Conference Sessions & Keynote



Available Sessions


  • 2026 Kenai Conference- Fund it. Build it. Maintain it!


Pre Conference Grant Training( additional registration)
Presenter: Allison Welch, M.Ed., GPC
Organization: Spark the Fire Grant Writing Classes, LLC
Venue: Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center, 11471 Kenai Spur Highway, Kenai, AK
Date Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Time 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Format Full-day pre-conference training
Capacity Up to 50 participants (open to conference attendees and the public)
Course Description
Every park, trail, and recreation program in Alaska runs on funding you have to go out
and win. This full-day intensive walks you through the entire grant lifecycle: finding the
right opportunities, deciding which are worth your time, and writing applications funders
actually want to say yes to. You’ll learn how to search federal, state, and foundation
sources (including the Land & Water Conservation Fund, the Recreational Trails
Program, and Alaska funders like the Rasmuson Foundation), how to read a funding
announcement and make a smart go/no-go call, and how to build the core of a
competitive proposal, including the need statement, goals, budget, and the story of your
community. You’ll also learn what happens after you win: managing the award, meeting
reporting requirements, and building a funder relationship that leads to the next grant.
Through guided exercises, you’ll apply each step to a real grant you choose and leave
with a target opportunity identified and a plan to pursue it. Designed for parks and
recreation professionals at everyInterested in teaching a class, submit a course HERE
Professional Biography
Allison Welch, M.Ed., GPC, has spent more than 25 years helping mission-driven people
fund the work that matters to their communities. She is the founder and CEO of Spark
the Fire Grant Writing Classes, LLC (an internationally recognized provider that since
2003 has helped more than 5,000 nonprofit, tribal, and educational organizations
strengthen their funding), and one of only about 30 trainers nationally approved by the
Grant Professionals Certification Institute, with additional approvals from the Grant
Professionals Association and CFRE International. Spark the Fire’s Certificate in Grant
Writing has been recognized by Instrumentl as one of the nation’s top grant writing
courses for five consecutive years.
Allison has personally written and won grants that built a ball field complex and multiple
playgrounds, preserved a sphagnum bog, restored a historic lighthouse and its
surrounding buildings, and acquired land for a land trust. Her very first proposal won a
multi-million-dollar federal grant, and she has since secured awards from funders
including the Robert Wood Johnson, Gates, and Kresge foundations. A Master’s in adult
learning drives her hands-on, no-fluff teaching style. Her book, The “Of Course” Factor:
A Guide to Meaningful Grant Writing, releases October 2026.

Sessions During Conference



    • Where the Money Lives: A Practical Guide to Searching Grants.gov, Allison Welch

    • Growing Your Recreation Program: Ron Marsh,

    • Playground Inspection Tyler Best, CPSI. & Chuck Fenn, CPSI

    • Ditch Your Management Style (and Adopt a Leadership Philosophy)- Jason Magnum

    • Programming with Purpose: Designing Programs that fit your community, Dyana Metheny

    • Your Team is Not as Messed Up as You Think It Is: Lessons from the Titans - Jason Magnum

    • What Can ARPA Do for You, Round table, Tyler Best & Joel Todd 

    • Ventrac Demo: Totem Equipment is going to provide a demo and overview of one of their most exciting machines. Check out the amazing tractor that can be a snow blower, mower, ball field renovator, and loader.

    • TURFACE AND ALASKA MILL AND FEED FIELD DAY Educational stations featuring( 4 hours session)

    • Mound and home plate clay repair demonstrations

      • Benefits of infield conditioners

      • Training on all best ballfield maintenance and renovation practices

      • Hands on product demos



    • CPSI Round Table, Tyler Best, CPSI, CPRP



Keynote Address: Jason S. Mangum
Be a Builder
The Power of Resilience, Relationships, and Continuous Improvement
Behind every successful park, trail, recreation program, facility, and community space is a team of dedicated professionals committed to serving others. While organizations often focus on funding projects, building infrastructure, and maintaining assets, lasting success ultimately depends on investing in people. In this engaging and motivational keynote, Jason Mangum explores how individual growth drives organizational excellence. Through real-world stories, practical leadership lessons, and proven principles of resilience, relationship-building, customer service, and continuous improvement, attendees will discover how becoming just 1% better each day can strengthen teams, improve workplace culture, and enhance service to the communities they serve. Participants will leave inspired and equipped with actionable strategies to elevate their impact, support their colleagues, and help create stronger organizations capable of meeting today's challenges and tomorrow's opportunities.










More to come! Register here!



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