local government officials. Participants will get clear on what their organizations can and can’t do when it comes to advocacy and lobbying, and they’ll explore ways to find state and federal funding opportunities. The session will also give practical tips for connecting with legislators, agency leaders, and other partners. By the end, participants will feel more confident in working with government and navigating the policy world.

Telling Stories That Connect: Crafting Messages That Inspire Action

Presented by Zeb Carlson

The world moves faster than ever, so how you share your story can make or break connection. This interactive, workshop-style session is designed to help you craft compelling messages that resonate—with donors, volunteers, beneficiaries, and your broader community. We’ll start with your mission and vision, then dive into practical tools to shape personal and organizational stories that build trust and inspire action. You’ll explore key messaging strategies, learn how to communicate in a crisis, and discover how your own story can serve as a powerful foundation for engagement. Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, communicator, or advocate, you’ll leave with actionable insights — and plenty of time for Q&A to tackle your specific challenges.

Leadership in this Time 

Leading a nonprofit today takes more than passion—it requires creativity, intentionality, and the right tools. From this panel, hear directly from Black Hills nonprofit leaders who are reshaping what’s possible. They’ll share the resources, partnerships, and strategies helping them build resilient teams and forge strong coalitions while staying rooted in purpose. Come for insights that can spark vision, inspire courage, and help any leader to write the next chapter for our community.

2:00 p.m. Panelists:
Barry Tice, Director, Pennington County Human Services
Stephanie Kor, Executive Director, Journey On
Robert Yellowhawk, Executive Director, Rural America Initiatives
Mike Walker, Executive Director, NeighborWorks Dakota Home Resources

3:00 p.m. Panelists:
Tim Trithart, CEO, Complete Health
Lori Dykstra, CEO, Feeding South Dakota
Ryan Howlett, Executive Director, Friends of South Dakota Public Broadcasting
Kara Graveman, Executive Director, Action for the Betterment of our Community 
Chadwick Ratigan, Executive Director, OneHeart

Additional panelists are pending. 

Closing Keynote

Vu Le, Internationally Known Speaker & Nonprofit Leader  

Author of Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector, coming out October 14th 

Vu Le (“voo lay”) writes the blog NonprofitAF.com. He is the former executive director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by supporting leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities. Vu is a founding board member of Community-Centric Fundraising, a movement that aims to ground fundraising practices in racial equity and social justice. Vu was born in Vietnam. He and his family came to the US when Vu was eight. He spent several years in Seattle, attending elementary and middle school, before moving to Memphis, Tennessee for high school and St. Louis for college and graduate school. He has a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in Social work. He is a vegan, a father of two kids, and a staunch defender of the Oxford Comma.

Facilitators

Arlosoul: Visualize Innovation

Sessions facilitated by:

Christine (Chris) Chopyak

Founder of Arlosoul: Visualize Innovation, Senior Facilitator, Instructional Designer, Change Management and Visual Strategist 

Meg Satrom

Senior Facilitator and Strategic Communications

Arlosoul: Visualize Innovation LLC is a women-owned, Denver-based business consulting, strategic planning and organization development firm established in 2015.  The firm has extensive experience designing, facilitating, implementing and following through on all types of engagements – from forums to support young people in their career advancement, to nonprofit leadership development sessions, to strategy sessions with leaders across sectors, across geographies and business types.  Our passion is in supporting mission-driven organizations and high performing teams to tackle the biggest challenges and accomplish their “dreams”.  Our unique strength lies in facilitating complex stakeholder and leadership conversations that result in connection, trust and action.  We stand out from other groups given our strong track record for designing and implementing engagements that use dynamic ways to get people to talk about work together as well as high impact visuals so all people “see” their work and conversations come alive as they talk about and design it.  Our processes and expertise enable us to get a lot done in a short period of time so that people walk away feeling like the time was well spent, their perspectives were heard and respected, and they have ideas for moving forward.

Expert Presenters

Zeb Carlson

Zeb Carlson is all about a good story. With a knack for turning missions into movements, Zeb helps nonprofits and changemakers find the words that make people stop scrolling, lean in, and take action.

Over the years, he’s worked with everyone from grassroots organizers to global philanthropies, always bringing a mix of heart, strategy, and a bit of well-placed humor. Whether it’s navigating a communications crisis or helping someone rediscover the power of their personal story, Zeb shows up with clarity, creativity, and a deep respect for the people behind the message. And he’ll take effectiveness over perfection, any time.

Zeb has deep roots in South Dakota, growing up in the same house where his father was born. Zeb rejects the status quo and gravitates to doing things differently. Keywords to get a conversation going with him include taking the long way home, Queer culture, theater, music, mid-century anything, David Sedaris, and indulging in a well-watched episode of Designing Women.

Erik Muckey

Erik Muckey, MBA, MPP, PMP, CNM, is the founder and CEO of PASQ Consulting. He brings a blend of strategic thinking, academic rigor, and practical action to his work. With degrees and experience in business and public policy, and certifications in project and nonprofit management, he has deep experience helping organizations turn vision into reality.

Rachelle Norberg

Rachelle Norberg, JD, is a consulting partner at PASQ Consulting with a background in law and a strong connection to rural communities. She brings sound, trustworthy, and customized support to social sector organizations, combining her legal training with a commitment to practical solutions.

Facilitation Team

Chris Chopyak, Arlosoul

Senior Facilitator, Instructional Designer, Change Management and Visual Strategist

For more than 20 years, Chris has helped organizations bring clarity, focus, and engagement to complex challenges. She thrives on designing, teaching, and facilitating experiences that support people and organizations across industries, from construction and agriculture to law, nonprofits, and global business.

As founder of Arlosoul: Visualize Innovation, Chris uses visual facilitation and strategy to inspire growth. She combines human-centered design, organizational best practices, co-creation, and drawing to translate difficult issues into clear solutions.

Chris is the author of Picture Your Business Strategy: Transform Decisions with the Power of Visuals, a best-seller in business strategy. The book draws on years of interviews, experiences, and conversations with leaders worldwide.

Certified in change management and Appreciative Inquiry, Chris also holds an MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. She has worked across public, private, and nonprofit sectors on five continents.

Learn more at www.arlosoul.com

Meg Satrom, Arlosoul

Senior Facilitator and Strategic Communications

Meg Satrom has more than two decades of experience in strategic marketing, communications, strategy, and policy development. Since 2017, she has focused on helping clients optimize their communications, marketing, and business development efforts by using a full range of creative and strategic tools and practices. Her work includes creating and implementing full-scale communications plans, facilitating strategy sessions, developing strategic plans, designing learning series and plans for nonprofit leaders, supporting change management across industry sectors, and culture building in small to large businesses and nonprofits. Meg holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop and a law degree from the University of Denver.

Summit Steering Committee

Thank you!

Joe Barb, Executive Director, Family Connections Center

Ryan Howlett, Executive Director, Friends of South Dakota Public Broadcasting

Chris Huber, President & CEO, Black Hills Area Community Foundation

Amy Iversen, CEO, West River Mental Health

Stephanie Kor, Executive Director, Journey On

Pam Lange, Deputy Executive Director, Black Hills Special Services Cooperative

Brad Saathoff, CEO, Black Hills Works

Kehala Two Bulls, Executive Director, Seventh Circuit CASA

With support from North Star Solutions, PASQ Consulting, and TNT Event Management.