With a former police chief sharing a message about “working your beat,” great training sessions and record attendance, the MOHR Summer Conference in St. Cloud was a hit.

“It exceeded my expectations,” said Conference Director Jo Bittner with Polk County DAC.  “It could not have gone better.”  Exceeding attendance projections by more than a third, the event attracted 273 participants.

Two keynote speakers engaged the crowd.  Retired Detroit Lakes Police Chief Tim Eggebraaten mixed serious issues with humor in a luncheon message about focus.  And, on the second day, keynote Eric Bergeson brought laughter and smiles to the whole group as he talked of his experience in caring for his great aunt, Olive, from age 85 to 103.

Member agencies were polled about the topics to address, and the strongest attendance came for Heidi Smith’s (Winona ORC Industries) brain injuries presentation.  

Attendees also handled a medical emergency efficiently in one breakout session, since most everyone had training in first aid and CPR.   After the ambulance left, the hotel staff reset the room and the presentation continued. 

Tuesday night’s hospitality room drew a sizable group at the indoor volleyball court, where leaders worked the crowd and welcomed all.  It was so positive, that some needed to be asked to leave when they over-stayed the court’s posted hours.

Bittner is working on dates for next year at the same locations with an event limit of 275 attendees.  Please stay tuned for the dates and plan for another valuable MOHR experience!