Religious market experts bring insights to National Conference
The Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc. team will once again bring their expertise in the religious market to the annual Resource Center of Religious Institutes (RCRI) National Conference. This will be Hoffman’s 13th time speaking at the conference in the last 15 years. This year’s conference is being held Sept. 26-29 in St. Louis.
Hoffman will present two workshops for conference participants:
- “Dominican Sisters of San Rafael’s Journey to Incorporate Solar in their Future, Using the Laudato Si’ Action Platform to Help Us Walk the “Path of Renewal” Together” presented by Julie Heiberger, Hoffman senior project architect, religious market leader, and owner; Henry Hundt, Hoffman sustainability leader; and Sr. Carla Kovack, OP, prioress for the Dominican Sisters. This presentation will share the journey of the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, located in California, and their decision to make their property more sustainable. Participants will learn where to begin when incorporating solar and sustainability into their property, including new and existing buildings, storage solutions, and much more.
- “Making Hard Decision…With No Easy Answers” presented by Heiberger; Sr. Nancy Conway, CSJ, congregation of St. Joseph and Hoffman facilitation and engagement specialist; Sr. Madeleine Munday, RGS; and Sr. Ginger Downey, OLVM. Religious congregations and leadership groups around the country are facing tough decisions about their facilities. Should they sell? Rent? Build new? Attendees will hear different perspectives on these options and more and learn about the decision-making processes used to choose what was best for their congregations.
“Religious congregations face difficult decisions about their facilities, including the challenge to incorporate solar and other sustainability initiatives to align with Laudato Si,” said Heiberger. “These session topics are more important than ever, especially with so many congregations facing declining membership numbers and, in some cases, limited resources of both people and finances. Attendees will come away from both sessions with guidance and insight to help them make decisions for their religious communities.”
Hoffman has a long history of partnering with women religious congregations, having served more than 55 congregations in 28 states throughout the U.S. in the last 25 years. The Resource Center for Religious Institutes is an organization created to serve the needs of Catholic communities of religious women and men. They help congregations navigate the many complexities related to taxes and tax-exemption, corporate structure, internal organizational setup, finance, administration and canon law. They work with hundreds of religious institutes and societies of apostolic life from all over the United States and from several foreign countries.
Hoffman Planning, Design & Construction, Inc. is an integrated Total Project Management firm based in Appleton, Wisconsin. Hoffman’s mission is to make a positive impact on people’s lives and their environment by providing creative ideas and responsible solutions. Total Project Management (TPM), is Hoffman’s exclusive process that integrates efficient, healthy, and cost-effective building solutions that respect the environment while enhancing a building’s quality and value and reducing initial and long-term facility costs. Learn more at www.hoffman.net.
