March 2020
2020 NERSC CONFERENCE UPDATE
M arch 27, 2020 - Notice to registered attendees

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we must tell you that the 22 nd Annual New England Resident Service Coordinators, Inc. Conference, originally scheduled to take place at the Omni Mount Washington Resort for May 6-8, 2020, has been cancelled and will NOT be rescheduled.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and its uncertain lifespan, we cannot in good conscience reschedule for the only date that the Omni Mount Washington Hotel would offer to us for 2020, which was June 29-July 3rd.

We have been notified by the Omni that they have cancelled all reservations in our group block and will be issuing refunds to those who have paid. As for cancelling your conference registration, we will take care of that for you. For those who have paid for the conference already, if we have processed the payment, we will reach out with a form to complete so that we can process your request. For those who have sent in payment, but that we haven’t processed yet, we will return those checks without cashing. 

As a small regional 501c3 nonprofit, NERSC has been working hard for the last 22 years to offer top quality training and educational conferences for housing professionals. We’ve kept fees to a minimum and, as a result, turned a minimal profit. Each year, we rely on the sponsorship and registration funds to continue to sustain the conference. While we have been fortunate to have a few good years and have managed to build on our savings, with the cancelled event in 2020, we will take a severe hit to the stability of NERSC. For those who may be wondering about support from business and event insurance, please know that we always carry it, but as you may be aware, COVID-19 and other communicable diseases, are not covered. We have, with a hopeful spirit, applied for a disaster relief loan in hopes of helping to keep us afloat so that we can proceed with the planning of the 2021 conference.

As training for RSCs and other housing professionals is critical to the safety, health, and well-being of residents, we will do our best to continue providing high quality professional development for you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call 508-863-0020 or email me at andrea@nerscinc.org.

Thank you for your support and be safe.

Best,
 
Andrea Dobras
Executive Director
NERSC, Inc.
NERSC BOARD OF DIRECTORS UPDATE
THANK YOU JESUS DIAZ
Attending his first NERSC Conference in 2017, Jesus Diaz, a new NERSC Board Member from RIHousing, started off like most, a shy newcomer not quite sure what to make of all the NERSC hype. However that didn't last long as he was a natural fit and quickly became a valued and loved member of the NERSC family.

Jesus served as part of the Public Relations Committee on the NERSC Board where he spent a lot of time working on developing a newcomer section that was featured every few months in our e-newsletter. Being a newcomer himself, he knew that sharing other first-time attendee's perspective and experiences of the conference would be helpful and comforting to the 100+ new attendees we see each year.

When asked what his favorite part of the 2019 NERSC Conference was, Jesus smiled and laughed about his inital reluctance to volunteer to help with scanning. However, he really wanted to help in the area that we needed the most assistance, so he accepted the role, red vest and all. It ended up being the highlight of his conference that year as he found a lot of joy helping and meeting people that he normally wouldn't have had the opportunity to interact with.

To say that we are grateful for the last two years that we had working with Jesus would be the understatement of the year. His presence brought a notable connectedness to the NERSC Board that was unmistakable. We will miss him greatly and wish him all the best as he continues his work as a Contract Administrator at RIHousing.
WELCOME KNIJIA SAILSMAN
Please join us in welcoming Knijia Sailsman to the NERSC Board of Directors!

Knijia joined RIHousing in April 2019 as the Housing Stabilization Coordinator in the Division of Leased Housing and Rental Services. Knijia focuses on preserving tenancy for RIHousing-involved tenants and cultivating relationships with new owners to expand the capacity of affordable housing. In addition, she works on obtaining grant funding to increase financial support for low-income families and individuals. Prior to joining RIHousing, Knijia spent three years as a Property Manager for an Elderly/Disabled, Section 8 community in Massachusetts.  
 
In addition to her experience in the housing field, Knijia has also worked in the human services field, assisting low-income, homeless families, individuals, and veterans and overseeing the Permanent Supportive Housing program for the southeastern region of Massachusetts for a non-profit agency. Knijia attended Suffolk University and Roxbury Community College for Business.

We are incredibly excited to welcome Knijia to NERSC and look forward to having her help guide our organization as it grows.
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR
2020 SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
MAJOR SPONSORS
SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS
VIRTUAL TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
New England Resident Service Coordinators, Inc.
PO Box 1019, Glastonbury, CT 06033
Phone - 508.863.0020 Email - info@nerscinc.org
www.nerscinc.org