What’s your favorite day of the year? Your birthday? Christmas? Thanksgiving? 

 

For me, this year, it will be Saturday, October 20. 

 

No, it is not my birthday (which is October 7th – thanks for asking).  October 20 is the date of the MACDC Convention - by far my favorite event of the year. 
 

Since 2002, MACDC has hosted six Conventions, with the last one held in 2014.  The Convention is unlike any other event in the community development field – it is a conference, a celebration, and a political action all rolled into one exciting, fun, inspiring day.  Everyone and anyone associated with community development and community building is going to want to be there.  We expect 700, or more people from across the state. 

 

MACDC is committed to removing any and every obstacle to your participation.  Thanks to our donors and sponsors, THE CONVENTION IS FREE.  We provide free breakfast and lunch, free child care, transportation assistance, language interpretation, and whatever else is needed, so we can welcome everyone in our movement. 
 

The MACDC Convention is special because the event is designed for and attracts hundreds of CDC board members, residents, community leaders, youth leaders, and others who are a part of the community development field.  Community development professionals will be there too because this is the one event where everyone in the field – volunteers, paid staff, funders, investors, allies, friends, teachers, students – comes together.  

 

We are still finalizing the agenda, but we already know it is going to be fun, educational, inspiring, and impactful.  Some of the highlights include: 

Of course, MACDC is not going to bring 700 people together without using the opportunity to help shape the future of community development policy.  We have invited all the major party candidates for Governor to join us on October 20th to field our questions about their policy agenda.   

 

Deval Patrick came to our conventions in 2006 and 2010; made specific and meaningful commitments to our members; and he kept those commitments.  Charlie Baker came in 2014 and did the same, including a commitment to fund small business development and support the Community Investment Tax Credit.  I am 100% certain the Community Investment Tax Credit would not exist – and would not have been recently increased -  without the MACDC Convention.  When these candidates see hundreds of diverse and united community leaders from every corner of the state, learn about the tangible ways we are improving the Commonwealth, are asked specific questions about important policy issues, they come to understand that we are a movement to be taken seriously.   

 

Join us! I’m confident you’ll be glad you came and it may turn out to be your favorite day of 2018 too!