Winnekota Leadership Summit 2026

Name: Winnekota Leadership Summit 2026
Start: 2026-03-19T10:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-03-20T15:00:00-05:00
Location: University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Schedule

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026 at 10:00 am to Fri, 20 Mar, 2026 at 03:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

University of Wisconsin-River Falls | River Falls, WI

Plan to join fellow camp and youth development professionals for top-notch education and networking opportunities at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in River Falls, WI. Bring yourself, your full-time teams, and your seasonal leaders to this can't miss leadership summit. It promises to get you fired up for summer 2026! We hope you’ll join us for two days filled with renewal, learning, and leadership inspiration. Let’s welcome spring together and watch great ideas grow. Take advantage of early bird pricing before it fades — these savings end February 6.
Sign up at https://www.acacamps.org/events-education/event/aca-winnekota-leadership-summit?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pd-regional&utm_term=NL&utm_content=Winnekota-2&_zs=IhAMd&_zl=RFvm4
OUR 2026 KEYNOTES:
Chad Nelson, PhD, is an instructional associate professor at Texas A&M University and the camp director at Camp Millican, bringing together academic expertise and hands-on camp leadership to advance youth development through experiential learning. Since joining Texas A&M in 2015, he has taught across the Departments of Health and Kinesiology, Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Sciences, and Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, reaching more than 3,400 undergraduate and graduate students. From 2015 to 2022, Dr. Nelson served as camp director of Deerfoot Youth Camp, a Texas A&M-affiliated nonprofit dedicated to providing underserved youth with free access to sports-based summer camp experiences that promote self-esteem, discipline, respect, and academic motivation. He currently serves as camp director of Camp Millican, a day camp for children ages 4–14 that emphasizes healthy discovery, outdoor adventure, and inclusive programming.
Timothy A. Raines, PhD, CDE® — also known as Dr. Tim — is an educator, consultant, and coach who helps youth-serving organizations strengthen belonging and build communities where young people can thrive. As CEO of Dr. Tim Raines Consulting, he partners with camps and afterschool programs to turn values like equity, cultural humility, and purposeful leadership into everyday practice. He also serves as vice president of quality initiatives at the Indiana Afterschool Network, supporting statewide efforts to elevate out-of-school time programs. Across all his work, Dr. Tim honors belonging, leads with integrity, and helps people move with intention, shaping environments where every young person and youth professional can feel seen, values, and supported.