Wednesday Breakout Sessions
Total Continuing Education Credits available for Tuesday: 5.0
7:45 - 9:00 AM
Concurrent Sessions
Rise & Shine Breakfast Workshop: Forces Impacting Our Success During this engaging early morning work session, professional facilitators will help participants identify and consider the current forces at play that are affecting them and their organizations. Participants will engage in both small group discussion and large group analysis activities. Krista Rowe, CTF Krista has extensive experience in facilitating, training and providing technical assistance to local, state and national non-profit, government and private sector organizations in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is known for taking great care and patience with participants when assisting organizations in establishing a baseline of understanding, developing methods for systems change and establishing practical skills for equitable practice. Krista is a graduate of Michigan State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Advocacy and Governance with a concentration in Political Science. Krista is passionate about connecting with family and friends, laughing - a lot, and Lake Michigan. Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP is the Executive Director and CEO of American Mensa, Ltd. and the Mensa Foundation. His focus is on helping leaders and associations create a strategic vision for the future and working to achieve it. Trevor has been involved in association management for over 15 years and has contributed to the profession through speaking, writing, and volunteering. He is currently the chair of the ASAE Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Chair-elect for the Texas Society of Association Executives. |
Past Chairman & CEO Breakfast Workshop: Forces Impacting our Success Roll up your sleeves and dig into this thought-provoking working breakfast! Association executives will work within small groups and the whole to identify and explore current forces at play that are affecting them and their organizations. Led by a master facilitator, this session will draw out all of the voices in the room to capture strategic insights and actionable business intelligence association leaders can apply to their work immediately. Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP Fellow Aaron is a learning and meetings strategist, certified ToP facilitator and mentor trainer, as well as an author, coach, and speaker. He designs engaging, multisensory learning experiences, resulting in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, forging of new relationships, and applied learning and perspective in the workplace. Aaron is also a serial learner and entrepreneur who is nationally recognized for his professional development and facilitation work with boards, learners, staff, and volunteers. |
9:10AM - 10:10AM
Concurrent Sessions
Drive Your Marketing Strategy Fundamentals with These Eight Insights The not-for-profit landscape is intensely crowded and competitive—making it more important than ever for not-for-profit (NFP) leaders to clarify their organization’s value proposition, market it effectively, and understand the link between value proposition design and organizational success. In its 2022 Benchmarking NFP Value Propositions Survey and Benchmarking Report, Halmyre creates a road map to help senior North American NFP leaders connect their organization’s value proposition, pricing strategies, data analysis, and audience engagement, all with an objective to spark growth and deliver value to members and other stakeholders. This session will provide attendees with key take-aways from the 2022 survey results – insights that will challenge and inspire leaders to think differently about how they are leading their organizations in an era of unprecedented change. Christine Saunders, CM The recipient of awards for integrated and interactive marketing and communications, Christine is a sought-after speaker on the emerging trends that impact real-world marketing departments. She specializes in supporting complex, regulated and knowledge-based businesses to become resilient and to grow in the short and long-term. Christine is a post-graduate of the University of Edinburgh (MSc) and the University of Glasgow (MPhil) with advanced degrees in philosophy, ethics and politics. She is a Chartered Marketer, advisor and mentor to marketing students and a teacher of advanced marketing courses. |
From Distracted to Productive: Finding Focus in a Hyper-Interrupted World E-mail. Texts. Interruptions. Phone Calls. Project Transitions. Office Clutter. Social and Other Media. Smart Phones and Apps. Even Family and Friends. These common distractions make it almost impossible to get anything done, especially for those of us now “working from home” due to the COVID outbreak. It seems like there is always SOMETHING getting in the way of what you really need to do. But with some forethought and effective strategies, as well as some discipline, it is possible to find your focus, even in a hyper-distracted world. We'll have a fun time sharing "game plan" ideas for getting and keeping your distractions under control and finding critical "focused productivity" time every day, leading to both performance but also clarity of mind and purpose. And, this program is now "audience flexed" -- the speaker will poll the audience at the start of the program to find out YOUR biggest distractions, and will customize the content accordingly. Randall Dean, MBA Randy Dean, the “E-mail Sanity Expert” ® is a professional speaker and expert on time and e-mail management, effective organization, and the related use of technology. For more than 25 years, Randy has been leading programs for major corporate, university, association, and government audiences. Obsessed with time management and personal productivity, he left a successful career as a graduate program admissions director, professional marketer and manager to become a leading speaker and trainer. The author of the Amazon bestseller, Taming the E-mail Beast, and producer and creator of several video self-study courses and popular YouTube channel, he has led programs for thousands of satisfied and inspired students, managers, and professionals on being more productive with their time and life. His highly informative and entertaining programs leave audience members with immediately usable tools, strategies, and skills on how to better manage their time, technology, and information overload following their program experience. |
Move Over Robert's Rules: Facilitation Methods for Modern Meetings Robert’s Rules of Order established a structure for association boards and committees to engage in orderly discussion while considering complex ideas. But today’s meeting environment, because of the pandemic, virtual meetings, and increasingly collaborative/distributed teams, has caused many leaders to abandon Robert’s Rules for a less formal meeting approach. But the need for sound facilitation methods that allow participants the opportunity to think, talk, and work together (whether in-person or virtually) in a safe space for all to share their unique perspectives is no less important. This session will introduce fundamental facilitation competencies, including participatory and inclusive environments, context/aims, creativity, and documentation, that can be applied to your next 1:1, staff, committee, or board meeting. Aaron Wolowiec, MSA, CAE, CMP Fellow |
Do you Have the Right People in the Right Seats? What drives and motivates people to action thus unleashing their full potential - The World of Psychometrics ![]() Scott Hays Scott Hays has a passion for people! He began his career as a high school wrestling coach, then went into retail leadership where he spent almost two decades driving performance through his people. He has always been fascinated with how to drive and motivate people while getting the best performance out of them. It wasn’t until he came across the Predictive Index that he was able to put actual science behind it. Now, he works as a certified partner of the Predictive Index, helping businesses and organizations apply PI’s assessments to hire and inspire employees and candidates (aka Talent optimization). Using the PI Behavioral Assessment allows you to hire candidates who are hardwired to be a great fit, to design teams that perform like magic, and to manage employees in a way that pushes them to perform at the top of their game. |
10:50AM - 11:50AM
Concurrent Sessions
Crashing Waves or Smooth Sailing: A Meeting Design Puzzle As meeting planners set sail hosting in-person meetings again, we have been met with a rapidly changing current of new attendee expectations, safety priorities, and increased demands by our associations. This high-energy, game-based session will challenge attendees to think critically about navigating our evolving world of meeting and event design. Explanations and solutions to problematic procedures and experiences will be provided through scenarios found at humorous fictional conferences and events. Topics covered include simple video production, health and safety procedures, mission-driven planning, and de-escalation. ![]() Amber Sheerin, CMP, DES, CTA Amber Sheerin, CMP, DES, CTA is the Program Event Director at the Michigan Library Association. Amber has experience as both a planner and supplier having previously worked as a hotel sales manager. She holds an Associate degree from Grand Rapids Community College, a Bachelor’s in business administration from Ferris State University, and a Certificate in Event and Convention Management from New York University. In addition to her CMP and DES certifications, she is certified in Virtual Event and Meeting Management. When she isn’t working, Amber enjoys theatre, practicing her photography skills, biking, kayaking, and exploring new travel destinations. |
Charting Your DEI Data Journey How do you know if your DEI strategy and initiatives are having the intended impact without data to measure your progress? Data collection through a DEI lens can be tricky to navigate. This session will aid you to understand what your organization should consider, how to begin using the data, and pitfalls to avoid. Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP |
The Joy of Hybrid: Secrets to Optimizing Hybrid Work While "hybrid" might sound like the perfect compromise between work-from-office and work-from-home models, a successful transition requires intentionality and an emphasis on equity in the work environment. Without an intentional approach to workplace transition, leaders risk instituting arbitrary reasons for either of those policies. As you start to put policies and procedures in place around your workforce model, understanding your "purpose" for gathering is more critical than alternating random days of the week. Join us as we unearth the "secrets" for strategically bringing your staff back to the office in a way that better reflects the way work actually gets done! John Clese As our Remote Workforce Strategist, John focuses specifically on helping distributed workforces remain engaged and productive. He drives our research and curriculum to help organizations transform their businesses for the future of work. A sought after speaker, he has been a remote employee in both a staff role and as a Team Leader for more than 15 years, experiencing both the joys of remote work and its challenges. |
Mastering the Art of Membership: Leveraging Proven Membership Dynamics to Improve Acquisition, Engagement and Retention Gayle C. Teskey Gayle Teskey is passionate about communities. She and her colleagues at the company she founded in 1993, Membership Corporation of America (MCA), are enthusiastic experts in the field of community engagement. MCA has refined a highly effective approach to persuading prospects to join an organization that fills a need, delivers value, and then satisfies those members so they renew. Gayle is also an irrepressible storyteller, so the session will be sprinkled with examples of how organizations have applied tactics for the benefit of members, missions, and memories. |
Project Management Tips from the Pros From initiation to implementation, effective project management involves strategic planning, strong communication, and prolific attention to detail. In this session, panelists discuss how to be more efficient in the execution phase, as well as the benefits of project management systems and the value they add. Participants will learn how to apply tactics and tools to large projects and discuss the merits of incorporating them into day-to-day tasks to optimize organization and time management. The panelists are passionate about streamlining processes across teams and organizations to more effectively drive results and accomplish goals – big or small! Taylor Dempsey |
1:20PM - 1:50PM
Express Learning
Securing Your Future by Sharing Your Story - Engaging Experience Design with Your Fundraising In Mind Often when organizations think about their annual events they focus on gala themes, planning checklists, and fundraising goals first. In this session, attendees will explore different types of event formats with an emphasis on fundraising across generations and demographics. They will learn about the Something Fabulous process to "probe" through their event objectives and identify key storytelling components of their mission. The session includes real-life examples as well as engagement essentials for increasing donor awareness, attracting new donors and streamlining development initiatives. Kimberly Allen |
Board Management Tools I Learned While Working with Geniuses (for real) Have you ever wondered what it might be like to have a board full of highly intelligent individuals who know they are intelligent? It may not be as different as you would imagine. In this session, I’ll share insights and tools I’ve learned working with my board at American Mensa that you can use with any board. Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP is the Executive Director and CEO of American Mensa, Ltd. and the Mensa Foundation. His focus is on helping leaders and associations create a strategic vision for the future and working to achieve it. Trevor has been involved in association management for over 15 years and has contributed to the profession through speaking, writing, and volunteering. He is currently the chair of the ASAE Diversity and Inclusion Committee and Chair-elect for the Texas Society of Association Executives. |
Debrief Anything Like a Pro Feedback, which is often used as a basis for improvement, can seem like a frightening endeavor, particularly when it happens only once a year as part of an annual performance review or arbitrarily after some, but not all programs or initiatives. But when done well, feedback could be used on an ongoing basis to make micro changes to the knowledge, confidence, and performance of both staff and volunteers. In this session, learn the four questions you need in your toolbox to not only debrief anything like a pro, but to also create an intentional and sustainable culture of feedback throughout your organization.
Aaron is a learning and meetings strategist, certified ToP facilitator and mentor trainer, as well as an author, coach, and speaker. He designs engaging, multisensory learning experiences, resulting in the acquisition of new knowledge and skills, forging of new relationships, and applied learning and perspective in the workplace. Aaron is also a serial learner and entrepreneur who is nationally recognized for his professional development and facilitation work with boards, learners, staff, and volunteers. |
Hybrid Isn’t Hard Is the thought of hosting hybrid meetings and events giving you a headache? Learn how to leverage technology to lighten that lift. Owl Labs created an incredible tool that’s cost-effective, easy to use and something to hoot about! This quick overview sheds light on the simplicity of the technology and helps you harness the power of hybrid without the headache. Includes a live demo—a great session for do-it-yourselfers! Shelley Cardenas, CMP Shelley Cardenas has been with the Michigan Townships Association for more than 20 years. She serves as Education Director and is responsible for the conceptualization, design, promotion, delivery and evaluation of the Association's educational programming. She’s a Certified Meeting Professional who earned the designation more years back then she’d like to admit. In a previous life she worked in the financial, HR and human services industries. |