The magic of Iowa CCI is way more than the sum of its parts. There’s a spark, a fire, a certain kind of energy and joy that only happens when CCI members fill a room.
Maybe you’ve had the privilege of experiencing this for yourself.
If you haven’t – 2025 is the year to do it. Come join us July 25 & 26!
Our annual convention is the one time of year when CCIers come together from across our issue campaigns and from across the state to connect and get recharged for the work ahead.
It's our 50th, so we're going back to a two-day event! You don't need to attend both days, but we hope you do!
Friday, July 25 from 6-10pm - we'll celebrate 50 years of organizing with food, a short presentation, music, and community.
Saturday, July 26 from 9am-4pm - we'll have a powerful panel, skill-building workshops, and inspiring guest speakers to talk about our future and the work ahead.
Detailed schedule of events coming soon!
We have a lot to celebrate both in our community organizing roots and our current campaigns.
And, it feels important to come together because we're at a crossroads in our state and nationally. The CCI convention is jam-packed with inspiring speakers, workshops to build our skills, and incredible people, like you, who care about people and the planet. Join us!
KEYNOTE SPEAKER JUANITA LEWIS
We invited Juanita immediately after hearing her speak at a convening this spring. Why? "The way she talks about the long-haul power of organizing and keeping focus will have the room buzzing. It's inspiration we need right now," Katie Biechler, CCI's Political Director
Juanita has over 20 years of community and electoral organizing experience advancing social and economic justice. She got her organizing start in the Twin Cities, where she’s from.
“You'd be hard pressed to find an organizer who makes you more hopeful about the craft than Juanita.” – George Goehl, trusted CCI friend for 25+ years who interviewed Juanita: Moving people along a spectrum
- Juanita is the Executive Director, Community Voices Heard, a NY member-led direct action policy group; National Board Chair for People’s Action (our national organizing network); and has been a national trainer for VoteRunLead, a non-partisan org. that trains women to run for elected office for 16 years.
SPECIAL GUEST
MISTY REBIK
Misty is our hometown guest; she cut her teeth doing worker organizing with Iowa CCI in 2010. She’ll give us the inside scoop from D.C. and share the CCI lessons that she’s kept with her over the years.
Misty's Iowa roots are rural, small town, and working class. And her drive to make life better for working families is palpable, as is her clear-eyed approach to the work before us.
- Misty has been Chief of Staff for Senator Bernie Sanders since 2021 and held several leadership roles in his 2020 presidential campaign. Before 2019, Misty worked on state-wide political campaigns in Iowa and co-founded and directed the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa. She is on the Iowa CCI Board.
ORGANIZING IN THIS MOMENT PANEL
To help us in Honoring the Past, Organizing for a Better Future, we've lined up a stellar panel of seasoned community organizers to talk both about what organizing in this moment and what organizing for the long haul looks like.
They'll share organizing stories (my favorite!), key lessons they've learned, and remind us that Iowa and the Midwest has a deep history of people coming together, from all walks of life and political persuasions, to fight back against to corporate power - and win.
This dynamic conversation will be led by Misty Rebik, CCI board member and Bernie Sanders's Chief of Staff. Panelist include:
Maria Gonzales from Marshalltown started organizing as a CCI leader when she was a teenager! She's now an organizer with Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice.
Mike McMahon led CCI's organizing in southeast Iowa in the late 90s. Now he's organizing Wisconsin seniors to save a beloved county nursing home from corporate takeover.
Hugh Espey organized at CCI for 45 years (Exec. Director 2002-2023), including big wins for family farmers and rural communities. He now advises groups organizing for immigrants and a strong safety net.
Barb Kalbach and her neighbors stopped a mega-sow factory in 2002. A seasoned CCI leader, she knows there is real wisdom in our communities.
WORKSHOPS
The #1 complaint we hear each year: “I wish I could attend all the workshops!” Hey, that’s a good problem to have! Attendees will have the opportunity to attend two workshops. Our goal is folks walk away with a deeper understanding and some tools to organize for the people and places we love, as well as the chance to connect with other members.
Organizing 101
Community organizing: it’s a term we use all the time at CCI, and it’s the name for the way we build power for/with everyday Iowans. But what does it really mean, and how do we do it? Come to this workshop to learn what we mean by community organizing and how we can build the power we need to win things that make our lives better.
The Power of School Boards
It’s going to take a community of public school champions (us) to protect and strengthen our public schools - and that starts at the school board level. In this workshop to hear from experienced school board members, learn what they do, and why it’s important for all of us to engage with our school boards. And, you’ll learn more about how you can get involved in Public School Strong to win honest, equitable, and fully funded public education!
Organizing Through Division
Part teach-in, part skill building, this workshop will cover how the changes in churches and religion in the U.S. has shaped our political landscape, and CCI members who’ve door-knocked to stop the CO2 pipeline in their area will share how to navigate conversations with those who see the world differently to find shared values and build the power we need to win.
The Race Card - Fact or Fiction?
This interactive workshop will deepen your understanding of the role federal public policy has had, over time, in creating structural divides based on race. In small groups, participants will walk through an eye-opening racial wealth gap simulation and debrief the experience.
Friday night celebration
We’re throwing it back old-school CCI and including a Friday night gathering.
6-7pm Food, connection, interactive CCI history
7 pm Welcome and short program including heart-warming and funny reflections from former CCI youth organizer Shundrea Trotty
8-10 pm It’s a party! DJ & dancing, or space for conversation, other activities.
Key Details
Iowa CCI's 50th Anniversary Convention
July 25-26, 2025
Iowa Events Center
Des Moines, Iowa
Whether you're a longtime or new CCI member, or want to learn more about organizing, or you’re looking for light in this political moment - this event is for you!
Join us July 25-26 for a reminder of what we have done and what we can do together.
You don't need to attend both days, but we hope you do!
Early Bird registration rates - before July 4th:
*Friday only $20
*Saturday only $35
*Both days $50
Regular registration rates:
*Friday only $30
*Saturday only $45
*Both days $75
We don't want the registration fee be a reason you can't attend. Use the discount code "WeGotYou" for scholarship rates.
You don't have to be a CCI member to attend, but we hope you'll join!
We asked attendees how one word to describe the CCI convention: