The NCEO's Annual 2022 Employee Ownership Conference is finally back and in-person this year, taking place in Seattle, WA, on April 25-28, and we have all been eager to connect with the employee ownership community once again in a shared space. We have learned quite a bit about networking over the past two years, and many have managed to adjust and evolve their outreach and communications with colleagues in new and exciting ways despite the limitations of a virtual world. This year, we're excited to bring everything we've learned and build on all the great work employee-owners have done to stay connected and engaged. If you and your colleagues would like to get a head start on networking and ESOP education before the conference, join the NCEO's Communications Committee Crash Course this March, where you will join other employee-owners in a series of sessions focused on ESOP education, employee engagement, and networking with fellow employee ownership across the country!

The NCEO is in its second full year of conducting our online training and networking program for companies, new and old, that want to create employee involvement and help their employees understand what their ESOP really means to their company, to employees, and to their families in the long run. This March and April, we will host our next series of the NCEO's Communications Committee Crash Course, which consists of six separate training sessions that will cover topics such as developing an effective communication strategy, common challenges and mistakes, how to create alignment with company leadership, and how to improve employee engagement strategies for the long term.

You may have just started an ESOP, or you may be a mature and growing ESOP company with new employees that have similar questions to those at companies with new ESOPs. Whether you are just getting started or trying to get back on track, this training program will offer communications committees from companies of all shapes and sizes a way to learn, engage, and network with others in the employee ownership community. Join me and other employee-owners on Wednesday, March 2 as we host attendees and invite employee-owner friends and professionals to provide their insights and discuss challenges and lessons learned at their own companies. We hope to see you there!