Conference on Servant Leadership

2025 Conference on Servant Leadership

For the past 22 years, Viterbo University has held a Conference on Servant Leadership for individuals who aspire to be servant leaders in nonprofit organizations, small and large businesses, government, health care, ministry, and education. This year's conference will examine how leaders can align their passion with purpose, fostering environments of trust, collaboration, and growth that benefit both individuals and organizations as a whole.

Rooted in the principles of empathy, humility, and ethical stewardship, servant leadership emphasizes a leader’s responsibility to serve others. This year’s theme, Passion and Purpose, highlights the critical connection between inspiration and vision, inviting participants to reflect on how these elements shape leadership practices and influence team dynamics.

Throughout the conference, attendees will engage with thought leaders, researchers, and practitioners from diverse sectors who will share cutting-edge research, practical strategies, and real-world case studies that exemplify servant leadership in action.

With a focus on actionable insights and professional development, this conference offers a unique opportunity for leaders at all levels to connect, learn, and build networks with others who are committed to leading with a servant’s heart. Whether you are new to servant leadership or an experienced practitioner, you will leave inspired, equipped, and ready to make a difference by leading with both passion and purpose.

Join us for an engaging conference held at the Weber Center for the Performing Arts, located on the banks of the beautiful Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Conference agenda coming soon!

Registration Information

Early-Bird Rate - $229 (now through March 31, 2025)

Standard Rate - $249

Student Rate - $149 (current students ONLY)

Group Discounts are available, please contact Alycia Larson at aclarson@viterbo.edu or call 608-796-3029 to inquire.

Hotel Accommodations
Hotel information and rates can be found here!

Thank You to Our 2025 Conference Sponsors:

Sponsorship Opportunities Available Here

Speakers

Tom Thibodeau Conference MC

Tom Thibodeau is Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University and voted the best professor in La Crosse. He is a nationally recognized speaker who provides leadership and organizational culture development consulting to health systems, college systems, school systems, large cooperatives, communities, and organizations of all sizes across the U.S. He has been actively serving the La Crosse community for more than 20 years through his leadership on several community boards and committees and as founder and active member at Place of Grace, a local Catholic Worker House.

Misty Lown The Gift of Feedback

Misty Lown is the founder of More Than Just Great Dancing® - a licensed dance studio affiliation program that reaches over 100,000 dance students each week. She also has owned Misty’s Dance Unlimited in Onalaska, WI, for 27 years. She currently serves as President of Ensemble Schools. Misty has been recognized as “Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year” by the YWCA and awarded the “Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service” by Viterbo University. She is the author of One Small Yes an Amazon #1 Bestseller that has been translated to Korean and Indonesian.

Frank J. Oswald Let Purpose Find You: A Skeptic's Story

Frank J. Oswald teaches "Ethical Decision Making for Communicators" at Columbia University, where he has served on the faculty of the master's degree program in strategic communication since 2010. An independent communications consultant and writer, he has led the development of corporate, marketing and investor communications for leading companies and organizations for more than four decades. A self-described "accidental ethicist," Oswald was drawn into the field late in his career by concerns about the increasing power of persuasive technology, behavioral science and personal data to influence people's opinions and behaviors.

The concept of purpose has been hijacked over the years, at times being used to manipulate workers, political supporters, and others. So, Oswald had become a die-hard skeptic about 'finding your purpose'—until purpose found me. In this session, he'll share how authentic purpose emerges naturally through service to others, offering a fresh perspective for both skeptics and believers alike.

Lauren Journot, Impact Director, La Crosse Community Foundation

Lauren Journot joined the La Crosse Area Community Foundation in 2023, and with her brought over a decade of experience in nonprofit work. She started in direct service working with youth in out-of-school-time spaces and managing large teams of staff and volunteers. In 2017, Lauren began her journey in nonprofit leadership, landing her in La Crosse in 2019 as the Executive Director of YWCA La Crosse. Lauren would never refer to herself as an “expert” and enjoys that life gives us frequent opportunities to learn, grow, and do better.

She joined the foundation hoping to lean on her experiences to support and make connections with other nonprofits and charitable humans. Lauren understands the scarcity mindset that plagues nonprofits, has experienced the burnout that comes with a lack of resources and recognizes barriers to accessing funding and mutually beneficial collaboration between organizations. She works to continue expanding her understanding and nonprofit expertise to empower our local nonprofit sector to be healthy, collaborative, and impactful. She understands that charitable organizations are where big ideas, and incredible needs meet modest budgets and challenging compliance requirements.

Outside of work, Lauren enjoys spending time volunteering with and supporting her daughter’s show choir team (Go River City Revolution!), nurturing and enjoying her plants, going on local adventures with her family, and creating art of all kinds.