Call for Speakers for NACPA 2026 Breakout Sessions

NACPA 2026: Faith at Work. This year as we gather, we will invite our attendees to
Follow Your NOLA: as they Network, participate in Ongoing Learning and focus on their personal Achievement.

Submissions are welcome from anyone who would like to share their specific Church HR knowledge and experience with NACPA members and attendees. Past NACPA Convocation speakers have been persons who work within or have specific knowledge of Church Human Resources or secular Human Resource fields. See the NACPA 2025 Program for sample schedule and activities.

NACPA's annual convocation allows members to learn from experts in HR and the world of HR in the Church; from those who have succeeded in creating a better and more prosperous environment, through the field of HR, within their communities. During the three-day meeting, delegates have the ability to commune together at the Opening Liturgy, the spirited Opening Ceremony (both Sunday), and uplifting morning prayer services and daily mass (onsite Monday and Tuesday). Attendees will begin Monday and Tuesday hearing from our two outstanding Plenary speakers and will then select a total of four breakout sessions from a choice of 12. To close our educational portion, delegates will participate in a final session, Tuesday afternoon, a Live OnDemand Discussion Session (formerly Roundtables). Throughout all of this they will also have time to meet face-to-face with vendors specific to the fields of HR and HR within the Catholic Church and network with their friends and colleagues at breaks and evening happy hours and dinners, closing with our 2026 Awards Banquet Dinner (with Raffles!) and topped off with the fun (and brave of heart) our Third Annual Karaoke Party!

 Convocation Attendees: All who work in HR related fields for the Church

  • Chancellors
  • Finance Directors / Managers
  • Human Resource Associates
  • Pastors
  • Parish Managers / Business Managers
  • Principals / Heads of School
  • Religious Community HR Directors &
    Associates / Business / Finance Managers 

 2026 Requested Session Topics

While we encourage a variety of topics concerning those who work with human resources responsibilities within the Catholic Church, our members have singled out the following timely and important topics as specific needs:

  • Compensation and Pay Equity
  • Compensation and Benefits
  • Ethics for HR Professionals and Organization
  • Management and Conflict Resolution
  • Policy/Handbook Updates
  • Security and Safety
  • AI (Continuation on AI program developments, recommended usages, potential issues and general current developments and cautions for HR and Church HR)
  • Catholic Identity
  • Catholic Work Culture
  • Performance Reviews and Retaining
  • Recruiting 

Submissions are now entirely online. Please click below for information and access. Submissions accepted through September 9th. Speakers will be notified by October 1, 2025.  We appreciate your interest in presenting and sharing your knowledge with HR colleagues nationwide.

Registration Pricing - Registration opens September 1st

Speakers:

  • $725 (This price available to members through Dec 31, 2025.)

Member Registration Rates:

  • Full One-time Payment: Early Bird: $725 (Sep 1 - Dec 31, 2025)
  • Layaway Plan: $250 (Sept 1-Dec 1, 2025), $225 by 12/31/25, $225 by 2/28/2026.
  • Regular: $775 (Jan 1, 2026 - March 31, 2026) 

Non-Member Registration Rates:

  • Regular: $850 (Sept 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026)
  • Late: $875 (April 1, 2026 onward)

Exhibitor Registration

  • Registration will be $2,625 (a 5% increase), and includes two representatives. Additional representatives are $250.

Speaker Requirements

Members and Non-Members of NACPA are welcome to submit speaking proposals on issues and topics that you have traversed and now wish to impart your trials and successes with your fellow community.

Speakers are welcome to present with a co-speaker. If you would like to present as a panel and have co-panelists in mind, please include this information in your submission. If you do not have co-panelists in mind, please reflect that and we will see if there are others who would like to present on the panel. 

If you are new to NACPA or from an HR vendor new to NACPA, please site the Arch/diocesan and or Church communities which you have worked with as references within the submission form. Though the presentation may be relevant to your organization/practices, those presenting from a vendor/HR services organization are not allowed to utilize the presentation as an advertisement of your services. 

All Speakers are responsible for their own registration and hotel bookings. 

Presentation Format and Requirements

The breakout speaker schedule for NACPA 2026 will run from Monday, April 20, at 11 AM, local time - Tuesday, April 21, at 3 PM.

All breakout sessions for 2026 will run a total of 1 HR and 30 Minutes, the final 15 - 20 minutes of that time can be used for Q&A/discussion if needed.

  • Please bring your own device to present from (laptop etc.) IT staff will be on-site to assist as needed.
  • Breakout sessions will all be held in classroom style rooms. There will be a head table and podium as well as an a/v setup and screen which you will be able to connect with your presentation device.
  • Handouts are not necessary but always welcome printing onsite may not be available. Any materials provided in person; as well as your digital presentation - we would appreciate a digital version (PDF) to make available on the Attendee Only Site and possibly the NACPA App (which the attendees have access to all year) post-convocation.
  • Tangible/Actionable takeaways – which attendees can modify and apply to their offices are key – whether that is in the form of ideas or resources, our members are strong action-takers and appreciate the actionable.
  • Sessions are an hour and a half in length. This is to ensure we meet HRCI and SHRM accreditation requirements. You may present for this entire duration or host breakout workgroups and/or build time for Q&A either throughout or as a block at the end of your session. Our nationwide membership contains multitudes (arch/diocesan, parish, religious congregations, and schools).
    • Q&As are often a time to drill down into specifics pertaining to location/offices – even a point in the right direction to where they may find that information on a local level.

Please complete the 2026 Session Proposal Form to be considered:

NACPA 2026 Breakout Session Speaker Proposal Portal
Receiving proposals through September 8th. Speakers will be notified by October 1, 2025.