2026 Annual Conference Line-Up
The 2026 SHECP Annual Conference will be held July 30 – August 1 on the campus of Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. The annual event is designed to place the
individual experiences of the SHECP interns into broader anti-poverty policy, research and organizational efforts, and to situate it within their undergraduate education. The conference also provides professional development opportunities for the staff and faculty of member institutions and community partners.
Events on Thursday and Friday, including governance meetings and the Welcome Dinner are closed to the public. The conference sessions and intern reflection panels on Saturday, August 1st are open to the larger community.
The 2026 SHECP Annual Conference is co-hosted by Marymount University and is made possible by the generous support of the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation, and there is no registration fee to attend.
9:30 AM: Welcome Address & Award Presentation
Welcome from Co-host by Brian Doyle, Professor of Theology at Marymount University and long-time SHECP Council Member
2026 Harlan R. Beckley Award, presented by Tiffanie Spencer, SHECP Board Chair
10:00 AM: "Beyond Hunger: Moving Toward Whole-Person Care in Washington, DC," Jim Palmer, Director of Community Engagement at So Others Might Eat (SOME)
Jim Palmer serves as SOME’s Director of Community Engagement. In this capacity, Jim cultivates strategic partnerships with faith-based institutions, schools, colleges, corporations, civic groups, community organizations, and individuals. This work drives deeper engagement, boosts volunteer participation, and enhances philanthropic giving.
A native Washingtonian and graduate from the University of Maryland (College Park), Jim served as the Executive Director of Loyola on the Potomac Retreat House prior to his return to SOME. He previously worked at SOME from 1993 – 2005.
SOME is a long-time community partner site for the SHECP Summer Internship Program. This summer, they are hosting one intern with their ABLE program and two interns with their medical clinic. This is the first summer they are hosting a Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Intern focused on food access initiatives.
11:00 AM: "Reimagining Rural: A National Perspective," Tony Pipa, Senior Fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution and host of Reimagine Rural podcast
"Tony Pipa is a senior fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. Pipa launched and leads the Reimagining Rural Policy initiative and hosts the award-winning Reimagine Rural podcast. He also provides expertise on U.S. global development policy and local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reflected in the work of the SDG Leadership Cities Network.
The Reimagining Rural Policy initiative provides analysis and recommendations to improve the effectiveness of federal policy in supporting rural communities in the 21st century. The stories profiled by the Reimagine Rural podcast feature local people developing solutions to strengthen the resilience, economic security, and future prospects of their rural towns. As part of this portfolio to improve rural policy, Pipa is helping lead and facilitate America’s Rural Future: The Brookings-AEI Commission on Rural Prosperity, co-chaired by former Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and former governor Chris Sununu (R-NH).
Pipa came to Brookings after serving as chief strategy officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and as a special envoy at the U.S. Department of State, leading the U.S. delegation during the intergovernmental negotiations at the U.N. to agree upon the SDGs.
His work on global policy built upon decades of leadership advancing community and economic development at home. He served as the first director of philanthropic services at the Triangle Community Foundation; founding CEO of the Warner Foundation in Durham, North Carolina; and as a founder of the Foundation for Louisiana.
He serves as vice-chair of StriveTogether, chair of the Reimagining Rural Assistance Network (RRAN), treasurer at Lead for America, member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Rural Investment Collaborative, member of the NC Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine’s advisory council, and on other advisory councils and boards related to economic mobility. He grew up in rural Elysburg, Pennsylvania, attended Stanford University, graduated from Duke University, and earned a Master of Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School." (from: https://www.brookings.edu/people/anthony-f-pipa/)
This is the fourth year that Tony's team at Brookings has hosted at least one Policy & Nonprofit Leadership Intern.
12:30 PM: Lunch
1:30 – 4:15 PM: SHECP Summer Intern Reflection Panels
Ballston Center, Rooms 5012, 5018, 5024, 5030
During these concurrent panels, students will reflect on their own internship and discuss how their internship experience might inform their future paths.
4:15 – 5:30 PM: Final Gathering
Ballston Center, 2nd Floor Conference Room
Light snacks provided
The 2026 SHECP Annual Conference is co-hosted by Marymount Universityand is made possible by the generous support of the Charles A. Frueauff Foundation.
Contact info@shepherdconsortium.org if you have any questions or would like further information.
