Connect. Learn. Community.
MNEA member tip: Go to the For Members page to view event materials and recorded webinars.
MNEA is very excited to welcome new members to the board in January 2027! Are you interested in sharing your skills and talents? Do you have questions about board roles and responsibilities? If so, please join us for a Q&A session. Board members will be available to answer any and all questions!
Open Board positions include:
President-elect
Incoming Treasurer
Communications Co-Chair (2)
Membership Co-Chair (2)
Program Co-Chair (2)
Student / Emerging Evaluator Representative (2)
If you need any accommodations to participate, please let us know at least one week prior to the event. Thank you.
Facilitators:
MNEA Board Members
President, Aaron Flicker
President Elect, Katie Boone
Past President, Kylie Nicholas
Please join us for MNEA’s Unconference 2026: Evaluation and Collective Care.
This year, Minnesota communities have experienced tremendous disruption, from Operation Metro Surge and the freezing of Medicaid funding, to investigations of fraud and federal demands for voter rolls and gender affirming care data. At a time when our community can experience sudden social disruptions and demands, evaluators must navigate new and heightened uncertainty, inequity, institutional strain, and questions of trust. We have an important role to play in nurturing learning, accountability, and community voice.
At MNEA’s Unconference 2026: Evaluation and Collective Care, we will interactively explore how evaluation practice can strengthen community bonds and relationships, elevate lived experiences, and contribute to more just and responsive systems. Participants will call and join conversations like:
What it means to practice evaluation with a collective care lens
Preventing burnout in evaluation work
Who trusts evaluation data and why
Using data to spark empathy
This all-day gathering will bring together evaluators, researchers, nonprofit leaders, public-sector professionals, healthcare practitioners, and community partners for collaborative learning and conversation.
Calling Question:
Knowing it is up to us, what are the conversations and care required of evaluators in this moment that will move us towards a more just and sustainable future that is grounded in MNEA values.
If you need any accommodations to participate or have questions, please email info@mneval.org. We are looking forward to seeing you!
Join MNEA's series called "Making Connections," a low-key event prioritizing connection and community-building for our members. This series will have in-person and virtual opportunities. We also plan to rotate locations and times every month to make this event more accessible for folks who cannot make certain events due to time or transportation constraints.
The October 7 meeting will be at The Black Hart of Saint Paul in St. Paul.
The in-person event will be hosted by the MNEA presidents. When you get to the location, look for a table with a piece of paper with "MNEA" written on it. If the weather is nice, we will meet on the patio.
There is parking in the lot on the west side of the building and street parking on Albert St. and Sherburne Ave. There is bike parking on the sidewalk and in the Black Hart patio. Black Hart is between the Snelling and Hamline Green Line stations.
We look forward to connecting with you all!
Making Connections is going statewide in 2026! If you’d like to cohost an event in your community, contact us at info@mneval.org.
WELLNESS INFO: If we meet indoors, please bring masks (we will try to have some on hand). There is no expectation of wearing your mask indoors, but please have one on hand if it is requested by a fellow member. And, of course, do not attend if you are feeling unwell.
Event description:
Treasurer, Patrick Kaiser
Membership Co-chair, Ashley Estrella
Programs Co-chair, Noran Aly
CONNECT WITH US
Minnesota Evaluation Association
P.O. Box 581114,
Minneapolis, MN 55458
Email: info@mneval.org
Affiliate of American Evaluation Association since 2004
MNEA is a 501(c)6 organization
MNEA member tip: Go to the 
