About the Regional Conference

The UPCEA South Conference was held at the Grand Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.

Ninety CE professionals participated in the 2011 conference. The program began at noon on October 16 and ended at noon on October 18. A pre-conference golf outing was available on Saturday, October 15. The Chair of UPCEA South, Carroll Scherer and the Conference Planning Committee, chaired by Mercedes Suraty-Clarke, put together a robust schedule of events, including:

• UPCEA President, Jim Schaeffer, delivered the President’s Report.
• UPCEA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, Bob Hansen, hosted the Town Hall Meeting. 
• Keynote speaker, Quint Studer, from The Studer Group told us “How to Sustain a Culture of Excellence”, an important building block of sustainable programs and continuing education units.
• Cheri Simpson, UPCEA Director of Institutional and Corporate Relations and Associate Director for the Center for Research and Consulting, updated us on the Management Survey.

These events, along with an array of concurrent sessions, provided new insights and ideas on a wide variety of topics. Companions, vendors and participants enjoyed several networking opportunities, from the golf outing to the evening gatherings-- all designed to foster strong relationships among our members.