10/13/26: The Registration DEADLINE is on Monday, October 19th at 4pm. Register now!
MECA &
M I D W E S T E L L U C I A N C L I E N T A S S O C I A T I O N
UMBUG
U P P E R M I D W E S T B A N N E R U S E R G R O U P
Thursday and Friday | October 29-30, 2026 | Kirkwood Community College
Join us to share, collaborate, explore and plan with other higher education professionals around the use of Ellucian's software products.
MECA & UMBUG allows sponsors to network with higher education professional from across the Midwest. Be a part of a great learning experience!
S P O N S O R
A T T E N D E E
Event Registration Information
o v e r v i e w
MECA & UMBUG
2026
MECA (Midwest Ellucian Client Association) and UMBUG (Upper Midwest Banner User Group) are joining forces in 2026.
F E A T U R E D S P E A K E R S - 2026
Padmini Soni - 'Can I Trust This? A Framework for Responsible AI Decisions in Higher Education'
AI is already shaping how colleges and universities teach, advise, communicate, support students, and make decisions. The question is no longer simply whether higher education should use AI, but when it should be trusted.
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In this opening keynote, Padmini Soni introduces a practical framework for making responsible AI decisions across higher education. Using relatable scenarios from student services, advising, predictive analytics, and emerging AI agents, she explores a deceptively simple question: What are we trusting AI to do? As the stakes rise from generating information to recommending, deciding, and acting, attendees will see how the level of risk and the safeguards required change with the context.
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Attendees will leave with a practical framework to evaluate AI use cases. The session also broadens the conversation from AI adoption to AI judgment, exploring how students, faculty, and staff can learn when to trust AI, when to verify it, when to challenge it, and when a human must remain responsible.
Drew Bloom - 'The Last Skill Worth Having: An Innovation Mindset for Organizational Transformation.'
AI is impacting our organizations and our work, forcing each of us to adapt. So what skills are worth having anymore? In this session, Drew Bloom argues that our ability to communicate - to share understanding, frame problems, and deepen human connections - will be the last skill worth having in the workplace of the future.
Drew leads AI transformation across a range of industries, and he'll share the frameworks he uses with leaders and team members. This session also gives space for audience members to share challenges they're facing with AI and participate in discussion with Drew and those in attendance.
S E S S I O N S I N F O
NOTE: In 2026, MECA will continue to offer content grouped into different conference tracks, providing a broad range of learning opportunities for all areas of colleges and universities using Ellucian’s software solutions.
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CIO Forum/IT Management
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There will be 3 tracks centered on Colleague content.
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There will be 3 tracks centered on Banner content
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There will be 3 tracks centered on products and features that are the same for both Colleague and Banner
For detailed descriptions of the sessions we offered last year, take a look at our session listing.
C I O F O R U M
Join IT leaders from around the Midwest as they explore and discuss their vision for the future of their technology solutions. Attend, network and interact to get the information you need to plan your campus’ next technology innovations.
MECA 2026 Schedule
Thursday, October 29th and Friday, October 30th.
T H U R S D A Y
8:00AM
Vendor registration
through 11:00am
10:00AM
Attendee registration
through 12:00pm
12:00PM
Lunch, Welcome and Keynote
through 1:45pm
2:00PM
Conference Sessions
through 2:50pm
2:50PM
Break
through 3:30pm
3:30PM
Conference Sessions
through 5:20pm
5:20PM
Social Hour
through 7:00pm
F R I D A Y
7:00AM
Breakfast
through 8:00am
8:00AM
Conference Sessions
through 9:50am
9:50AM
Break
through 10:30am
10:30AM
Conference Sessions
through 11:20 am
11:30am
Capstone Presentation
through 12:30pm
Closing Remarks, Door Prizes and Box Lunch
12:30PM
through 1:00pm
MECA​ 2026
S P O N S O R S
A big thank you to all of our sponsors. Without their support, involvement, and enthusiasm we could not accomplish our goal of helping you connect with the other institutions, professionals, products and practices you need to lead your institutions.
V I S I O N A R Y S P O N S O R S
T R A I L B L A Z E R S P O N S O R S
C O N F E R E N C E A D V O C A T E S
MECA is the 2017 Ellucian Ellumination Community Award Winner
"Awarded to an individual who creates best practices by collaborating with peers across the higher education community to identify new solutions to common challenges." Presented to Kelley Bradder, CIO of Simpson College at eLive 2017 for reviving the Midwest regional conference (MR-DUG) as the MECA Conference.
Our
Speakers
Opening Keynote: Padmini Soni
Padmini Soni is a Senior AI Strategist, Microsoft MVP in AI, TEDx Speaker, Author, and Founder of Rezonance AI, where she helps organizations move beyond AI experimentation toward responsible, practical adoption tied to real business outcomes. With more than 25 years of experience in technology and leadership across Fortune 500 companies, she brings together business strategy, human-centered design, AI governance, and emerging technologies to help organizations navigate AI with clarity and confidence. She also serves as Chief AI Strategist at the AI Leadership Institute and as a Responsible AI mentor with ACM.org. Known for making complex AI concepts accessible and actionable, Padmini works with executives, leaders, and professionals through keynotes, workshops, executive sessions, and hands-on training. Her work helps people move from AI-curious to AI-confident while keeping responsibility, inclusion, and human impact at the center of innovation. Padmini is the co-founder of Asian Women Advancing AI, a global community dedicated to increasing the visibility, participation, and leadership of Asian women in the AI ecosystem. She is also co-author of Creating Custom GPTs with OpenAI GPT Builder, holds AWS and Google certifications, and is PMP certified and a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).
Closing Capstone: Drew Bloom
Drew Bloom is the founder of Mosaic Solutions, an AI advisory and automation consultancy based in Cedar Rapids. A former teacher with a Master's in Education, Drew brings an educator's perspective to AI transformation: change happens one person at a time, so lasting adoption depends less on top-down directives than on incentives, agency, and a clear path for people to build proficiency and access the right tools. Before founding Mosaic, Drew rose from automation specialist to Innovation Lead at Affinity Consulting Group, where he led transformation work for the firm and its clients. He now works with organizations in legal, education, and manufacturing, and volunteers with local professional groups and schools to promote practical AI use and career growth.
Location
ABOUT KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE:
Kirkwood Community College is a public, open-admissions institution in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving roughly 12,000–16,000 students across 7 counties. Established in 1966, it offers over 140 programs, including liberal arts transfers, nursing, and technical training. With a 100% acceptance rate and affordable tuition, it provides accessible career paths.
FULL ADDRESS:
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW
Cedar Rapid, IA 52404
Map to Event Site
A I R P O R T
The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) is 4 miles from The Kirkwood Center.
H O T E L s
The MECA & UMBUG onference partners with hotels from the local area to ensure a comfortable stay for all conference attendees. This year, MECA has partnered with The Hotel at Kirkwood, avid hotel, and Hampton Inn.
The Hotel at Kirkwood
Address:
7725 Kirkwood Blvd SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
319-848-8700
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CALL as ask for the MECA Rate.
Contact
Have any questions or concerns regarding the conference, vendor information/registration, or anything else?
Contact us by filling out the form to the right with your name and email, as well as a short message and we will be happy to answer any and all questions!
MECA &
