* A more detailed agenda will be posted soon. Please note, some sessions may be subject to change as the schedule develops. The website will be continuously updated. Items in bold require additional registration.
Tuesday, February 24 (LEADS Workshop)
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- LEADS Fellowship Workshop - 2025-2026 + 2026-2027 Cohorts (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
Wednesday, February 25 (Pre-Conferences)
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- ADFM Board Meeting (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
- ADFM LEADS Fellowship Workshop - 2025-2026 + 2026-2027 Cohorts (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
- BRC Fellowship Meeting (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
- Administrator's Pre-Conference (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
- Leader Development Preconference(1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
- Building Research Capacity Preconference (1:00 PM - 4:30 PM)
- New Attendee Orientation (5:30 PM - 6:00 PM)
- Dine Arounds + Board Dinner (6:30 PM - )
Thursday, February 26
6:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- Wellness Session (6:00 AM - 7:00 AM)
- Topical Breakfast Tables (7:00 AM - 8:30 AM)
- Welcome, President's Speech, and Business Meeting (8:30 AM - 9:30 AM)
- Morning Sessions (9:30 AM - 11:45 AM)
- Networking Lunch & Strategic Committees Meet (11:45 AM - 1:00 PM)
- Innovation Showcase Block 1 (1:00 PM - 2:00 PM)
- Afternoon Session (2:15 PM - 4:15 PM)
- Welcome Happy Hour Reception (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
Friday, February 27
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Wellness Session (6:00 AM - 7:00 AM)
- Breakfast + State & Regional Networking Tables (7:00 AM - 8:00 AM)
- Morning Sessions (8:00 AM - 12:30 PM)
- Afternoon On Your Own (12:30 PM - )
- Celebrating the LEADS Fellowship: Fellows, Alumni, Mentors, & Supporters Reception (5:30 PM - 6:00 PM)
- Leadership & Management Dilemmas Dinner (6:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
Saturday, February 29
7:30 AM - 1:15 PM
- Breakfast + Focused Networking Tables (7:30 AM - 8:30 AM)
- Morning Sessions (8:30 AM - 10:00 AM)
- Innovation Showcase Block 2 (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM)
- Morning Sessions (11:00 AM - 12:15 PM)
- Conference Close (12:15 PM - 12:30 PM )
- 2026 Conference Planning Committee Meeting - All Welcome! (12:45 PM -1:15 PM)
Innovation Showcase
Please consider submitting a proposal on an innovation in your department/work you've done in your department, highlighting new or creative ideas that other departments can learn from and apply in their own institutions. Through the Innovations Showcase, we hope to capture and share new or creative ideas that other departments can learn from and apply in their own institutions across any of a department's mission areas or operations.
We anticipate that the Innovation Showcase sessions will take place on Thursday (2/26) or Saturday (2/28) of the conference.
Deadline to Apply: September 3, 2025
ADFM Staff will notify applicants of their application status by October 6, 2025.
To submit a proposal for an Innovation Showcase, please complete this form!
Breakfast Table Topics
The topics for these discussion tables can be specific (e.g. something you are doing in your department that you want to share), general (e.g. open discussion of a topic), or focused on networking. As a facilitator of the discussion topic, you would host two separate groups, 45 minutes allotted for each, during the breakfast hour on Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Deadline to Apply: October 28, 2025
If you are interested in hosting a Breakfast Table Discussion Topic, please complete this form!
