2026 Data Summit

July 29th & 30th, 2026

Welcome to the 2026 Data Summit, presented by the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness! Join us on July 29th and 30th (with a bonus day on July 28th!) for some action-packed sessions. The theme of this year’s summit is Destination Data: Staying Afloat & Hoisting the Sails.

The event is 100% virtual and 100% free, and will be held on the Whova platform with Zoom integration. Registration is now open!

List of Sessions

Tuesday, July 28th

Wednesday, July 29th

Thursday, July 30th

Tuesday, July 28th

Wednesday, July 29th

Thursday, July 30th

System Administrators Orientation
	Tuesday, July 28th \| 1:00 to 3:00 PM
	Presented by Gerry Leslie, Director of Data Initiatives (MCAH)
	Track: Beyond HMIS
This session will be a standard orientation for System Administrators I or Local System Administrators in their local community. It will review standard System Admin responsibilities and practices, look at the HMIS Operating Policies and Procedures, and generally help HMIS System Administrators better understand the jobs they do and the responsibilities they have. This training is targeted at both new and experienced HMIS System Administrators looking to better understand what it is that they do.

HMIS Data Visualization and Storytelling: The Pirate’s Booty of Community Engagement
	Wednesday, July 29th \| 9:30 to 10:30 AM
	Presented by Kaity Hemgesberg, Data and Systems Integration Advisor (MCAH) and Jill Shoemaker, Policy and Systems Integration Analyst (MCAH)
	Track: Beyond HMIS
A true treasure trove of information, data as a storytelling tool helps connect your audience to factual information backing up the realities of homeless experiences in your community. In this session, we’ll provide the treasure map demonstrating how HMIS data can be used locally to support community engagement and education efforts. Using the HMIS Data Warehouse and Canva, attendees will get a real-world example of how easily something like a infographic can be created and completed with local data to reach a broader audience, both in-person and via social media.

Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) Overview
	Wednesday, July 29th \| 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
	Presented by Presented by Amarri Johnson, LIGHT Board Member (Lighthouse), Olivia Ponder, LIGHT Board Member (Lighthouse), and Jessica Pappas, Consultant (Pappas Consulting Group, LLC)
	Track: Beyond HMIS
Learn how the Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) initiative is transforming regional responses to youth homelessness by a grant awarded to the Mid-and Southeast Michigan Regional Partnership. The session will highlight authentic youth leadership, cross-sector collaboration, systems mapping tools, a regional needs assessment, and effective coordinated entry improvements. Participants will gain practical insights on lessons learned and practical approaches for creating more effective youth homelessness systems across a diverse 10-county region.

Data Entry Tips and Tricks
	Wednesday, July 29th \| 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
	Presented by Lyn Raymond, HMIS Project Specialist (MCAH) and Jesse Sanderson, User Experience and Support Specialist (MCAH)
	Track: Data Entry
This session will provide basic tips and tricks to help you with accurate and quality HMIS data entry. This includes searching for client records, creating ROIs, building correct households, and creating entry/exits. The session also includes a workflow walkthrough in the training site as well as links to useful documents in the HMIS Learning Center.

Open Path Analytics 101: Building a Foundation for Community Reporting
	Wednesday, July 29th \| 1:00 to 2:00 PM
	Presented by Danielle Robadey, Partner Success Team Lead (Green River)
	Track: Reporting
Whether you are new to Open Path Analytics or looking for a refresher, this session will introduce the fundamentals of Open Path’s ad hoc reporting platform. We will walk through key concepts, common use cases, and examples of how dashboards can support community-level reporting needs. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of how to navigate Open Path Analytics and use it as a tool for exploring data, answering questions, and supporting reporting workflows.

2026 Data Summit

List of Sessions

System Administrators Orientation

HMIS Data Visualization and Storytelling: The Pirate’s Booty of Community Engagement

Youth Homelessness Systems Improvement (YHSI) Overview

Data Entry Tips and Tricks

Open Path Analytics 101: Building a Foundation for Community Reporting

Managing Data Quality

Trauma Informed Care

Open Path Analytics 201: Applied Techniques and Open Workshop

HMIS Data Warehouse Roadtrip

Learning the Ropes: Utilizing the HMIS Training Site for Effective Practice and Training

Income in HMIS: Data Entry, Correcting Errors, Improving Outcomes

Federal Reporting Overview

Beyond Staying Afloat: Building a Data Infrastructure for Action

WellSky Community Services Mobile App

Closing Remarks

Federal Reporting Overview
	Thursday, July 30th \| 1:00 to 2:00 PM
	Presented by Elizabeth Shiverski, Regulatory Reporting and Systems Analyst (MCAH)
	Track: Reporting
Federal Reporting season is often a daunting, time-consuming, and sometimes intimidating responsibility for many System Administrators. This session will be an overview of the Federal Reporting process from start to finish. Topics covered cover how to prepare for federal reports, a general reporting timeline, an overview of each federal report, the submission process, basic troubleshooting, data quality topics, and tips and tricks. Questions will be taken throughout the session to enhance an interactive environment.

Beyond Staying Afloat: Building a Data Infrastructure for Action
	Thursday, July 30th \| 2:30 to 3:30 PM
	Presented by Rhiannon McGarry, Data Lead (Detroit Veteran Community) and Shanna Cherubini, Consultant & Lead Strategist (MTAN Solutions & HAND)
	Track: Reporting
While integrated HMIS tools, such as canned reports and BusinessObjects, provide essential reporting capabilities, our community found that these tools alone were not enough to support evolving operational needs. As efforts expanded, challenges emerged around integrating multiple data sources, maintaining accurate by-name lists, identifying data quality issues, and producing timely, actionable insights. This session presents a case study of how Python was used to address these challenges by connecting disparate systems, automating quality checks, and transforming data into dashboards, by-name lists, and key performance metrics. Participants will learn how this solution was developed, the lessons learned along the way, and the impact it has had on data quality, reporting efficiency, and decision-making. The session will explore practical, scalable strategies that communities can adapt to reduce reporting burden, move beyond reactive reporting, and build data infrastructure that supports stronger homelessness response efforts.

Closing Remarks
	Thursday, July 30th \| 3:45 to 4:00 PM
	Presented by Lauren Wilder-Romans, Trainings and Communications Coordinator (MCAH) and Jesse Sanderson, User Experience & Support Specialist (MCAH)
Join us for a quick 15-minute wrap-up of the 2026 Data Summit. Come together, share any thoughts and feedback, and get early access to the survey link to share feedback afterwards. Plus, find out the answer to the big Mystery Destination!