Connect Fest will bring together leaders, practitioners, and community partners from across Pierce County to explore the conditions that help people and communities thrive. Conference sessions will provide opportunities to learn from local experts, build connections across sectors, and discover strategies for advancing health and well-being together.
9:30-10:00 a.m.
Community Resource Fair*
10:00-10:45 a.m.
Opening Keynote: Creating the Conditions for Thriving
Gain a shared understanding of the conditions that shape health and well-being in Pierce County through local data, the Vital Conditions framework, and practical approaches to measuring progress toward thriving communities where everyone can flourish.
Speaker: Bobby Milstein (Rippel Foundation)
10:45-11:10 a.m.
Community Resource Fair*
11:10 a.m.-Noon
Advancing Thriving Through Care Coordination
Explore how everyday care coordination and direct service work contribute to the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being, connecting individual client support to broader community well-being and thriving across Pierce County. (While all attendees are welcome, this session will be tailored specifically for community-based care coordinators and resource navigators.
Facilitators: Bobby Milstein (Rippel Foundation), Elevate Health Staff
Pierce County Data Mixtape
Five Pierce County organizations will highlight data points that are surprising, concerning, promising, or insightful, creating a unique snapshot of the opportunities and challenges facing our communities.
Presenters: Caroline Cabellon (Tacoma Housing Authority), Jennifer Driscoll (Parks Tacoma), Leah Ford (Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department), Lianna Olds (Emergency Food Network), Yuni Medlin (Multicultural Child & Family Hope Center)
Moderator: Alicia Klein (Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department)
How Communities Build Belonging
Learn how community engagement, cross-sector collaboration, and place-based strategies can foster a stronger sense of belonging and create the conditions for people and communities to thrive.
Panelists: Angie Hambrick (Pacific Lutheran University), Michael Brown (Civic Commons), Nichole Peppers (Coalition of Accountable Communities of Health)
Moderator: Gabe Moaalii (Elevate Health)
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Community Resource Fair*
1:00-1:50 p.m.
Care Coordination Hacks
Discover practical tools, resources, and strategies from across Pierce County that can help care coordinators address common client needs, navigate changing benefits systems, and connect residents to essential supports.
Presenters: Elizabeth Perkins (Wellfound), Gracemarie Cepero Lopez (Arcora Foundation), Nicole Wanner (Pierce Transit), Rachel McDonald (Pierce County Library System)
Moderator: Julia Kennedy Zárate (Elevate Health)
Funding Impact in Changing Times
Panelists will discuss practical strategies for sustaining and scaling community impact through innovative funding approaches, partnerships, and financing models that can help organizations navigate uncertainty and continue supporting health and well-being in Pierce County.
Speakers: Doug Baxter-Jenkins (CommonSpirit Health), Korbett Mosesly (Washington State Department of Commerce), Nalani Linder (Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities), Seth Kirby (Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
Moderator: Gabe Moaalii (Elevate Health)
Keeping People Covered, Connected and Cared For
Learn about recent changes to Apple Health (Medicaid) and SNAP eligibility, enrollment, and renewal requirements, and how to help community members navigate the transition.
Presenters: Jessica Kendall (Cascade Crest Consulting), Mattye Berry-Evans (Serving our Community), Roel Cubas (Community Health Plan of Washington)
2:00-2:50 p.m.
Closing Executive Panel: From Shared Vision to Shared Action
Explore the opportunities and challenges facing Pierce County and discuss how cross-sector partnerships, shared stewardship, and aligned resources can strengthen community well-being, advance shared goals, and build a more coordinated and resilient system of support for all residents.
Panelists: Dona Ponepinto (CEO of United Way of Pierce County), Gena Morgan (Executive Director of Elevate Health), Kathi Littmann (CEO Greater Tacoma Community Foundation), Ryan Mello (Pierce County Executive)
Moderator: Bobby Milstein (Rippel Foundation)
*The Connect Fest Resource Fair will feature more than 30 local nonprofits, government agencies, health plans, and community organizations serving Pierce County. Attendees will have the opportunity to discover new programs and services, gather valuable resources, and make connections that can strengthen their work and expand their impact.