Highlighting Community Heart & Soul’s 2025 Coach Gathering

By Paul Tucker

Image of all coaches and staff that attended our 2025 Coach Gathering.

Certified Coaches are the backbone of Community Heart & Soul—helping residents and community leaders navigate the process, offering guidance, and keeping the work grounded in what matters most. Recognizing the importance of collaboration and shared learning, Coaches recently gathered in Minneapolis to celebrate the successes their communities achieved, exchange strategies, and address common challenges that come with building stronger towns and cities. The annual Heart & Soul Coach Gathering provided an opportunity for peer-to-peer learning, reflection, and strengthening the network that sustains our work nationwide.

Just like the Community Heart & Soul process itself, the 2025 Coach Gathering was designed to be participatory and dynamic. Coaches contributed helpful insights shaped by the communities they work alongside. They enjoyed heartfelt reunions, made new connections, and shared experiences that deepened their connection to Community Heart & Soul’s mission. The result was a renewed sense of energy for the mentorship they provide to towns across the country.

Insights on How Coaches Excel in the Field

Every community has its own story—shaped by unique demographics, history, and local experiences, but over time, experienced Coaches have learned that best practices emerge from working with residents through each phase of the Heart & Soul process. To capture that learning, the 2025 Coach Gathering kicked off with an opportunity for everyone to reflect on and celebrate the successes their communities achieved as well as the challenges some faced.

Coaches Jason Neises and Michelle Wodtke Franks gave an impactful presentation on how to guide discussions in town meetings and interpersonal relationships toward respectful and constructive resolutions. Covering a variety of discussion scenarios, they shared skills and insights gained from years in their respective roles. From understanding a community’s historical context before getting involved to setting healthy ground rules for all public gatherings, new and tenured coaches learned the ways their presence inherently shapes how the Heart & Soul process is perceived.

The listeners, those who share less input, often have the answers we are looking for. Take the time to directly invite those who usually hesitate.”
Bill Flood, Community Heart & Soul Certified CoACH

Mika Fields and Cassie Turner presented new creative methods of reaching audiences who hesitate to speak up. Cassie shared the subtle nuances that come with working across demographics; how using digital and paper newsletters can reach across generations, along with the opportunities that come with attending local gatherings that residents already use as spaces for connection, like sporting events.

Mika demonstrated an interactive technique she used in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. Using a non-verbal, creative method of story gathering, Willingboro HandS was able to combine the foods, businesses, and recreational spaces their residents adored into “Fresh Fridays”, a recurring gathering that invited all to get involved.

Mika Fields sharing post-it notes examples of favorite restaurants and cafes provided by Coach Gathering attendees.

A zoomed-in image of favorite restaurants and cafes on post-it notes, representing a new option for story gathering in other communities.

Post-it notes of "Neighborhood Connections" entries provided by fellow Coaches, showing existing networks that can be combined for a unified Community Heart & Soul initiative.

In the afternoon, Coaches explored Minneapolis in small groups, learning more about the city and each other! Visiting a variety of local sights sparked creativity and inspiration. From a tour of Prince’s home city to an exploration of the Walker Art Center Sculpture Garden, Coaches enjoyed a beautiful September afternoon, strengthening relationships and having fun together.

Cat Ingraham, Alice Trowbridge, Maranda Engquist, and Robin Comey visiting Prince: The Tour in downtown Minneapolis, posing with stylized artwork of the aforementioned musician.

Nolan Gluekert, Michelle Wodtke Franks, and Josh Kaiel exploring the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at The Walker Art Center, each pretending to hold a large Cherry sculpture in the distance.

Success Stories Celebrating a Year of Growth

As awareness of how Community Heart & Soul Coaches make a difference grows, so does their scale and accomplishments! During the conference, the group reflected on their efforts following the 2024 Coach Gathering, showcasing how far their goal of reaching more communities has come in a year:

24 new Coaches completed Level 1 Certification
21 communities started the Heart & Soul Program
Coaches hosted56 workshops across the country

Joan Wagner, Senior Program Associate, showcasing 2024 and 2025's combined statistics on a slideshow.

Senior Program Associate Leanne Tingay led a celebration recognizing Cassie Turner, Community Engagement Officer for The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation, on achieving Level 2 Coach certification. Cassie played a pivotal role in the Heart & Soul effort in Arlington, Ohio, offering the strategy needed to develop a comprehensive, results-oriented Community Action Plan. She received thanks across her network, including town leaders, co-coordinators, and Brian Treece, the CEO of The Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.

Leanne Tingay standing in front of an image of Cassie Turner, sharing appreciation for her efforts.

Leanne and Cassie Turner hugging following her congratulations on a new Level 2 Coach Certification.

The second day of the 2025 Coach Gathering began with an enlightening session on coaching strategies and working with Project Coordinators, facilitated by Cat Ingraham and Alice Trowbridge. Cat and Alice brought their own experiences into the session, having both served as Project Coordinators before becoming Heart & Soul Coaches.

Community Heart & Soul’s Vice President of Market Development, Al Getler, talked about the importance of storytelling as a catalyst for initiating and sustaining momentum in communities. Pairing modern storytelling concepts with the fundamentals of personal branding, Al demonstrated that Coaches need to know their own story and personal foundation to craft the story of a community.

Al Getler sharing the importance of storytelling both for towns and for Coaches via a presentation. The slide reads "Knowing your story sets your foundation as a coach."

Heart & Soul Staff Ian Moran and Joan Wagner also facilitated a session on artificial intelligence and technology tools in community engagement, following up from last year’s AI-focused session. They illustrated the challenges of using AI in qualitative data analysis, emphasizing the importance of team involvement in analyzing Heart & Soul data.

Lessons Learned

As the last day came to a close, the value of the Coaches’ collective knowledge could not be clearer.
In small cities and towns across the country, thousands of residents will be equipped with new ways to make their voices heard and meet potential headwinds with confidence. People who have felt excluded from shaping the future of their town will have their voices heard, and initiatives that take long-term commitment will maintain momentum through the ongoing practice of Community Heart & Soul.

Making a real impact in a community is no easy task, but with a trained and dedicated Coach—one with a mastery of thoughtful communication, planning, and storytelling—taking those first steps is less daunting than it seems. We’ve seen firsthand how Coaches ignite passion and momentum in the towns they guide. As more communities than ever benefit from the foundations they help create, it’s clear that the Heart & Soul process is a path to helping build a brighter future.