The Pagan Leadership Skills Conference is a collaborative effort by four Pagan Community Organizations designed to address the growing need for practical skills in the Pagan Community. Since 2004, we have been hosting an annual conference in Richmond, Virginia, providing intensive instruction on such subjects as Event Planning, Non-Profit Accounting, Publicity and Public Relations, Conflict Resolution, and Pastoral Care. We are open to all who are interested in shaping the future of the Pagan Community.

Since 2001, Pagan Community Organizations across the Mid-Atlantic have been hosting annual interfaith leadership conferences to collaborate on defining and meeting identified needs. What we learned was that there was no shortage of passionate people in the Pagan Community who are willing to do what it takes to help our community grow even farther, and that, despite what many Pagans believe, we can work together towards common goals while still respecting our various differences. We also discovered that there was a great need for the practical leadership skills involved with building and running a Pagan Community Organization.

In 2004 and 2005, four organizations-- Carolina Spirit Quest, The DC Radical Faeries, The Open Hearth Foundation, Inc, and PagaNet, Inc. come together to design and host a training conference to teach classes specifically tailored to meet the specialized needs of covens, churches, groves, circles, land sanctuaries, community centers, and social organizations. Many present and future leaders joined us for intensive, "nuts and bolts" training in the skills needed to create, maintain, and strengthen local Pagan Community Organizations.

The project was an overwhelming success. We don't really remember any decision involved in continuing-- we just didn't stop. The work involved in putting on a four-day conference is considerable, but each year we leave excited about the next. We now are planning as far as three years ahead, and rotating classes so that returning attendees always have new material to learn.

We like to think that our continued existence is proof that with the proper skills and planning, the Pagan community can accomplish amazing things. We have successfully negotiated hotel contracts because we understand event planning and legal skills. We attract new attendees each year with Publicity and Public relations. We able to budget carefully thanks to non-profit accounting. Our organizational structure is such that we are not dependent on any single individual or group for success. When PagaNet, Inc. began changing its focus, they withdrew from the planning committee, and we were able to adjust to the change without complication or drama. Our relationship with PagaNet (now Listen Media) remains strong, and they continue to sponsor the conference. Beginning with the 2007 conference, we invited SpiralGround, whose founders have been underwriters and volunteers since the beginning, to join our planning committee.