Annual Conference

Early Bird Registration Open- Members Only!

Start getting excited for this year’s annual conference in Dayton! The OCDCA 2025 Annual Conference will be held at the downtown Dayton Arcade from September 17-19! This year's theme is GEM: Grow, Empower, Mobilize -- invites us to think like entrepreneurs across every area of our lives: in our communities, our organizations, and ourselves. More conference updates to come.

Our Annual Conference is the best opportunity for CDCs, community development organizations, and community partners in Ohio to gather, network, and share. Stay tuned for the announcement of event speakers, plenaries, workshops, and other one-of-a-kind experiences and opportunities our Annual Conference has to offer.

New This Year: Microbusiness Summit Meets Annual Conference

For the first time ever, we’re launching the OCDCA Annual Conference with a full day of Microbusiness programming. Join us on Wednesday, September 17, as we kick things off in the morning with our Microbusiness Development Summit—a deep dive into small business, entrepreneurship, and the ecosystems that power them.

Then at 3:00 PM, our Annual Conference officially begins with the Member Meeting, followed by a happy hour celebration and late-night programming exploring nightlife, culture, and the creative economy. It’s one big Wednesday that blends entrepreneurship energy with statewide impact—and you don’t want to miss it.

How Registration Works

Conference Registration (Full): Starts at 3:00 PM Wednesday with the Member Meeting and includes everything through Friday—receptions, tours, Tank Talks, breakouts, and more.
Micro Summit + Conference Add-On: Already registered for the full conference? Add the Micro Summit (Wednesday 9:00 AM–3:00 PM) for an extra day of focused business development programming for $25 if you are a member or $75 if you are a non-member.
Micro Summit Day Pass (Only): Just want Wednesday’s microbusiness content and community? This pass includes morning programming, the Member Meeting, and the evening reception + late night programming—but not Thursday or Friday conference events. Tickets to the Micro Summit ONLY are $100 for members and $150 for non-members.

FAQs

Wait—isn’t the conference starting at 3pm?
Yes! The official conference kickoff is still at 3:00 PM with the Member Meeting. The Micro Summit is a pre-conference special event—and this year, it’s bigger than ever.

Do I need both a conference pass and a Micro Summit pass?
If you want to attend the Wednesday morning Micro Summit, yes—you’ll need to add it on to your standard conference registration. If you’re only attending the main conference starting at 3:00 PM, no add-on is needed.

What does the Micro Summit Day Pass include?
It covers everything on Wednesday: morning business sessions, the Member Meeting, and the evening reception and salons. It does not include Thursday or Friday conference events.

Is it worth showing up early?
Absolutely. If you're interested in small business, entrepreneurship, or community wealth-building, Wednesday morning is packed with insight, tools, and connections to set the tone for the rest of the week.

Want to Attend Our Annual Conference for Free? Volunteer with Us!

Make the most of your conference experience by applying to join our volunteer team! Volunteers receive complimentary conference registration and meals in exchange for 5 hours of support during the event. It’s a great way to minimize costs, connect with other attendees, and play a vital role in making the conference a success.

Our Commitment to Each Other:
Volunteers are a vital part of making this event possible, and we rely on each other to show up and follow through. If you attend the conference but don’t fulfill your volunteer shift (and haven’t communicated with us in advance) we will charge you the full registration fee. This helps keep things fair to other volunteers and ensures the event runs smoothly for everyone. If something unexpected comes up, just reach out—we'd be happy to switch your shift if need be!

Apply by Friday, August 1 to be considered. Space is limited, and everyone will be notified of their selection status by August 8.

Reach out to Arabella Zambito at [email protected] or Julia Robinson at [email protected] if you have any questions.

Apply Here

Celebrate the GEMs of Community Development - Nominate for the 41st Annual OCDCA Awards!

As we gather around the theme GEM: Grow | Empower | Mobilize to honor Ohio's Gem City, Dayton, it’s time to recognize the people, organizations, and projects that embody those values across Ohio. During times that have tested our resilience, let’s celebrate the work that continues to move our communities forward.

Know someone or an organization doing amazing work? Nominate them - it only takes 5 minutes!

Whether it's a standout staff member/organization, a visionary project, or a dedicated partner, these awards are a statewide recognition of passion, progress, and perseverance. And it’s not just a one-time moment; awardees will continue to be recognized by OCDCA throughout the year, opening doors and expanding visibility for their organization.

A testimonial from Jo Higgins, the Operations Manager at LakewoodAlive, who nominated the 2024 CDC Staff Member of the Year, Ian Andrews, Executive Director at LakewoodAlive:

"Recognizing your coworkers through annual nominations with the Ohio CDC Association is a powerful way to celebrate their dedication, impact, and contributions to community development. These awards shine a light on the important work happening across the state and help elevate the efforts of individuals and organizations that often work behind the scenes. Taking time to nominate someone not only uplifts their achievements but also strengthens our collective voice and encourages continued excellence in the field. At our core, people simply want to be seen, valued, and appreciated for who they are and for the hard work that they are putting into making a difference in our everyday."

Nominations are open now through August 1 at 5 PM.

Honor the work that inspires and nominate a peer who helps your community grow stronger every day.

Submit a Nomination

Awards List

Awards given to individuals who are staff of OCDCA Members:

Stephanie J. Bevens Award
The award honors Stephanie Bevens, a long-time OCDCA Board Member, an innovative director of microenterprise programs at Pike County Community Action, and a tireless advocate on behalf of low-income entrepreneurs. Nominate a CDC staff member with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong advocate on behalf of low- to-moderate income people.

CDC Staff Member of the Year
Nominate an outstanding staff member, full or part-time who has made the work of the CDC a success.

Award given to individuals who do not work for OCDCA members, so long as they are affiliated with one:

Ned D. Neuhausel Award
In honor of Ned Neuhausel, long-time leader in Ottawa County's disability support system and Executive Director of Ottawa Residential Services, Inc. Nominate one person who has played a key role in providing affordable housing for vulnerable people and been a strong advocate on their behalf.

Awards given to OCDCA Members:

CDC Project of the Year
This award gives recognition to an outstanding CDC project related to affordable housing, community economic development, community engagement, financial empowerment or food access.

CDC of the Year
Nominate a CDC (nonprofit OCDCA member) that has done outstanding work this year.

Award given to a partner organization of an OCDCA Member:

Community Development Partner of the Year
The nomination may be a special non-profit or faith-based organization, business, financial institution, foundation, intermediary, government agency or other entity that has provided support to a CDC.

Hotel Information

Want to book your stay at a discounted rate? Book a room through our official conference hotel room block -- available now!

Book at Hilton Garden

Book at Hotel Ardent

Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors

This conference is made possible with the support of our sponsors.

Presenting Ruby Sponsor

Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing
Emerald Sponsor

Opal Sponsor

Jade Sponsor

Garnet Sponsor

ECDI
Jade Sponsor

Jade Sponsor

Garnet Sponsor

Quartz Sponsor

Garnet Sponsor

Quartz Sponsor

Garnet Sponsor

Quartz Sponsor

Garnet Sponsor

EPiC Learning Today

Quartz Sponsor

Sponsorship Information:

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Fill out a sponsorship interest form here. Already committed to becoming a sponsor? Register for our conference as a sponsor here.

View our sponsorship information and benefits.

40th Annual Conference Recap

Thank you to all who joined us in Cleveland, OH, from September 25-27! View photos, award winners, and sponsors below. We can’t wait to see you in Dayton next year! If you have any pictures from the conference you would like to share, use this link.

2024 OCDCA Awards

These awards recognize CDCs, their staff and volunteers, projects, partners, and advocates who have made exemplary contributions to the community development field.
This year’s winners:

Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development, CDC of the Year
The Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development (NEOHCED) has launched the largest initiative in Cleveland's Hispanic community: CentroVilla25 (CV25). Located in one of Ohio's poorest Hispanic neighborhoods, this transformative project repurposes a vacant 32,500-square-foot warehouse in La Villa Hispana. CV25 aims to create vital infrastructure, featuring twenty micro-retail spaces, a commercial kitchen, a specialty grocer, a business innovation center, co-working spaces, and community areas for arts and culture. This $12 million project will drive economic growth through job creation and business development, celebrating Latino culture in the process. Despite challenges, including rising construction costs and a global pandemic, the dedicated team persevered, increasing client support by over 250%.
Ian Andrews, LakewoodAlive, CDC Staff Member of the Year
Ian Andrews, Executive Director of LakewoodAlive, consistently excels in supporting the small business community and fosters collaboration with partners like the City of Lakewood and the Chamber of Commerce. His leadership has empowered his team, which has doubled in size over the past year and a half. He has also implemented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts while being the voice of institutional knowledge in the nonprofit sector. Ian advocated for health plan options for his staff and puts in long hours for LakewoodAlive events. Despite facing personal health challenges this past year, he persevered, continuing to support the community and conducting virtual meetings during treatment. The community rallied around him in return, offering care and support. As one colleague noted, “No one does more with less.”
County Corp and The Dayton Foundation’s Pathways to Homeownership Program, CDC Project of the Year
On Memorial Day 2019, nineteen tornadoes struck the Dayton region, severely impacting low-income neighborhoods and affordable rental housing. In response, the Pathway to Homeownership Program was launched, leveraging various funding sources and partnerships to create affordable, owner-occupied housing and stabilize disaster-impacted areas. County Corp has played a key role, planning a third phase to build 30 more homes for low-to-moderate income first-time buyers. The Dayton Foundation has been essential to the program's success, providing seed funding and bridge loans while awaiting disaster relief funds. With their support, County Corp has constructed 19 new homes, fostering homeownership and breaking cycles of generational poverty.
The Dayton Foundation, CDC Partner of the Year
The Dayton Foundation has partnered alongside County Corp to support the Pathway to Homeownership Program, launched in response to the 2019 Memorial Day tornado disaster in Dayton. The Dayton Foundation has been pivotal to the success of the Program. The Dayton Foundation established a donor fund for the Program, provided seed-funding, and served to scaffold the Program with bridge funding while County Corp awaited release of DR funds. With The Dayton Foundation’s support, County Corp has been able to construct 19 new homes, creating opportunities for families to become first-time homeowners, and disrupting generational poverty cycles through the wealth-building that homeownership provides. The Dayton Foundation was recognized in July as a recipient of the 2024 HUD Secretary’s Award for Public-Private Partnerships.
Nick De Leon, Metro West Community Development Organization, Stephanie J. Bevens Award Winner.
Nick De Leon, Chief Neighborhood Transformation Officer of the Metro West Community Development Organization, embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and advocacy of Stephanie Bevens. His innovative approach to equitable community and economic development has significantly impacted low- to moderate-income communities. During challenging executive director transitions, Nick's steady leadership ensured organizational continuity and growth. His commitment to equitable development is reflected in the high-quality programs he and his team deliver. Nick's entrepreneurial mindset drives him to create innovative solutions tailored to community needs, fostering partnerships that enhance impact. Beyond his professional role, he actively engages with community members, advocating for resources and policies that support their well-being.

Awards List

These awards are given to individuals who are staff of OCDCA Members:

Stephanie J. Bevens Award
The award honors Stephanie Bevens, a long-time OCDCA Board Member, an innovative director of microenterprise programs at Pike County Community Action, and a tireless advocate on behalf of low-income entrepreneurs. Nominate a CDC staff member with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong advocate on behalf of low- to-moderate income people.

CDC Staff Member of the Year
Nominate an outstanding staff member, full or part-time who has made the work of the CDC a success.

These awards can go to individuals who do not work for OCDCA members, so long as they are affiliated with one:

Ned D. Neuhausel Award
In honor of Ned Neuhausel, long-time leader in Ottawa County's disability support system and Executive Director of Ottawa Residential Services, Inc. Nominate one person who has played a key role in providing affordable housing for vulnerable people and been a strong advocate on their behalf.

These awards are given to OCDCA Members:

CDC Project of the Year
This award gives recognition to an outstanding CDC project related to affordable housing, community economic development, community engagement, financial empowerment or food access.

CDC of the Year
Nominate a CDC (nonprofit OCDCA member) that has done outstanding work this year.

This award is given to a partner organization of an OCDCA Member:

Community Development Partner of the Year
The nomination may be a special non-profit or faith-based organization, business, financial institution, foundation, intermediary, government agency or other entity that has provided support to a CDC.

Ian Andrews receiving the 2024 CDC Staff Member of the Year Award.