OPRA 2015 Spring Conference: April 7 – 8, 2015

ONLINE ATTENDEE REGISTRATION CLOSES & RATES INCREASE AT EOB 4/1!

This Conference is THE place to network, engage around the latest issues facing providers, find resources to benefit your organization, and learn from first-rate speakers. OPRA’s Spring Conference is one of the Association’s largest gatherings of the year, attracting hundreds of attendees and dozens of exhibiting organizations. You’ll make important professional contacts and gather vital information that will impact your bottom line. Our sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers will provide you the chance to learn about essential new products and services. Program content provides a high-level learning opportunity that will enable professional growth, allow you to network with your peers, arm your agencies for success, and prepare you to take out common message back to your community.

Sessions
The Spring Conference features unique topics that will catch your attention and get you thinking about new ideas! Our featured keynote speakers are:

Barbara Merrill, CEO, American Network of Community Resources & Options (ANCOR): Through the Crystal Ball

This is the keynote (Session 2) on Day 1, April 7.

The disability community is in the midst of a tremendous transformation that challenges us to reexamine long held beliefs, and to take on more and more risk - and do it with less and less. Are we experiencing natural, inevitable evolution that will transform supports and services, or are we being asked to trust in a philosophy that may leave people behind? Ms. Merrill gives us a lively look at where we've been, shares predictions for where we're heading, and advises how we can shape that direction.

John Martin, Director, Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD): State of the State

This is the keynote (Session 21) on Day 2, April 8.

Director Martin knows the DD community first-hand, both as the father of an adult son with disabilities, and as a professional in the field. He has served the community in numerous ways, including as the Executive Director of Sunshine, Inc., as a member of the Board of Trustees for OPRA, and as a representative of the Family Advisory Council for the DODD. His efforts have led to more opportunities for individuals with DD to live and work in their communities, increased use of technology and data to better align resources, and greater collaboration among County Board programs and service providers. In this keynote session, Director Martin will review current issues and activities for the DODD, Medicaid, and the budget.

To see all of the sessions and read their descriptions, review the full programme! Many of our presenters have already provided us with their presentations: view/print those materials from here!

Who Should Attend?
DSP staff, Program Directors, HR professionals, CEO/COOs, and Business, Employment, and Health Care staff, plus consultants who advise providers, and anyone else connected to providers, county boards, and association industries. Plan now to send as many staff as possible to this unique event!

Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertisers
Conference attendees can look forward to wonderful resources, up-to-the-minute industry information, raffles and prizes from our sponsors and exhibitors (like a $100 gift card from CapGrow Partners, t-shirts from Creative Life & Work Services, a digital photo frame from Ohio Indemnity, and more!).

Join us at the OPRA Party!
They're baaaaaaack! Fun Pianos by 176 Keys returns with its dueling pianos show! Plan to party with us at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night as we celebrate with light hors d'ouevres, live-and-in-person social networking, and the most fun you’ve had at an OPRA Spring Conference since last April! Across the nation, Fun Pianos has pulled party-goers up off their chairs and onto the dance floor! Don’t miss it!

Accommodations
At this point, accommodations at the Conference site - Embassy Suites Hotel – are nearly sold out (if not entirely so as of this hour). Other accommodations are available at the Hilton Garden Inn ($119 plus tax; 614-766-9900) and Staybridge Suites ($129 plus tax; 614-734-9882), both of which are in the neighborhood. Again, when you call, be sure to ask for the Ohio Provider Resource Association Conference group rate.

Don't delay registering for the premiere event of the year!