In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Andrea Wood, President and CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP). Andrea discusses:

• How ACCP serves professionals responsible for corporate social responsibility (CSR), social impact (CSI), and ESG efforts, acting as liaisons between businesses and communities.
• The critical importance of making the business case, linking CSR to employee recruitment, retention, morale, reputation, and financial performance.
• How younger workforce expectations are accelerating demand for meaningful corporate community engagement.
• Why the most effective CSR strategies embrace a shared value approach, simultaneously benefiting the business and the community.
• How ACCP supports members with practical, ready-to-use toolkits and resources so small teams don’t have to “start from scratch.”
• ACCP’s evolving engagement strategy: virtual summits, sold-out in-person conferences, regional meetups, and targeted programming for career stages.
• How ACCP is helping members navigate political and economic scrutiny by doubling down on data, research, and clear communication of impact.
• The role of associations as extensions of staff for under-resourced members who need insights, benchmarking, and peer support.
• Andrea’s leadership approach: listening deeply, staying informed on external trends, and rapidly adapting programming to meet the moment.

References:

• ACCP Website
• Making The Case

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Eric Ellman, President of the National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA). Eric discusses:

• How NCRA represents mortgage reporting companies and tenant screening companies that provide regulated data to mortgage lenders, landlords, and property managers.
• How NCRA members act as the “go-betweens” of the industry, combining data from credit bureaus and public records to help mortgage lenders and landlords assess risk in housing.
• Why the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is the governing touchstone of the industry and how it functions as a foundational privacy law.
• How trust sits at the center of the consumer reporting ecosystem, from consumers, to data furnishers, to reporting agencies, to end users.
• Why Eric says he is having more fun in this role than at any other point in his career, thanks to culture, trust, and the ability to make a meaningful impact quickly.
• How he inherited an association in significant financial trouble and immediately focused on stabilizing finances, improving communications, revamping branding, and strengthening public policy work.
• How NCRA reimagined its annual conference by rebranding it as Elevate, upgrading the content, creating stronger sponsor value, and building energy around the event experience.
• How Eric personally led sponsor conversations, helped generate record-breaking sponsorship support, and brought in nine new sponsors in roughly 14 months.
• How NCRA asked members for a special assessment, explained the financial situation transparently, and earned overwhelming member support through a compelling vision for the future.
• What’s ahead for NCRA in 2026, including continued growth, stronger advocacy, and Elevate 2026 in New Orleans.

References:

• NCRA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Gwyn Donohue, CAE, Executive Director of the American Subcontractors Association Metro Washington (ASAMW). Gwyn discusses:

• How ASAMW represents subcontractors, suppliers, and service providers across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, serving as the “moving parts” behind commercial construction projects.
• How Gwyn came into her first chief staff executive role in July 2025 and quickly found herself running the organization with almost no transition playbook when a longtime staff member left just five weeks into her job.
• How ASAMW relied on highly engaged members and committee chairs to preserve institutional knowledge and keep major programs moving.
• How Gwyn and the team pulled off the organization’s marquee event, the Subby Awards Gala, a 450-person event with a complex awards program and voting process
• How Gwyn modernized ASAMW’s tech operations.
• How ASAMW is growing membership by leaning into LinkedIn, increasing visibility, promoting sponsor recognition, and meeting the construction community where it already is online.
• Why Gwyn made governance a priority.
• What 2026 looks like for ASAMW.

References:

• ASAMW Website
• 62nd Annual Subby Awards Gala

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Johnnie White, CEO of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE). Johnnie discusses:

1. How AACE’s membership is ~6,000 worldwide, with predominantly physicians and a growing “endocrine care team” that includes NPs, PAs, pharmacists, and primary care clinicians.
2. The sobering workforce math: “there’s not enough endocrinologists” for the volume of diabetes (and other endocrine disorders), and why AACE prioritizes educating the broader care team.
3. How members get access to endocrine-specific education, guidelines, publications, and networking with field experts.
4. The strategic shift from “endocrinologists” to “endocrinology” and how a bigger tent supports care delivery while keeping endocrinologists as the clinical leaders who develop guidelines.
5. AACE’s patient-first digital strategy: landing visitors on the patient portal first, then routing clinicians to the healthcare/member portal.
6. How AACE built “patient journeys” (diabetes, thyroid, obesity, and more) to counter misinformation and provide understandable, trustworthy guidance for patients and caregivers.
7. Why AACE’s patient content is heavily used not only by patients but also by clinicians who refer patients to it for education and reinforcement.
8. The organization’s non-traditional education mix, including podcasts as an accessible channel for timely topics, and microlearning with short modules, tracked for continuing education credit.
9. Johnnie’s leadership philosophy, “Mamba Mentality,” is a continuous quest to improve, seek feedback, and empower experts on the team.

References:

1. AACE Website

And in an era of time poverty, information overload, and eroding trust, how can associations help young leaders not only serve—but truly thrive?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bob London, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director of Alpha Phi Omega (APO). Bob discusses:

1. How APO develops leadership skills through service on nearly 300 campuses, measuring long-term success by how alumni improve their communities after graduation.
2. Why APO focuses exclusively on leadership, fellowship, and service, and how its partnership model with universities differentiates it from other campus organizations.
3. How APO has endured for 100 years by attracting students who are committed to improving their communities, regardless of political or cultural turbulence.
4. The bold decision to remove “campus-based” from APO’s vision statement, and what that means for the future of the organization.
5. Why time is APO’s biggest barrier to membership, and how the organization helps students manage “time poverty.”
6. How Bob fosters a culture of calendar control and focused work within his staff, encouraging everyone yo protect their “golden hours.”
7. APO’s successful $6.5 million capital campaign, combining cash and planned giving to secure the next 100 years while keeping student membership costs to just $85 for a lifetime.
8. Why foresight thinking is now embedded in APO’s board culture, and how scenario exercises and agenda restructuring have shifted the board’s focus toward long-term plausible futures.
9. The signals Bob is watching closely: disruption in higher education and the explosion of information overload.

References:

1. APO Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Sherry Budziak, Founder and CEO, and Kevin Ordonez, President and Managing Director of OrgSource. Sherry and Kevin discuss:

1. Why they wrote their new book, RUG: How to Move What You’re Tripping Over and Lead with Heart, and how the real-life story of a literal rug in a boardroom inspired it.
2. The H.E.A.R.T. Framework: Humanize, Empower, Ascend, Reimagine, and Transform.
3. How the book offers a practical toolkit with discussion questions and “micro-moves” to help teams identify and address cultural and operational obstacles.
4. Why the rug metaphor is so powerful, creating safe, non-threatening language to name problems.
5. How using “the rug” as a metaphor has allowed teams to have more honest conversations and make real progress.
6. Examples of typical “rugs” in associations: over-reliance on outdated processes, fear of making decisions, board bottlenecks, and member experiences designed for internal convenience.
7. How leaders often misattribute cultural or operational issues to technology alone.
8. The need for associations to reframe how they see AI not just as a tech initiative but as a strategic shift in how work gets done.
9. Why leadership involvement is key to moving the “AI rug” and reimagining what’s possible.
10. OrgSource’s new Mastermind and AI Accelerator groups that help leaders and teams take action on these ideas.

References:

1. .orgSource Website
2. Get the book: Rug: How to Move What You're Tripping Over and Lead with H.E.A.R.T.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda sat down with four Association Community Group leaders:

1. Rebecca Achurch, Chair of Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)
2. Kelli Baxter, Vice President of Black Association Executives (BAE)
3. Carlos Cardenas, President of Association Latinos
4. Diana Lee Tucker, Chair of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Association Community

They discuss:

1. How each of their organizations was formed out of a need for community and visibility.
2. The power of representation and why identity-specific mentoring matters.
3. Why cultural proximity helps build confidence and unlock leadership potential.
4. Their commitment to allyship and how they've collaborated across groups.
5. The importance of welcoming allies into their communities to foster inclusion.
6. Innovative programs, like peer mentoring and CAE funding, that uplift emerging leaders.
7. Challenges around growth and sustaining energy as founders transition out of leadership.
8. The importance of financial sustainability and succession planning for long-term impact.
9. Their hopes to inspire association CEOs to create similar communities within their industries.
10. Why now is not the time to back away from DEI-focused spaces, despite current headwinds.

References:

1. AWTC Website
2. BAE Website
3. Association Latinos Website
4. AANHPI Association Community Page

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Leakhena Swett, President of the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA). Leakhena discusses:

1. What liquid terminals are and how critical they are to the global supply chain, from fuels and chemicals to molasses and palm oil.
2. The diverse membership of ILTA, including 70 terminal members and 300+ supplier members providing everything from drone tech to cleaning services.
3. The constant M&A activity in the industry, and how ILTA mitigates the risk by staying in communication with members and focusing on value.
4. How Leakhena’s background in technology and systems thinking has shaped her strategic approach to leading ILTA.
5. A flexible strategic plan that allows ILTA to pivot quickly, given how fast the industry and regulatory environment are changing.
6. How ILTA is responding to increased demand for in-person engagement by taking committee meetings to member locations.
7. The big changes coming to ILTA’s 2026 annual conference, including CEU accreditation and shorter, more dynamic sessions with organic networking.
8. An intentional move away from rigid session tracks to more inclusive, cross-functional learning.
9. The expansion of roundtable discussions at the conference, supported by a mobile app for gamification and post-event engagement.
10. Why ILTA relocated its HQ from Arlington, VA to downtown DC to better serve its advocacy mission and engage directly with federal agencies.

References:

1. ILTA Website

1. How AI dominated 2025, with associations investing heavily in staff training, internal policies, and custom GPTs to boost content production and streamline workflows.
2. The AI tools that helped Matrix Group clients modernize outdated content by converting PDFs to HTML, summarizing large documents, and creating metadata and schema for better discoverability.
3. Why associations wrestled with how much previously gated content to expose for AI indexing, balancing member-only value with public visibility and relevance in AI search results.
4. “About the Industry” storytelling sections of a website becoming a trend, with associations crafting narratives to spotlight the importance of their fields not just to members, but to the public and policymakers.
5. How clients faced tighter budgets in 2025, making incremental updates and data-driven decisions more important than ever.
6. The notable rise of multimedia content, with podcasts and audio read-alouds replacing and supplementing long-form text to meet member preferences and improve accessibility.
7. How personalization is becoming easier with AI and how associations can now deliver customized recommendations for members, modeled after platforms like Netflix or Duolingo.
8. How AI is revolutionizing design and development, with tools that boost creativity, accelerate prototyping, and reduce tedious manual work.
9. How mobile-first and voice-enabled experiences are expected to surge, especially as younger members rely more on phones and smart speakers for web interaction.

References:

1. Matrix Group Website
2. See how TFI tells the story of the industry.
3. We made a few tweaks to the ALDA website in advance of a larger redesign in the future.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Hank Dearden, Executive Director of ForestPlanet. Hank discusses:

1. How ForestPlanet plants high volumes of trees at very low cost through partnerships with local NGOs.
2. Why ForestPlanet emphasizes community-led initiatives, vetting, and supporting tree-planting organizations in developing countries.
3. How planting trees revitalizes soil, retains water, and improves food and income security.
4. The role of agroforestry and permaculture in transforming degraded land into sustainable ecosystems.
5. Why tree planting is “the catalyst” in a larger chain of environmental and economic benefits.
6. The critical relationship between upstream tree planting and downstream mangrove restoration and fish population health.
7. How ForestPlanet works with corporate partners to plant trees for every product sold. These partnerships benefit ForestPlanet, local communities AND the corporations.

References:

1. ForestPlanet Website
2. Support ForestPlanet
3. The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/zoo/clarity

License code: RQWZMZXYSBVT16ZW

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Richard Roberson, President and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA). Richard discusses:

• MHA’s nearly 100-year history of serving a diverse mix of public, private, religious, and rural hospitals across Mississippi.
• How MHA helps connect members to collaborate on shared challenges.
• MHA’s powerful advocacy work at the state and federal levels to support hospitals and ensure they are heard by legislators and agency leaders.
• The launch and impact of IntelliTrue, a health information exchange platform that improves care coordination, reduces readmissions, and helps avoid unnecessary healthcare costs.
• How IntelliTrue connects hospitals, physicians, FQHCs, insurers, and mental health centers, providing clinical data that enables better patient care.
• The innovation behind TrueCare, a provider-owned Medicaid health plan formed by MHA members to improve care and reduce friction between hospitals and payers.
• How TrueCare is governed by a consortium of large and small hospitals and currently serves 100,000 Medicaid recipients.
• The power of storytelling and how MHA collects stories through affinity groups, hospital visits, and direct community engagement to humanize healthcare policy.
• Mississippi’s distinction of having the lowest hospital costs in the country: a positive for patients but a challenge for hospital sustainability.
• Richard’s vision for the next five years: improved patient outcomes through reduced ER visits and better coordination between providers, supported by a stable policy and payment environment.

References:

• MHA Website
• IntelliTrue
• TrueCare Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Alissa McKinney, Executive Director of Above + Beyond Cancer. Alissa discusses:

• Iowa’s alarming cancer statistics and the environmental and behavioral factors contributing to the state’s high rates.
• How the medical community defines a survivor as anyone from the moment of diagnosis, not just those in remission.
• How Above + Beyond Cancer delivers mind-body-spirit programs for cancer survivors and caregivers, all free of charge.
• Above + Beyond Cancer’s 12-week evidence-based program with pre- and post-assessments to track participants’ strength and health improvements.
• Above + Beyond’s weekly offerings, like hiking, yoga, aquatics, and pole walking, specifically designed with input from healthcare professionals.
• Their rural outreach effort, a pilot program to expand cancer survivorship services into rural Iowa, in partnership with local cancer centers and YMCAs.
• The Transformational Journey program, including physically demanding treks in Patagonia and the Himalayas for survivors and caregivers.
• How one participant went from being unable to walk a mile to completing a 58-mile hike in Patagonia, rediscovering her strength and confidence.
• The Celebrate! gala, Above + Beyond Cancer’s signature event that honors organizations and individuals who uplift the cancer community.
• The upcoming 15th anniversary of Above + Beyond Cancer, including the launch of Iowa’s first-ever survivorship conference in June 2026.

References:

• Above + Beyond Cancer Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda sat down with three Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC) leaders:

• Rebecca Achurch, CEO of Achurch Consulting and Secretary-Treasurer, Founder and Incoming Chair of AWTC
• Gretchen Steenstra, Director of Client Strategy at DelCor Technology Solutions and Past Chair and Founder of AWTC
• Jill Treby, Director of Membership at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and Chair of AWTC

They discuss:

• The founding and 5-year growth of AWTC as a community for women passionate about technology and leadership in associations.
• Why “champions” is a verb in AWTC’s name and what it means to be one.
• The evolution of AWTC’s signature event, Advance, and how it blends networking, learning, and personal development.
• How the Situation Room format during Advance fosters fast, impactful problem-solving through diverse perspectives.
• AWTC’s unique, inclusive membership model: free to join, with optional donations, and no barriers to entry.
• A growing recognition and awards program that celebrates women doing excellent work at all levels, not just lifetime achievers.
• AWTC’s commitment to access and belonging, including scholarship rates and no-cost virtual programs.
• The critical role of male allies and volunteers in supporting AWTC’s mission.
• How local groups (like in Chicago and Denver) are forming organically, expanding AWTC’s reach.
• Their excitement for 2026: expanded programming, deeper engagement, and a sustainable model that empowers volunteers to lead.

References:

• AWTC Website
• AWTC on LinkedIn
• AWTC Advance 2025

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Addy Kujawa, CEO of the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). Addy discusses:

• How AAOE supports orthopedic and musculoskeletal practice executives, primarily C-suite leaders focused on the business side of practices.
• The organization’s evolution from being managed by AAOS to becoming fully independent, and thereby saving costs, increasing agility, and creating a tight-knit, high-performing staff team.
• The challenges and logistics of relocating the association from Illinois to Indiana, hiring new staff, and setting up operations from scratch.
• Why independence was the right decision: complete control, direct board governance, nimbleness, and a culture of ownership.
• How Addy introduced EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to improve accountability, strategic focus, and communication. They began with a 90-day pilot that transformed into a permanent operating model.
• The success of EOS in fostering innovation, sunsetting underperforming programs, and promoting team-wide accountability and ownership..
• A young professionals council that created a resource guide for new orthopedic execs, and a revamped webinar program that grew from 15 to 50 annual events.

References:

• AAOE Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Eric Rossen, Executive Director of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Eric discusses:

• How NASP represents over 24,000 school psychologists across the U.S., many of whom serve multiple schools due to a national shortage.
• The difference between school psychologists and school counselors, and why having both creates “force multipliers” for student success.
• NASP’s advocacy work around federal funding, including the fight to restore grant money that was being used to address workforce shortages.
• How NASP is addressing the mental health of its members, who often work in isolated environments, under high stress.
• Eric’s leadership journey from school psychologist to association executive, and how earning his CAE signaled a full embrace of his role as an association professional.
• His leadership style shift, from “doing” to empowering, and how he intentionally built trust when stepping into the Executive Director role.
• Why National School Psychology Week is more than recognition of school psychologists: it’s a tool for public awareness and appreciation of a critical profession.
• NASP’s upcoming 2026 convention in Chicago, expected to be its largest ever, with Dr. Miguel Cardona as the keynote speaker.
• How NASP is making its convention more expansive and impactful by welcoming affiliated organizations to host events under its umbrella, creating a “bigger tent” for school psychology.

References:

• NASP Website
• NASP Annual Convention

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Nathan Victoria, Executive Director of the Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) and Vice President at NextGen Association Management. Nathan discusses:

• Why “personality assessment” doesn’t mean pop personality tests like Myers-Briggs or StrengthsFinder, but instead refers to integrated and multi-method clinical assessments used by psychologists.
• The clinical and legal applications of personality assessment, including for law enforcement, immigration, air traffic controllers, and reality TV casting.
• SPA’s historical roots as the Rorschach Institute, Inc., and how it’s evolving to reclaim and redefine personality assessment.
• The effort to define personality assessment within the organization and clarify its public perception.
• SPA’s reinvestment in infrastructure: website, branding, database, and strategic plan.
• The organization’s shift to AMC management through NextGen, and the benefits of a more efficient staffing model.
• How SPA supports international engagement with its first-ever conference outside the U.S., despite visa and travel challenges.
• SPA’s unique conference partnerships with smaller psychology organizations to share resources and cross-pollinate ideas.
• Nathan’s broader role in managing multiple associations simultaneously through NextGen and how technology and transparency enable success.

References:

• SPA Website
• NextGen AMC Website
• 2025 Expert Insights on Personality Assessment Virtual Conference
• 2026 SPA Convention

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews David Murillo, CEO of Compass Management Solutions and Executive Director of the Western Carwash Association (WCA). David discusses:

• How Compass Management Solutions serves nearly a dozen associations with full-scale and à la carte management services.
• The diversity of the car wash industry, which mom-and-pop operations, full service car washes, express models, and self-serve stations.
• How the Western Carwash Association (WCA) represents 900–1,000 car wash locations across 12 Western states.
• Why members join WCA today, especially for advocacy in highly regulated states like California and Arizona.
• The decision to integrate WCA’s once-thriving trade show into The Car Wash Show and how they planned for the post-trade show future.
• How WCA doubled down on regional advocacy and launched targeted education for underserved segments like self-serve and in-bay automatic operators.
• WCA’s recent rebrand to “Wash, Connect, Achieve” to reflect a more national and values-driven identity.
• Compass Management’s internal framework of “Superior Experience Engineering,” which emphasizes empathy and intentionality in everything from board meetings to signage at events.
• David’s approach to cultivating association talent, including hiring for leadership traits and supporting professional development and volunteer engagement.
• His experience as a DELP scholar and the profound impact it’s had on his leadership journey and network.

References:

• Compass Management Solutions Website
• WCA Website
• The Car Wash Show

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bart Watson, President and CEO of the Brewers Association. Bart discusses:

• How the Brewers Association represents over 5,000 small and independent craft brewers across the U.S.
• The evolving landscape of the craft beer industry as it enters a mature, stable phase
• The impact of competing beverage innovations like hard seltzers, canned cocktails, and THC beverages on market share and consumer attention.
• The recent spin-off of the American Homebrewers Association and how both organizations benefit from their independence.
• The importance of renewed consumer education to engage new generations and promote local craft breweries.
• Why the Brewers Association continues to invest in consumer-facing platforms like CraftBeer.com and large-scale events like the Great American Beer Festival.
• How the association is rethinking its convention (Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®) to focus more on business acumen, total beverage strategies, and meaningful networking.
• The significant challenges small brewers face with supply chain inflation, especially with aluminum and barley, and the association’s advocacy work on tariffs.
• Why gathering and analyzing data is a key member benefit, and how it helps level the playing field for smaller breweries.
• The role of local breweries in community life, especially during events like Oktoberfest, and how fresh hop beers are a seasonal must-try.

References:

• Brewers Association Website
• Great American Beer Festival
• CraftBeer.com
• Episode 131 with Julia Herz

• Dave Coriale, President of Delcor Technology Solutions and host of Reboot IT
• KiKi L’Italien, Founder of Amplified Growth and former host of Association Chat
• Ben Muscolino, CEO of Breezio and AMS Geek and host of The Association Podcast
• Dave Will, CEO of PropFuel and host of Association Strong

They discuss:

• Their first concerts and how music shaped their identities.
• The books and podcasts that recently inspired them and sparked deep reflection.
• How they stay fresh and energized in an industry where many burn out.
• Personal stories of reinvention, introspection, and professional purpose.
• How slowing down, exercising, or leaning into purpose keeps them going.
• What they're working on now — from AI projects to book writing to redefining legacies.
• What they’re proud of in their association work.
• How connecting with others can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the work.
• Their love for the association community and the power of genuine conversations.

References:

• Change Your Story, Change Your Life
• The Annotated Alice by Lewis Carroll
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
• The Telepathy Tapes podcast

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Sharon Eubank, Executive Director of Humanitarian Services of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sharon discusses:

• How the Church’s humanitarian mission is an outward expression of faith, guided by the principle of loving all people regardless of geography, faith, or politics.
• The global priority of supporting children under five, including maternal health, vaccinations, nutrition, clean water, and early development.
• How public health leadership from women in the 1800s shaped their modern initiatives.
• Why development efforts must be locally led and how assumptions from outside can lead to ineffective or even harmful aid.
• The impact of intensifying global disasters and responding to seven “100-year” disasters in just one year.
• The scale of their work: over 3,800 projects, $1.45 billion spent, and 6.6 million volunteer hours across 192 countries.
• Her new book, Doing Small Things with Great Love, and the key principle that “money is only half the answer.”
• Her leadership principle: “My solution to your problem will always be wrong. The answer is inside you.”
• How anyone can start helping by simply visiting their local school or city council and asking, “What do you need?”

References:

• LDS Humanitarian Services Website
• Get Sharon’s brand new book!

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with returning guest Josie Hernandez, Executive Director of Casting Society (CSA) and President of Association Latinos. Josie discusses:

• How Casting Society represents global casting professionals working in film, TV, theater, reality, commercials, and new media.
• The Society’s advocacy that led to a new Academy Award category for casting, debuting at the 2026 Oscars, a monumental achievement for the profession.
• How Josie led CSA’s transition from a volunteer-run structure to professional management through her firm, Bostrom.
• The business processes, governance practices, and SOPs that helped Casting Society grow revenue, membership, and influence.
• How CSA supports its diverse membership through its Training and Education Program , delivered by Casting Society Cares, which helps casting assistants advance their careers.
• The unique Artios Awards, held simultaneously in three cities, Los Angeles, New York, and London, to honor excellence in casting across media.
• Association Latinos’ signature event, Conexiones, a one-day summit designed around cultural leadership and lived experience, taking place October 10 in Chicago.
• How Association Latinos has grown organically, yet intentionally, with a volunteer base that now helps lead programming and strategy.

References:

• CSA Website
• Artios Awards Events
• Association Latinos Website
• Conexiones Event
• Josie Hernandez on episode 59 of Associations Thrive about Association Latinos
• Josie Hernandez on episode 109 of Associations Thrive on the Workforce Trends Survey

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Larry Paska, Executive Director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages or ACTFL. Larry discusses:

• ACTFL as the “original social network” for world language educators.
• A field-wide focus on quality and proficiency: standards, teacher-prep guidance (via accreditation partnerships), and research that maps what languages are taught and where.
• Language proficiency assessments developed by ACTFL and administered via an exclusive licensee that drives important revenue for the association. 
• The Language Connects Foundation’s scholarships for teachers and students, micro-grants for research, and initiatives that raise the profile of language learning.
• How AI in language learning isn’t a replacement for teachers, but a tool to support personalization and deepen learning.
• Dual-language immersion as a compelling model because it builds true proficiency and deepens cultural understanding.
• How ACTFL has maintained DEI as a strategic pillar because you can’t have multilingual and multicultural without DEI.
• How employers need staff who can communicate across languages.

References:

• ACTFL website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Howie Berman, Executive Director of the National PTA. Howie discusses:

• The mission and reach of the National PTA as the oldest child advocacy organization in the U.S.
• Why membership is open to all—not just parents—and the importance of shared community responsibility.
• The unique challenges of leading a professional association whose members are not tied by a single profession.
• How National PTA is professionalizing volunteerism by offering structured training and envisioning certification tracks.
• Howie’s first 90 days as Executive Director, which included a “listen and learn” tour across state PTAs, and conversations with past presidents and partners.
• The importance of amplifying student voices, reimagining events, and removing barriers to leadership in traditional organizational structures.
• Challenges in federated membership structures and how National PTA is working to improve visibility and communication.
• National PTA’s commitment to equity, including multilingual resources and engagement of families in Title I districts.

References:

• National PTA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Steve Pacheco, President and CEO of the American Advertising Federation (AAF). Steve discusses:

• The four pillars of AAF’s mission: education and lifelong learning, events and recognition, advocacy and government affairs, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• The Mosaic Center and its 30-year commitment to DEI in the advertising space.
• The strength of AAF’s multilevel membership: students, professionals, and corporate members like Google, Meta, and TikTok.
• AAF’s student engagement efforts, including the National Student Advertising Competition (NSAC) and the Most Promising Multicultural Students program.
• How AAF pivoted during the pandemic, replacing 33% of live event-driven revenue with virtual programs and strengthening club communications.
• AAF’s strong focus on workforce development and real-world student education to address industry recruitment gaps.
• The AAF's leadership in government affairs, including opposition to ad taxes and engagement with lawmakers on AI, privacy, data usage, and advertising to children.
• AAF’s advocacy in a fragmented policy environment—federal, state, and international—where lawmakers often lack understanding of the advertising ecosystem.
• Why Steve believes the advertising industry is undergoing the most dynamic transformation in 50 years, and how AAF is helping members adapt and thrive.

References:

• AAF Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Pete Sepp, President of the National Taxpayers Union (NTU). Pete discusses:

• How NTU, founded in 1969, is a nonpartisan organization focused on simpler, fairer, lower taxes, less wasteful spending, and taxpayer rights.
• NTU’s mission to fill gaps in the tax policy advocacy space, working on issues that other organizations ignore or overlook.
• Why NTU identified IRS reform as a key issue — and how they view it as a human rights concern, not just a policy issue.
• How NTU built a diverse coalition — including organizations like the ACLU and La Raza — to push for taxpayer rights reforms.
• NTU’s creation of the Taxpayer Defense Center to pursue public interest litigation in precedent-setting tax cases.
• How the NTU Foundation’s “Tax Basics” provides factual, accessible answers to common taxpayer questions.
• The internal practices that earned NTU a spot on Washingtonian’s “Best Places to Work” list, including entrepreneurship and low internal politics.
• Pete’s philosophy that association CEOs must focus on the “Four M’s” — Money, Money, Money, and Money — to lead effectively.
• His success in working across ideological lines by reading opposing viewpoints, reaching out, and finding common ground.

References:

• NTU Website
• Which States are Best for Remote Workers? 2025 Remote Obligations and Mobility (ROAM) Index - Foundation - National Taxpayers Union
• NTU’s Taxpayer Defense Center
• Inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Major Tax Provisions and Their Impact - Foundation - National Taxpayers Union
• NTU’s Taxpayers for IRS Transformation
• 18 Great Places to Work in the DC Area

In this special episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda is joined by colleagues from Matrix Group International, Inc.: Dave Hoernig, Vice President of Software Engineering, Jessica Parsley, Director of Project Management, and Tanya Kennedy Luminati, MatrixMaxx Product Manager. They look back on the trends they’re seeing in the association space. They discuss:

• How the mood among associations is cautious and uncertain, with many waiting to see how year-end dues renewals, product sales, and event registrations pan out.
• Budget planning for 2026 is underway, and how most organizations are projecting lean years, but many remain hopeful and continue planning.
• How associations are prioritizing technology integrations to connect their AMS, LMS, CRM, community platforms, and advocacy tools.
• How careful planning, frequent communication, and realistic budgeting lead to successful integration projects.
• How associations want their websites to tell the story of their industry or profession to the public, policymakers, and potential members.
• The importance of storytelling in recent website redesigns, including The Fertilizer Institute’s “Why Fertilizer” section and the American Counseling Association’s “Learn About Counseling” navigation item.
• Associations are cautiously implementing AI tools, such as read-aloud functionality, chatbots, and AI-powered search, while being mindful of privacy and costs.
• How preparing content for AI answer engines similar to SEO, but with key differences. Associations must focus on having indexable content, page summaries, and FAQs that answer commonly asked questions.
• How many associations are experiencing CEO transitions.

References:

• Matrix Group Website
• TFI’s Why Fertilizer
• ACA’s What is Counseling?
• An example of read aloud functionality using AI

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Lindsay Currie, Executive Officer of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Lindsay discusses:

• CUR's mission to expand access to undergraduate research and its proven long-term impact on student success, graduation rates, and civic engagement.
• The current challenges facing CUR members, including political and funding pressures on research and higher education.
• The organization's new strategic plan, CUR 2030, which features three major goals and includes cross-cutting themes: broadening participation, organizational sustainability, and communication.
• The decision to shift from “DEI” language to “broadening participation” to maximize inclusivity and participation, while still preserving the core values.
• CUR’s investment in a board coach to help shift from a “doing board” to a “strategic board” culture, and how that coach continues to foster executive and board collaboration.
• A rigorous and confidential nominations process that improves the quality and alignment of board candidates, avoiding the pitfalls of popularity contests.
• A layered onboarding process for new Board members, including coaching, board retreats, and annual reorientation to ensure all board members are aligned and equipped to lead strategically.
• CUR's emphasis on data, standards, and recognition to position itself as a leader in undergraduate research across higher education institutions.
• A comprehensive rollout strategy for the new plan, starting with CUR's 300 elected volunteers and culminating in a Fall 2025 campaign for the broader membership.

References:

• CUR Website
• Lindsay Currie’s Previous Episode on Associations Thrive from October 2022
• ASAE’s ForesightWorks Framework

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Kyung Yoon, President and CEO of the Korean American Community Foundation (KACF). Kyung discusses:

• How KACF was born out of a dinner conversation among Korean American professionals who wanted to give back to their community.
• The impact of the “model minority” myth on Korean and Asian American communities, and how it can obscure real needs.
• How KACF started with a grassroots “Dollar a Day” campaign to fund grants to Korean American nonprofits.
• Why KACF chose to become a community foundation and what that means for how they raise and distribute funds.
• How KACF has distributed over $17 million in grants since its founding in 2002, including over $3 million last year alone.
• The broad range of issues KACF funds to build economic security, from food insecurity to housing, health, and domestic violence.
• KACF’s commitment to systemic change, not just direct service, funding advocacy, and policy change efforts.
• How the Giving Summit engages the Korean American community in thoughtful, intentional philanthropy.
• How receiving a grant from MacKenzie Scott validated KACF’s work and expanded its impact.
• Kyung’s vision for a future where Korean Americans see themselves as funders and philanthropists with the power to uplift their own communities.

References:

• KACF Website

• Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
• https://uppbeat.io/t/zoo/clarity
• License code: RQWZMZXYSBVT16ZW

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Rob Wenger, CEO of Higher Logic. Rob discusses:

• Why people are prioritizing human connections over content at conferences, and how associations can support meaningful, year-round engagement.
• How Higher Logic’s Thrive platform integrates community, mentoring, volunteering, and marketing in a single ecosystem.
• Why virtual connections can be just as valuable as in-person ones, and how community platforms can reach younger and mid-career members who often don’t attend in person events.
• Why it’s a myth that trade associations can’t do online community due to competition, and what the data really shows.
• The existential threat to associations that delayed AI adoption creates, and why the window to act is closing fast.
• How Higher Logic is using AI and big data to automate over 200 types of marketing campaigns that associations often don’t have the resources to do.
• Why associations must become "the second answer engine" for their members when AI tools fall short.
• The role of associations in generating expert, original content that will feed and sustain AI innovation in the future.
• Rob’s journey from CTO to CEO, how he intentionally developed leadership traits over 20 years, and why he came out of retirement to lead Higher Logic again.

References:

• Higher Logic Website
• Higher Logic’s Thrive product
• Higher Logic’s 2024 Association Member Experience Report
• Higher Logic’s 2024 Association Email Benchmark Report

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Alan DeYoung, Executive Director and CEO of the Wisconsin EMS Association (WEMSA). Alan discusses:

• The persistent challenge that EMS in Wisconsin is not legally mandated, leading to gaps in emergency care access across the state.
• A new state reimbursement program that will make EMS education free for Wisconsinites, removing financial barriers for individuals and employers alike.
• How WEMSA advocates for EMS through legislative efforts, including Alan becoming a registered lobbyist to deepen his influence and connections.
• The role of community-led initiatives, such as HOAs training members as first responders in rural areas.
• Why Alan believes being an outsider to the EMS profession strengthens his unbiased leadership and operational support role.
• How WEMSA uses tech stack reviews and system automation to maximize the impact of their small team.
• The importance of in-person member visits for member engagement, advocacy, member retention, and program development.
• A creative, non-dues revenue initiative to help EMS departments cover more of their costs by recovering patient insurance information that is often not collected in the rush of an EMS call.
• Why associations that implement education or industry-specific programs are more likely to thrive long-term.

References:

• WEMSA Website
• 2022 Associations Thrive interview with Alan DeYoung

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Dr. Celia Zamora, Executive Director of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT). Celia discusses:

• How ACAPT is a trade association representing over 270 graduate-level physical therapy programs across the U.S.
• How physical therapy as a profession continues to grow due to factors like an aging population and new trends like "pickleball injuries." 
• Celia’s nontraditional path to becoming an association CEO, including her PhD in Applied Linguistics.
• The impact of ASAE’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) on her career trajectory.
• How she navigated the transition as ACAPT's second-ever Executive Director, honoring the founding leader’s legacy while introducing structure, processes, and accessibility.
• The listening tour she embarked on with members, including conversations with those who did not renew membership, to improve transparency and communication.
• ACAPT’s upcoming Education Leadership Conference, which marks the beginning of the next decade for the organization under new leadership.
• Plans to expand ACAPT’s global presence and foster international partnerships in physical therapy education.

References:

• ACAPT Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Mike Moss, President of the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP). Mike discusses:

• SCUP’s mission as a professional society focused on integrated planning in higher education.
• The difference between strategic planning and integrated planning—ensuring plans are continuously executed, aligned, and adjusted across departments.
• Why SCUP’s members are often responsible for planning, even when it’s not in their job titles.
• SCUP’s new strategic plan that emphasizes becoming a peer-led community of practice rather than an expert-driven organization.
• Major structural changes to governance, including a new set of flexible bylaws and reimagined committees to better support member collaboration.
• The transition of SCUP staff—via retirement and new hires—to reflect the new direction, along with upskilling existing staff.
• Enhancements to their annual conference to foster group-based learning and peer-driven sessions.
• The SCUP Exchange, a digital collaboration platform that empowers members to connect and lead discussions without top-down oversight.
• A new, simplified, and more affordable membership model designed to increase access and participation across campuses.

References:

• SCUP Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Alfonzo Alexander, President and CEO of The PhD Project. Alfonzo discusses:

• How The PhD Project recruits business professionals from diverse backgrounds to pursue PhDs and become business school faculty.
• The organization’s impact in increasing the number of underrepresented faculty from just 250 in 1994 to 1,600 today.
• Why the organization is still vital, as faculty of color make up less than 4% of all business school professors.
• The “mentor effect,” wherein representation among faculty encourages underrepresented students to pursue academic and business careers.
• The shift in application policies to remove demographic requirements in response to investigations under the Trump administration.
• The organization’s efforts to support members through mentorship, community-building, and guidance—not financial aid.
• Continued strength in the PhD pipeline and a highly attended 2025 conference, even amidst institutional pressures.
• New revenue diversification efforts, including partnerships, masterclasses, and showcasing thought leaders from within the PhD Project community.

References:

• The PhD Project Website
• Associations Thrive episode 69 with Blane Ruschak, former President of The PhD Project

In this special episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda reconnects with fellow podcasters Dave Coriale and KiKi L’Italien. Dave and Kiki discuss:

• KiKi's Academy of Leaders Award from ASAE and how this award means so much to her.
• How DelCor is navigating the loss of co-founder Loretta DeLuca while staying grounded in its mission and values.
• The dual experience of grieving and moving forward, and how organizations can honor both emotions.
• The need for intentional leadership during times of transition and challenge.
• Joanna’s upcoming book about associations’ unsung contributions during the pandemic, featuring 25 chapters of inspiring stories.
• Their respective podcast themes: leadership, trust, technology, and relationships.
• The increasing pressure on associations to be safe, trusted places for differing viewpoints.
• How association IT leaders must evolve from order takers to strategic partners.
• The role of trust in the AI era and how associations must double down on protecting member data and trust.
• Personal stories of finding joy amidst challenges, from KiKi’s time with her daughter to Dave’s “walk and talk” calls and Joanna’s “no zero days” mantra in 2025.

References:

• Dave Coriale, DelCor Technology Solutions and host of Reboot IT
• KiKi L’Italien, Association Chat and host of Association Chat

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda welcomes back Tori Miller-Liu, President and CEO of the Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM). Tori discusses:

• How AIIM supports practitioners managing unstructured and semi-structured data like emails, contracts, and social posts, particularly in highly regulated industries.
• How AI has long been used in the industry, but the rise of generative AI has accelerated innovation and transformed data processing, governance, and compliance.
• The evolving roles within the profession, and how many AIIM members are now part of AI project teams and responsible for ensuring data accuracy and ethical implementation.
• Why it’s so important to have someone on any AI project team who is responsible for ensuring that data is accurate and data is safeguarded. 
• AIIM’s unique hybrid identity as both a professional society and a trade association, representing both practitioners and vendors.
• How AIIM is addressing changes in content discovery, since traditional search is increasingly being replaced by AI assistants, prompting new strategies for publishing and content visibility.
• The launch of AIIM’s own AI search assistant, named Aiden, and the implications for member experience and marketing.
• How Tori led AIIM through some challenging times by first stabilizing the association, rebuilding community, and making tough financial decisions.
• The association’s recent wins: a successful annual conference, the launch of an AI certificate, growing membership, and new educational offerings like regional events and book clubs.
• How leaders today must adapt to the hybrid world, the AI landscape, and the transformation of association activities, from conferences to certification.

References:

• AIIM Website
• February 2023 Associations Thrive Interview with Tori Miller Liu

 In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Edgar Palacios, Founder and CEO of the Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC). Edgar discusses:

• The founding vision of LEC: to dramatically increase Latino educator representation to better serve Latino students in Kansas City and beyond.
• How Edgar was inspired to start LEC after visiting a school that had 99.9% Latino students and zero educators of color.
• Why representation matters: students experience stronger identity, engagement, and academic performance when they see themselves in their educators.
• The challenges Latino educators face as often the sole representative of their community in a school, taking on unofficial roles like translator, cultural broker, and emotional support provider.
• The alarming gap between student and educator demographics: 25% of K-12 students are Latino, yet only about 2% of teachers are Latino nationally (and closer to 1% in Kansas City).
• LEC’s Expresión program, which helps Latino educators build identity-based storytelling skills to empower themselves and inspire their students.
• LEC’s Futuros initiative, aimed at bringing 50 new Latino educators to Kansas City by 2027 — a significant boost from the current ~300 educators.
• How LEC provides community and mental health affirmation for isolated educators who may be questioning whether they belong in the profession.
• The importance of collecting both quantitative data and qualitative stories to document impact and secure funding.
• Edgar’s strong belief in leaning into joy, identity, and authenticity even amid a challenging political climate.

References:

• LEC Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Linda Akutagawa, President and CEO of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP). Linda discusses:

• How LEAP was founded over 40 years ago to grow and develop leadership among the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities.
• The classic origin story: leaders sitting around a kitchen table, wondering why the same people kept showing up in leadership roles.
• How LEAP’s signature workshop, Understanding and Leading from Your Cultural Values, helps participants recognize how culture shapes leadership styles.
• How Linda’s own journey with LEAP began as a volunteer, and how she intentionally pursued her CEO appointment by insisting on a formal, competitive search.
• The tension in Linda’s leadership style between the value of harmony and the need to engage in difficult conversations.
• LEAP’s cross-sector programs for students, early career professionals, mid-career leaders, and executives in corporate, nonprofit, and higher education sectors.
• The national (and growing international) reach of LEAP’s leadership programs.
• LEAP’s one-on-one executive coaching model and its impressive roster of Asian American certified coaches.
• LEAP’s annual fundraiser, the Leadership Experience and Celebration, which includes new learning and caucusing opportunities.
• LEAP’s vision to expand globally, bringing its cultural leadership model to diasporas in Australia, Europe, and beyond.

References:

• LEAP Website
• Leadership Experience and Celebration

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Preet Bassi, CEO of the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). Preet discusses:

• The reasons fire departments pursue accreditation: to showcase excellence, correct operational failures, or continuously improve.
• Why CPSE’s model works best for medium to large fire departments — big enough to implement a structured management model but small enough to pivot strategically.
• The challenges faced by rural volunteer fire departments, including lack of resources, equity of service, and training gaps amid increasing environmental and societal threats.
• The growing importance of fire departments defining and meeting "standards of cover" — performance metrics for different emergency scenarios.
• CPSE’s internal commitment to strategic planning: transitioning from a “fix it” plan to their current “grow it” plan, with a people-first focus.
• How CPSE manages and celebrates its volunteers, and contractors, whose contributions amount to 28.5 full-time equivalents annually.
• The launch of the CPSE Center for Innovation, a new subsidiary to support evidence-based decision-making and broaden CPSE’s impact in the field.
• Creation of the CPSE Community Experience to keep departments and credentialed individuals engaged between accreditation cycles.
• The shift in public safety from public administration to public policy — requiring departments to address homelessness, addiction, mental health, and affordable housing.
• Preet’s Sikh heritage and how the value of seva (selfless service) influences both her career and personal life.

References:

• CPSE Website
• What is Seva?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Chris Mohr, President of the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA). Chris discusses:

• How SIIA represents 360 companies, including major players like Google, Meta, Amazon, and Thomson Reuters, all involved in data and information services.
• How SIIA is organized into verticals (market data, B2B media, and policy) to focus advocacy and engagement around shared interests.
• How information has shifted from being sold “by the copy” to being sold as a service, necessitating new regulations and best practices.
• The advocacy work SIIA undertakes to ensure the protection of the First Amendment, protects the dissemination of lawfully procured data, even as global privacy laws tighten.
• SIIA’s work in creating best practices for “alt data”—non-public data used in trading, including web scraping and sentiment analysis.
• The importance of one-on-one conversations with members to understand sensitive policy positions and emerging issues.
• SIIA’s role in guiding members through today’s rapidly changing policy landscapes, including artificial intelligence and federal procurement thresholds.
• How SIIA’s Market Insights initiative gathers industry data to deliver valuable research requested directly by members.

References:

• SIIA Website

In this special episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda sat down with Lindsay Currie, Adam Levy, and Tara Puckey, the association leaders behind the Sustaining Mental and Physical Health as a Chief Staff Exec survey. They discuss:

• Why they created a mental and physical health survey for association chief staff executives (CSEs).
• The stark gap between private conversations about leadership struggles and the public “everything is fine” narrative that chief staff execs face every day.
• How 85% of surveyed executives reported negative impacts on their health from their role, 60% reported sleep struggles, and nearly 25% reported depression.
• Why boards need to care about their chief executive's health and how organizations should recognize CSEs as critical investments.
• The importance of building a trusted CEO peer network early in a leadership journey.
• Ways to transform association culture to better support the mental health and physical wellbeing of leaders and staff.
• How leadership vulnerability and destigmatizing mental health conversations can actually  strengthen an organization’s culture.
• Practical ideas for safeguarding CEO wellness, from better vacation policies to board coaching and sabbatical programs

References:

• Lindsay Currie, Executive Officer of The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)
• CUR Website
• Adam Levy, Executive Director of The American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA)
• ACPA Website
• Tara Puckey, Executive Director of The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA)
• RTDNA Website
• Silvia Quevedo, Executive Director of Lamaze International
• Lamaze Website
• Sustaining Mental and Physical Health as a Chief Staff Exec survey
• Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
• License code: M2POPMBVFCE0RIPZ

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Drew Holmgreen, President and CEO of Promotional Products Association International (PPAI). Drew discusses:

• The vast promotional products industry ecosystem—from manufacturers to decorators.
• PPAI’s global membership of over 15,000 corporate members, reaching into the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, and beyond.
• Why branded merch is unique in its ability to create an active relationship with consumers.
• PPAI’s work on a new economic impact study, to quantify the industry's reach and influence.
• The importance of advocacy at both the federal policy level and in educating the public and brands about the promotional products industry.
• PPAI’s massive Expo, attracting 16,000+ attendees annually in Las Vegas, featuring a tradeshow, education, and a Shark Tank-style innovation showcase.
• Innovations in the industry, including digital-embedded merch and sustainability-forward products that can be recycled.
• PPAI's end-user advocacy campaign to elevate the perception of promotional products and underscore their emotional impact.
• The Promotional Products Education Foundation (PPEF), which has awarded over $4 million in scholarships to industry members and their families.
• Creating a culture of joy at the office—through space redesign, fun events, and leading with positivity.

References:

• PPAI Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Debra Wilson, President of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). Debra discusses:

• The diverse landscape of independent schools, from rural to urban, large to small, and secular to religious, all grounded in a student-centered mission.
• What makes a school “independent,” including governance by a board and financial independence, even among faith-affiliated schools.
• How NAIS fosters unity across its diverse membership through shared values and a deep commitment to students’ developmental needs.
• NAIS’s transformation of its annual conference into “Thrive,” a reimagined, branded experience focused on creativity, learning, and community.
• Turning the traditional exhibit hall into “The Quad,” a vibrant, interactive space with coaching, activities, student performances, and more.
• Shaking up the keynote speaker model with non-traditional presenters like a spoken word poet and a school leader who broke a board on stage!
• Moving into a new, flexible, and welcoming office space that doubles as an event venue, complete with student art, rooftop access, and flexible gathering rooms.
• Their recent rebrand, which didn’t just update NAIS’ colors and logo, but realigned the association’s goals to better reflect what members need now.
• Plans for a strategic planning process informed by member voices.
• NAIS’s commitment to hosting more members in their space, and their strategy of gathering and community-building.

References:

• NAIS Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jena Stack, Executive Director of the Society of Interventional Oncology (SIO). Jena discusses:

• How interventional oncology is emerging as the fourth pillar of cancer care, alongside surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.
• How interventional oncologists use minimally invasive, image-guided techniques to target cancer with fewer side effects and faster recovery.
• How SIO has tripled in membership since 2020, growing from a small niche society to nearly 1,500 members globally.
• SIO's impressive governance model, which prioritizes relationship-building and alignment between the board and staff.
• How SIO is leading its own multi-million dollar clinical trials to address gaps in evidence and influence standards of care. Typically, this role has been reserved for pharma companies or academic institutions.
• The creation of the Clinical Trial Collaborative (CTC), a new research community and certificate program that trains and connects principal investigators.
• SIO’s long-term vision to empower more physicians to lead studies and expand access to minimally invasive cancer treatments.
• The importance of "pausing to retreat" during growth, and how SIO balances ambition with sustainability.

References:

• SIO Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Trevor Mitchell, President and CEO of the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM). Trevor discusses:

• How IAVM represents over 8,000 professionals worldwide who manage venues such as arenas, stadiums, performing arts centers, convention centers, amphitheaters, and fairgrounds.
• The definition of a live event and how IAVM is expanding its definition to include new types of venues, such as megachurches and multi-use entertainment complexes.
• The shift in IAVM’s membership structure from individual to group membership, enabling more professionals across different levels of an organization to join IAVM at a lower cost.
• How IAVM is working to create engagement metrics beyond transactional data, focusing on meaningful participation and professional growth.
• The importance of continuous learning and how Trevor immersed himself in the industry by attending IAVM’s Venue Management School before officially starting as CEO.
• The ongoing success of IAVM’s virtual Town Halls, which started during the pandemic and continue to be a valuable forum for member-led discussions on safety, security, and guest experiences.
• IAVM’s research initiatives, including economic impact studies and benchmarking reports, to help venues understand their market position and improve operations.
• The role of advocacy in the venue management industry, such as working with policymakers on ticketing transparency and sustainability regulations.
• The excitement surrounding IAVM’s 100th Annual Conference and how the organization is using this milestone to rethink its events and offerings.
• Trevor’s vision for the future of IAVM, including a focus on strategic growth, data-driven decision-making, and deeper engagement with industry stakeholders.

References:

• IAVM Website
• Trevor Mitchell's Associations Thrive episode from May 2023 when he was Executive Director of American Mensa

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Amy Lestition Burke, CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Amy discusses:

• SWANA’s mission to advance from waste management to resource management and how the organization represents municipalities, private haulers, engineers, and industry professionals across North America, the Caribbean, and Guam.
• The complex logistics of waste and recycling management, including collection, sorting, composting, anaerobic digestion, and waste-to-energy solutions.
• Her transition to the CEO role as the first woman and first leader not from the waste industry, and how she immersed herself in the field through 30+ site visits and chapter meetings.
• How SWANA updated its strategic goals to prioritize safety, improve industry-wide collaboration, and position itself as a leader in resource management.
• The critical role SWANA plays in educating the public and government officials on hazardous waste, lithium-ion battery disposal, and the impact of improperly discarded materials.
• SWANA’s membership growth and efforts to better support and engage its 47 chapters.
• How Amy and her team have worked to rebuild trust with members, sponsors, and exhibitors through active listening, consistent communication, and results-driven changes.
• The decision to sunset SWANA’s existing conferences, SOAR and WasteCon, and replace them with a brand-new, rebranded event: RCon.
• The process of renaming and redesigning RCon, including crowdsourcing the name and focusing on an experience-driven event model that reflects SWANA’s mission.
• How she is helping staff, leadership, and members embrace change and view it as an opportunity for growth and innovation.

References:

• SWANA Website
• RCon™ 2025 

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Julia Herz, Executive Director of the American Homebrewers Association (AHA). Julia discusses:

• How the American Homebrewers Association has been representing homebrewers since 1978 and played a crucial role in birthing the craft beer movement.
• The association’s membership base, which consists mostly of individual hobbyist brewers but also includes supplier partners.
• The accessibility of homebrewing: if you can make soup or bake bread, you can brew beer!
• The AHA’s transition to becoming an independent organization in 2025, incorporating in Colorado and working towards 501(c)(3) status.
• The strategic reasons for independence, including the need for dedicated staff and resources focused solely on homebrewing interests.
• The worldwide reach of homebrewing and how AHA supports homebrewers globally.
• The factors behind the large number of craft breweries in states like California, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.
• The importance of storytelling for the craft of homebrewing and how the AHA plays a vital role in promoting the hobby.
• AHA’s resources, including a database of over 1,400 homebrew recipes and the publication Zymergy Magazine.
• The association’s event strategy, including National Homebrew Day, Learn to Homebrew Day, and plans to bring back an in-person annual conference in 2026.

References:

• AHA website
• AHA’s Sense of Beer Style Podcast

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jennifer Briggs, EVP & CEO, of the Texas Society of Architects (TxA). Jennifer discusses:

• How TxA represents 8,000 architects across Texas, making it the third-largest component of the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
• The three-tiered membership structure of AIA, which requires architects to be members at the local, state, and national levels.
• The importance of advocacy in protecting the licensing process and ensuring TxA is involved in key projects affecting public health, safety, and welfare.
• How TxA revamped its leadership development and nomination process to cast a wider net and better identify future leaders.
• The redesign of Texas Architect magazine after a decade, balancing bold new design with respect for the profession’s rich traditions.
• TxA’s partnership with the TV series "America by Design", which showcases architecture projects and highlights innovative products used by architects.
• The shift in Architect Day at the Capitol, expanding the event to better prepare members for meetings with legislators and provide valuable networking opportunities.
• The misguided perception of architecture as a luxury profession, and how TxA works to change that narrative by highlighting the everyday work of architects in designing schools, workplaces, and public spaces.
• Jennifer’s passion for change management, why she embraces it, and how she has implemented it throughout her career.
• The experience of transitioning from leading an accounting association to leading an architecture association, and her advice for other executives making similar industry jumps.

References:

• TxA Website
• America ByDesign: Architecture

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Rob Abbott, CEO of ISPOR. Rob discusses:

• ISPOR’s role as the professional society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR), with a global reach spanning over 100 countries and 20,000 members.
• How ISPOR is a multi-stakeholder society that includes clinicians, researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, and investors, creating a broad and impactful membership base.
• The importance of health economics and outcomes research in informing healthcare policy and improving patient outcomes worldwide.
• ISPOR’s recent rebranding from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research to ISPOR – The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, making the organization more inclusive of healthcare professionals.
• The launch of ISPOR’s 2030 strategic plan, which features a bold vision for a world where healthcare is accessible, effective, efficient, and affordable for all.
• How ISPOR is shifting from primarily curating scientific research to actively engaging in health policy discussions and advocating for evidence-based decision-making.
• The upcoming launch of ISPOR’s Institute for Global Health in 2025, which will focus on emerging healthcare challenges and horizon scanning for high-impact policy interventions.
• How ISPOR is strengthening its global chapters and partnerships to ensure local expertise informs global policy.
• The evolution of ISPOR’s conferences, including record-breaking attendance and new events in Asia and Latin America to expand engagement in underserved regions.
• How ISPOR is working to redefine the concept of ‘value’ in healthcare, incorporating social determinants of health and a more holistic approach to decision-making.

References:

• ISPOR Website

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/quiet-flight

License code: KJRRI6GHC7WKCLDT

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Joy Banks, Executive Director of the Council of State Archivists (CoSA). Joy discusses:

• What CoSA is and how it supports state and territorial government archives across the country.
• The role of state archivists in preserving government records and ensuring public access to critical historical and legal documents.
• The types of records that state archives manage, including gubernatorial documents, legislative records, judicial rulings, birth and death certificates, and even National Guard records.
• The increasing importance of digital records, retention policies, and the challenges of electronic archiving.
• How state archives ensure government transparency, aid disaster recovery efforts, and help with legal claims.
• The relationship between state archives and the National Archives, including jurisdictional negotiations over historical records.
• CoSA’s transformation from an exclusive 56-member professional organization to a trade association representing entire state archives institutions.
• How CoSA adapted its membership model to sustain the organization’s future, ensure knowledge transfer, and engage a wider professional audience.
• The shift in how CoSA supports its members, including launching a new membership platform to facilitate professional networking and discussions.
• The reimagining of CoSA’s in-person meetings, moving from co-located events to independent, immersive conferences that foster deeper engagement among members.

References:

• CoSA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Eloisa Perard, President and CEO of Gracelight Community Health. Eloisa discusses:

• How Gracelight is a federally qualified community health center serving over 24,000 underserved, uninsured, and low-income patients in Los Angeles.
• The role of community health centers in providing care regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.
• The devastating impact of wildfires on their community and how Gracelight responded with a fire relief fund, mobile support units, and essential supplies like food, water, and masks.
• How their mobile health program ensures access to care, even for displaced individuals.
• The importance of community partnerships with food banks, shelters, and utility assistance programs to create a safety net for patients.
• Gracelight’s comprehensive care approach, including primary care, pediatrics, dentistry, optometry, OB-GYN, and pharmacy services—all within the same facility.
• The role of care coordinators in ensuring seamless, holistic healthcare and avoiding duplicate tests or unnecessary procedures.
• The expansion of Gracelight with a new health center in East Hollywood, funded through a capital campaign.
• How they address the challenges of homelessness and substance use disorders in Los Angeles, meeting people where they are to provide care and resources.
• The importance of proactive community outreach, including education campaigns, food demonstrations, and working with school officials to promote preventive care.

References:

• Gracelight Community Health Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Debbie Witchey, CEO of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness (ABHW). Debbie discusses:

• How ABHW represents health plans that provide behavioral health and substance use disorder benefits to over 200 million Americans.
• The disparities in behavioral health coverage across different health plans and why some plans choose not to offer these benefits.
• The need for better data and outcomes measurement in behavioral health programs to ensure effectiveness.
• The challenges in data sharing and interoperability, particularly due to the exclusion of behavioral health providers from federal electronic health record initiatives.
• The importance of the Mental Health Parity law and why implementation has been challenging over multiple administrations.
• The role of primary care physicians in behavioral health, as most patients first seek mental health treatment through their primary care doctors.
• ABHW’s advocacy efforts, including priorities like telehealth flexibility, workforce expansion, and improving access to coordinated care.
• The Behavioral Health 101 initiative to educate policymakers and ensure informed decision-making in Congress.
• Debbie’s top goals for 2025, including advancing coordinated care, advocating for value-based behavioral healthcare, and ensuring ABHW remains a thought leader in the field.

References:

• ABHW Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Larry Graham, former president of the National Confectioners Association (NCA). Larry discusses:

• How NCA represents about 500 candy companies, as well as brokers, machinery companies, and ingredient suppliers.
• The association’s history, dating back to 1884, and its move to Washington, DC, during the 1960s to better advocate for industry interests.
• The growth of NCA’s tradeshow, from a modest beginning to becoming a major industry event now known as the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
• How NCA’s tradeshow helped shape the U.S. candy market and attract international exhibitors.
• How "candy" is defined in the industry as chocolate, gum, and mints.
• NCA’s advocacy efforts, including challenges around sugar and health, child labor in cocoa farming in Africa, and food labeling regulations.
• How candy remains a recession-resistant industry due to its affordability and association with celebrations and indulgences.
• NCA’s role in promoting candy as an occasional treat and combating negative perceptions around sugar.
• Larry’s pride in fostering a strong team and mentoring future association executives, with several former staff members now leading major trade organizations.
• The creation of NCA’s in-office candy store, which delighted visitors and served as a fun and effective promotional tool.

Resources:

• NCA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Sven Bossu, CEO, of the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC). Sven discusses:

• How AIPC represents 200 convention centers across 60 countries.
• AIPC’s membership growth in Africa, India, and Southeast Asia, which is driven by economic expansion and changing market dynamics.
• Sven’s journey to becoming CEO of AIPC in May of 2020 during the pandemic, when 95% of members were shut down.
• How during the pandemic, convention centers pivoted to support communities as hospitals, testing centers, vaccination hubs, and even creative spaces like drive-in cinemas.
• AIPC’s “Future Shapers” leadership program, focused on cultivating top talent through leadership training, mentorship, and real-world challenges. Participants present innovative solutions at the annual conference.
• AIPC’s “Regional Academies,” which are globally accessible, five-day boot camps for middle management, emphasizing practical skills like crisis management and conflict resolution.
• AIPC’s “Quality standards” certification program, which helps convention centers in developing regions overcome perceptions of being “inferior” markets.
• AIPC’s upcoming annual conference in Shenzhen, China will highlight cutting-edge technology and ambitious practices in the convention space. The conference will be held in the world’s largest conference center, covering 400,000 square meters, and with two separate subway stations underneath.
• How events are shifting from traditional formats to unique, immersive experiences with flexible layouts, natural light, and a focus on sustainability.

References:

• AIPC Website
• Future Shapers
• Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/zoo/clarity

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Catherine De Orio, Executive Director of the Foundation for Culinary Arts (F4CA). Catherine discusses:

• Her journey, transitioning from an attorney to a TV personality, and now an Executive Director.
• F4CA’s mission to support underserved communities in Chicago by providing educational opportunities in the culinary arts.
• The importance of vocational training and hands-on learning in many fields, including culinary careers.
• Even if students do not pursue culinary careers, they gain valuable life skills by learning how to cook for themselves and their families.
• F4CA’s YES Chef! Culinary Camp teaches students the fundamentals of culinary arts, cultural history of food, and practical skills.
• 75% of YES Chef! Culinary Camp campers go on to culinary school or careers in the field.
• F4CA programs are free for students, fully funded through donations and sponsorships.
• F4CA’s impact on the community, and the ripple effect of F4CA programs

References:

• F4CA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Silvia Quevedo, Executive Director of Lamaze International. Silvia discusses: 

• That Lamaze is so much more than a breathing technique. Lamaze is a philosophy, education, advocacy, and practices that foster healthy labor, delivery and early parenting.
• The maternal health crisis in the US, especially among women of color and women in rural communities.
• The six healthy birth practices that are supported by the World Health Organization.
• How being an association executive is Silvia’s second career, and how being an executive director for the first time is like drinking from a fire hose.
• Her biggest piece of advice to other association CEOs: listen more and listen to what’s being said and NOT said.
• How Lamaze expanded membership categories so that anyone working with pregnancy and birthing can join.
• How Lamaze is a brand and the organization licenses its name to products, including clothing and toys. The processing for vetting licensees is very thorough.
• Lamaze’s advocacy work includes supporting the Medicaid expansion in states, and support for workforce development programs.
• The member toolkits and resources Lamaze has developed, enabling members to better communicate the organization's mission and services.

References:

• Lamaze International website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda checks back in with Leah Monica, Director of Marketing, and Ray Stankiewicz, Director of Client Solutions at Matrix Group International. They look back on another year of Associations Thrive podcast episodes. They discuss:

• Storytelling for the Industry, and how associations feel a responsibility to tell the story of their members and industries.
• How associations are leveraging multi-month programs that combine education, community building, and mentorship.
• How leaders are adapting to remote and hybrid models in a post-pandemic, hybrid and AI-driven world.
• The looming membership cliff and how many associations face significant member retirements within the next 5-10 years.
• Their favorite tips and insights from a year of Associations Thrive episodes.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Ulric Shannon, ED of the Surge Institute. Ulric discusses:

• How the Surge Institute was created to elevate leaders of color and create transformative change in the K-12 schools in Chicago Public Schools.
• The Surge Fellowship Program, a 12-month program targeting education and youth-serving professionals. 
• How Surge Fellowship participants learn through courses on negotiation, communication, project management, and leadership, while engaging with historical and cultural studies (e.g., readings from Martin Luther King Jr.).
• The Power Surge Program, a shorter version of the regular Fellowship Program; Power Surge is designed for leadership roles like superintendents and chief equity officers.
• The Black Principals Network, a program that supports Black principals across the country through free virtual programs and the Leadership Collaborative fellowship.
• How the Surge Institute's events are both celebratory and strategic, fostering alumni engagement and collective learning.

References:

• The Surge Institute Website
• The Surge Institute’s Progams
• Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
• https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus
• License code: M2POPMBVFCE0RIPZ

• Dave Coriale, Delcor Technology Solutions and host of Reboot IT
• Kiki L’Italien, Association Chat and host of Association Chat
• Ben Muscolino, Breezio and AMSGeek and host of The Association Podcast
• Dave Will, PropFuel and host of Association Strong

After checking in about what’s been happening in their lives, these five podcasters, who call themselves DC’s Podcast Angels, discuss:

• What’s got them worked up and it’s a big and important list that includes: AMS implementation going way over budget, return to office, time poverty, project timelines, missing seeing our teams, and cell phone addiction.
• How to create connections and culture over Zoom.
• Efficiency vs effectiveness.
• Carving out time to focus on our businesses.
• Being there for the people we care about.
• Incremental change that will help us be better versions of ourselves.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Blanca Campos, CEO of the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association (CBHA). Blanca discusses:

• How CBHA represents community-based mental health and substance use support providers, primarily working with Medicaid-eligible clients of all ages.
• How member agencies are nonprofits contracting with the state of Illinois.
• How the COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased the demand for behavioral health 
• The historical underfunding of behavioral health systems.
• How agencies face challenges in competitive funding and staffing due to inadequate reimbursement rates.
• The importance of maintaining strong partnerships with the government and stakeholders.
• CBHA’s efforts to address the need for competitive salaries and supporting providers to strengthen the behavioral healthcare workforce.
• How Blanca’s mentor, Marvin Lindsey, exposed her to all facets of CBHA’s operations, including political dynamics, stakeholder relationships, and administrative responsibilities.
• How CBHA’s annual conference is growing alongside the association.
• How CBHA is tackling mental health and substance use stigma and creating a dialogue around them.
• CBHA’s advocacy for mental health parity: viewing mental health as equally important as physical health.
• The importance of leading by example in supporting staff’s mental health by encouraging vacations and mental health breaks, and creating a safe space for employees to express needs without fear of judgment.

References:

• CBHA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Tip Tucker Kendall, Executive Director of the National Grants Management Association (NGMA). Tip discusses:

• How NGMA membership has tripled over the past few years to almost 6,000 members!
• How NGMA supports grant managers in navigating post-award compliance, ensuring proper spending of federal grants.
• How the profession often lacks a clear entry pathway, leading new professionals to rely on associations like NGMA for training and support.
• Her leadership journey, transitioning from roles in the travel industry to association management. She became the ED after serving as the Director of Operations and Interim ED.
• Her advice for first-time CEOs, highlighting the importance of risk management, policy development, and fostering trust.
• How CEOs must ensure the board feels empowered to lead and be involved in critical decisions, while trusting the staff to manage daily operations.
• How moving from a “hands-on” operational board to a strategic oversight board requires difficult conversations and trust-building.
• The importance of recognizing when staff is overwhelmed, reassessing priorities, and ensuring projects are managed by those with the passion and capacity to lead.
• The trend of exhaustion among small staff CEOs, and the intense demands of multitasking and limited resource delegation.
• How she maintains energy through a healthy work-life balance. This self-care leads to better work and a better state of mind.

References:

• NGMA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Laurie Kulikosky, CEO of Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD). Laurie discusses:

• How CHADD is the largest U.S. organization for ADHD support, with a mission to empower individuals with ADHD by providing evidence-based resources and advocating for inclusivity and rights.
• How CHADD's resources support millions of Americans with ADHD, including individuals, families, healthcare professionals, and educators.
• How CHADD stands out by focusing on scientifically validated ADHD information. Unlike many online resources, CHADD provides credible, medically reviewed resources, partly funded by a CDC grant.
• How she went from working with an SAT tutoring company to taking roles at the Consumer Technology Association and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons before becoming CHADD’s CEO.
• How her executive coaching helped clarify her career path to CEO and how not everyone needs to aspire to be a CEO, and the importance of other roles in associations.
• How CHADD’s membership spans both the general public and professionals. It functions partly as a nonprofit providing resources on ADHD to people who may not be formal members.
• The impact of her predecessor, a professional interim CEO, who helped stabilize CHADD and set up a foundational roadmap for her role.
• How the current leadership at CHADD has focused on identifying and implementing strategies for growth, especially following the rapid changes brought by the pandemic.
• CHADD’s new program that offers training and resources for companies interested in supporting neurodivergent employees.
• The International Conference on ADHD that CHADD is co-hosting, which brings together professionals, healthcare providers, individuals with ADHD, and their supporters.
• How during ADHD Awareness Month, Chad collaborates with other organizations to amplify ADHD awareness and provide up-to-date resources.
• How CHADD is working with a coalition to create the first adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment guidelines in the U.S.
• How CHADD is preparing for another significant year of growth, aiming to expand support to more adults and offer continuous resources and advocacy.

References:

• ADHD Awareness Month, October 2024
• International Conference on ADHD, In-person November 14-16, 2024 in Anaheim, CA, Virtual March 7-8, 2025
• Free Resources and Support through CHADD’s National Resource Center on ADHD 
• Become a member of CHADD
• Donate to support CHADD’s work

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Alison Heron, CEO of the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) and the Child Life Certification Commission (CLCC). Alison discusses:

• How child life specialists provide emotional support for children and families in healthcare settings through play therapy and other methods.
• How families are encouraged to ask for a certified child life specialist when their child enters a healthcare setting to ensure proper emotional care.
• How she participated in the ASAE’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program, which empowered her to become a CEO and a change agent.
• The importance of having a "personal board of directors" for mentorship and support.
• How the healthcare staffing crisis has led to increased burnout and mental stress among her members.
• How ACLP’s efforts to establish clear pathways for professional growth within hospitals are important for improving compensation and benefits.
• How ACLP provides data, mentorship, toolkits, and specialized training to help members advocate for better working conditions and resources within their institutions.
• ACLP’s Emotional Safety Initiative, which aims to train non-child life specialists, such as nurses and medical assistants, to help children cope with stressful situations.
• ACLP’s goal to have child life specialists work in settings beyond hospitals, such as dental offices, schools, and family courts.

References:

• ACLP Website
• CLCC Webpage

• How his family’s struggles with asthma and severe food allergies influenced his career transition into healthcare and his eventual role at AAFA.
• How climate change has worsened allergy seasons, leading to longer and more intense pollen seasons, causing an increase in allergies and asthma cases.
• How he uses business skills developed from corporate roles at Disney and Wall Street to run a mission-driven organization.
• His Filipino heritage and the values his parents instilled in him, such as a focus on education, family, and  loyalty. 
• Why Filipino Americans should consider careers in nonprofits. The culture of giving and service in Filipino communities aligns well with the mission-driven work of nonprofits.
• How Black Americans are disproportionately affected by asthma mortality and emergency room visits. Despite advances in asthma treatments, these disparities have remained unchanged.
• How AAFA’s “Asthma Capitals” research shows that cities in the Northeast and Midwest are particularly affected by poor air quality, making asthma more prevalent.
• AAFA’s HEAL program, which involves partnering with community-based asthma programs to improve asthma outcomes.
• How AAFA advocates for federal and state-level policies, such as funding for the CDC's National Asthma Control Program, and legislation to improve asthma and allergy care in schools and communities.
• AAFA’s role in getting sesame recognized as a major allergen in the U.S.
• AAFA’s free online community, which offers support, medical advice, and access to a network of individuals managing asthma and allergies.

References:

• AAFA Website
• Get Support
• Asthma Capitals

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Kate Fryer, CEO of the Endocrine Society. Kate discusses:

• How Kate discovered the association world after working as a copy editor for scientific journals, later pursuing a long-term association career.
• The importance of intentional decision making, and how inattention and inactivity can force you to make the wrong decision, taking choice out of your hands.
• Her experience starting as a CEO during the pandemic, and the effort she made to establish connections with staff and member leaders virtually.
• How Kate knew she was ready for a CEO role after realizing she could anticipate and critically evaluate the decisions of her mentor.
• How the Endocrine Society honestly evaluates their own strengths and weaknesses. Kate says that associations often have a "rose-colored glasses" view of their programs, which leads to some programs having a longer life than really needed..
• How the Endocrine Society is driving non-dues revenue by leveraging its large reserves to fund an innovation fund that invests in for profit ventures in the association and nonprofit space.
• Her advice to first time association CEOs: Your first Board meeting is critical to your success. You want Board members to be confident in their decision to hire you as the chief staff executive.

References:

• The Endocrine Society Website

• How Lisa started with AACDCF for 19 years, starting as a case manager before becoming the director.
• How her background in social work and nonprofit management helps her lead both the foundation and AACD’s nominating and leadership development committee.
• How AACDCF’s primary initiative, “Give Back a Smile”, provides restorative dental care for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
• How the program connects survivors with volunteer dentists across the U.S. who donate their services to repair damaged teeth and restore smiles.
• How domestic violence survivors often face oral damage, such as broken or missing teeth, which can affect their self-confidence, employability, and quality of life.
• How over 300 dentists are part of the program, but more are always needed.
• How the foundation uses data and assessments to evaluate its impact and improve processes, such as streamlining application procedures and ensuring survivors are ready for treatment.

References:

• AACDCF Website
• AACD Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jay Karen, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Jay discusses:

• The diversity of NGCOA’s membership, which includes very exclusive private courses, and municipal courses that want to make golf accessible to all.
• How public perception of golf is changing through the growth of public golf courses and driving ranges (such as Topgolf), challenging the historical perception of golf as an elitist sport.
• The importance of keeping governance (the board) and management (staff) separate in associations.
• How NGCOA’s board helps the association stay ahead by discussing future industry changes, ensuring that the association remains agile. This helped NGCOA recognize the impact of COVID-19 very early in the pandemic.
• How NGCOA is making efforts to improve diversity and inclusion through initiatives like the “Lead Golf Together” conference to make diverse talent with leadership opportunities.
• How NGCOA is partnering with smaller associations to extend their influence.
• How NGCOA is using foresight to anticipate what members may need before they even ask.

References:

• NGCOA Website
• Make Golf Your Thing

• How NHCC offers guidance on recruiting, promoting, and retaining Hispanic professional talent.
• How NHCC assists companies in reaching Hispanic customers and suppliers.
• How NHCC supports small Hispanic-owned businesses by encouraging their clients to pursue supplier diversity.
• How NHCC emphasizes the importance of companies giving back to Hispanic communities through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
• How his background in HR, talent acquisition, government affairs, and media relations led him to become CEO after serving in leadership positions for nearly 14 years.
• NHCC’s Convening Leaders Program, a program designed to bring member companies together to discuss cultural competency, market awareness, and corporate strategies.
• How NHCC’s convening and engagement efforts, both virtual and in-person, are driving membership growth by fostering collaboration and thought leadership among Fortune 100 companies.
• How, despite competition, NHCC fosters a collaborative environment where companies share strategies related to workforce development, recruitment, and retention.
• The importance of understanding that the Hispanic and Latino community is not a monolith, with over 20+ countries, dialects, cultural backgrounds, and languages.
• How regional differences affect U.S. Hispanic populations distribution.
• How NHCC’s Latino DEI Collective focuses on emerging issues (e.g., affirmative action cases) and career development for the next generation of Latino executives.
• NHCC’s Latino Executive Accelerator Program, a program designed to help Latinos break through the glass ceiling that limits representation in executive roles.
• His philosophy, encouraging individuals to have a “personal board of directors” of people who mentor, advocate, and support their professional growth.
• How he encourages Hispanic and non-Hispanic people to celebrate Hispanic heritage all year long, not just during Hispanic Heritage Month.
• The importance of working with culturally relevant ad agencies and communication firms that understand the diverse Hispanic/Latino makeup in the U.S.

References:

• NHHC Website
• NHHC Latino DEI Collective Website

• How Association Latinos came to be. Association Latinos was founded as a LinkedIn community in 2020 and became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2022.
• Association Latinos’ mission to advance Latino leadership and representation in the association space.
• Their transition from an informal group to a structured organization with governance and planning.
• How volunteers play a critical role in the organization's success, leveraging their strengths for growth and governance.
• Association Latinos upcoming summit called Conexiones on October 30, 2024, in Washington, DC., focused on skill development, embracing cultural wealth, and advancing Latino leadership.
• The Workforce Trend Survey, sponsored by Association Latinos, that is providing real demographic and advancement data about association executives for the first time ever.
• How Latinos contributed 41.4% of the growth in real U.S. GDP, despite comprising just 19.2% of the U.S. population. https://latinogdp.us/ 
• The story of her parents navigating challenges, especially with her sister born with Spina Bifida. Josie reflects on her parents, and their influence on her leadership.
• The importance of supporters and allies in the success of Association Latinos.
• How Josie is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month this year!

References:

• Association Latinos Website
• Josie Hernandez Associations Thrive Episode 59
• Workforce Trends Survey Special Episode
• Association Latinos LinkedIn community page

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Leah Reily, Executive Director, Association for Healthcare Foodservice (AHF). Leah discusses:

• Her Journey from environmental conservation to association leadership
• How AHF members run self-operated food services in hospitals and senior living facilities, meaning the facilities hire their own staff instead of outsourcing to contract management companies to cook and serve food.
• How self-operated services provide better outcomes for patients, staff, and families.
• How self-service foodservice is not always more expensive to manage, AND they provide more direct benefits, such as improved food programs and a closer relationship with the facility’s needs.
• Why and how AHF modernized its brand to adapt to changes in the healthcare food service industry.
• How the AHF annual conference is ultimately a food conference, which is why AHF brings chefs to help decide on the venue, and there is a cooking competition (Iron Chef style!) that is a highlight during the conference.
• How sponsors provide food that is part of the meal planning during the annual conference. The positive results from the rebranding: National conference attendance grew by 38%.
• How the rebrand lifted a weight off the staff, creating a sense of ownership and rejuvenating creativity and innovation.

References:

• AHF Website
• AHF 2023 Culinary Competition

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Shawn Kaminski, Executive Director of DirectWomen. Shawn discusses:

• DirectWomen’s mission to increase the representation of women lawyers on corporate boards.
• How DirectWomen prepares women lawyers for board service through an annual board institute.
• How DirectWomen serves as a resource for companies looking for diverse candidates for their Boards.
• How companies with more diverse boards are shown to be more profitable and successful than those without.
• How there's both a moral and business case for having diverse voices and representation in corporate boardrooms.
• Her personal journey, going from the American Bar Association, a large well supported organization, to DirectWomen, a smaller nonprofit.
• DirectWomen’s selective Board Institute program, which only accepts a small number of applicants each year. The small cohort size is intentional, so that DirectWomen can provide personalized attention to ensure participants' success.
• DirectWomen’s international expansion, starting with high attendance events in London.
• How DirectWomen will ring the New York Stock Exchange Bell on October 18th to celebrate reaching their 200th board seat milestone.

References:

• DirectWomen’s website

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus

License code: M2POPMBVFCE0RIPZ

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jeff De Cagna, Executive Advisor at Foresight First LLC. Jeff discusses:

• What foresight thinking is and what it is not.
• How foresight thinking differs from strategic planning.
• How foresight is not the same as a prediction or a forecast. Foresight represents anticipating and preparing for what could happen, not what will happen.
• Why association boards have the duty of foresight.
• How 5-7 years is the optimal window for foresight planning across industries, professions, and spaces.
• Foresight asks, “What could happen and how do we prepare the organization for it?”
• Foresight is not an initiative - it’s a way of thinking.

References:

• Foresight First website
• ASAE Foresight Article
• Future of Association Boards (FAB) Community Dialogue Group

To learn more about how open access will affect the association world, catch the discussion live in Joanna’s upcoming webinar hosted by UST, on “How Open Access Will Affect Your Journal Strategy and Revenue.”

Sharon and Joanna discuss:

• What open access is and how it affect associations that have journals.
• How journals with research funded by the federal government are highly impacted by open access. 
• How AAPM is going hybrid with its open access: within each issue, some articles are open access, while others continue to be restricted.
• How journals need to focus on assessing their open access exposure.
• How associations needs to focus on author recruitment.

References:

• AAPM Website
• UST Open Access Webinar

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Rebecca Achurch, Founder & CEO, Achurch Consulting. Rebecca discusses:

• Achurch Consulting’s process for selecting technology that aligns with your association’s goals.
• Best practices for smooth integrations and minimizing disruption during adoption of new technology.
• How to train and support staff, ensuring that they are equipped and confident in using new technologies.
• How to utilize project management software, video conferencing, and collaboration platforms to keep teams connected, especially in this hybrid world.
• Strategies for addressing pushback from staff and leadership.
• How associations can stay ahead by continuously evolving their digital strategies.
• Using analytics and data to guide technology investments and measure success.
• How to enhance the member experience through digital platforms and personalized interactions.
• The top three things associations must do NOW to prepare for the future: address tech debt, budget for tech, hire for digital curiosity.
• Whether association CEOs need to be tech CEOs; Rebecca says no, but they do need to be tech-knowledgeable.

References:

• Achurch Consulting

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Mike Copps, President & CEO, of the Analytical, Life Science & Diagnostics Association (ALDA). Mike discusses:

• The different sectors of the healthcare industry that ALDA members are involved with: Analytical, Life Science, and Diagnostics.
• How ALDA evolved to match the evolution of the member companies.
• How involvement in ALDA is by the senior executives of member companies, usually the CEO.
• How he has been working for associations since graduating from college.
• His experience working for the largest AMC (association management company) 15 years ago and how different it is to work for a self standing organization. He relies on his small team and outsourced partners to run the organization.
• How ALDA’s value proposition is built on their in-person events and the networking available there.
• How ALDA had to pivot very quickly when the pandemic happened, including setting up a zoom account, because they had never even held a webinar before 2020.
• How ALDA created “collaboratives” for executives running different departments within member organizations, e.g., HR, operations, etc.
• How ALDA holds two major conferences a year, one in Boston and one in San Francisco, the two major biotech hubs. They also host regional dinners throughout the year.
• How the organization is at a crossroads because their events are becoming very popular. ALDA is questioning how to expand the events while keeping them intimate.
• How ALDA provides a quarterly market assessment, compensation survey, and a D&I survey. These reports are key to member value.
• ALDA’s diversity initiative to attract more women and people of color into the membership and their conferences.
• How he’s headed to Japan to attend an international conference for a partner association which aligns with ALD’s strategy to hold a meeting, breakfast or reception within the confines of a partner organization conference.

References:

• ALDA Website
• Japan Analytical Instrument Manufacturers’ Association (JAIMA) Website
• ALDA Market Data

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Dr. Hudson Garrett, ED & EVP and Karen Niven, President of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP). Dr. Hudson and Karen discuss:

• How healthcare value analysis professionals work to improve the overall patient experience, reduce costs within the system, and make healthcare affordable and available for all.
• How Karen is a nurse by training and how she found a home and her people in the AHVAP community.
• How Karen was motivated to become a board member because through her training as a nurse, she learned that you always leave organizations and places better than how you found it.
• How good relations between the chief staff executive and the board really power associations to success.
• How these good relations are the result of trust and dedication towards a shared goal.
• How AHVAP recently held a Future Summit that brought together people from all organization types, levels, and functions in healthcare to talk about clinical innovations and making healthcare better.
• How they reached out to an academic partner to help them document what they discussed during the summit to hopefully encourage more research.
• How a lot of innovation is coming from the industry partners, so they can’t be excluded from the conversation just because they aren’t doctors, nurses, or working in hospitals.
• How the board has a very active role to play in the recruiting of new member. Karen, as board chair, expects board members to post about what AHVAP is doing, as well as post about AHVAP membership to their networks. AHVAP provides toolkits for board members to use, including graphics and messaging.
• How Karen and Hudson are working together to ensure that when the next set of leaders come in, they will be well trained and laser focused on the AHVAP mission.

References:

• AHVAP Website
• AHVAP Annual Conference and Industry Partner Expo

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews James Thorne, CEO of Vehicle for Good Inc. James discusses:

• The idea that sparked the creation of Vehicle for Good.
• How Vehicle for Good runs sweepstakes programs that raise money for nonprofits that have limited fundraising resources.
• How before starting Vehicle for Good, James worked in communication for two very large churches.
• How Vehicle for Good’s selection parameters ensure that a worthy nonprofit is selected.
• How Vehicle for Good has utilized corporate and individual influencers to promote its sweepstakes.
• His tips for working with influencers for mutual benefit.
• How vehicle sweepstakes entries are tax deductible.

References:

• Vehicle For Good
• Nonprofit Application
• Forrest’s Auto Reviews
• Americanmusclehd

For the 100th episode of Associations Thrive, CEO Joanna Pineda sat down with fellow association podcasters:

• Dave Coriale, Delcor Technology Solutions and host of Reboot IT
• Kiki L’Italien, Association Chat and host of Association Chat
• Ben Muscolino, Breezio and AMSGeek and host of The Association Podcast
• Dave Will, PropFuel and host of Association Strong

They talked about:

• What's new about their podcasts.
• Association statistics and demographics.
• Kiki’s new association podcast directory.
• Market fit when developing new products and how associations need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset when developing new products.
• The looming membership cliff.
• A few of their favorite episodes and the key themes of governance, reinvention and entrepreneurship that keep popping up during the podcast interviews.
• Their crazy predictions for the future of associations.

References:

• Delcor
• Reboot IT
• Association Chat
• Association Chat Podcast
• Breezio
• AMSGeek
• The Association Podcast
• PropFuel
• Association Strong

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews David Chavern, President & CEO, of the Consumer Brands Association (CBA). 

David discusses:

• How CBA members are the makers of almost everything that you buy in the grocery store and the drug store.
• How even though it’s a mature industry, there are new CPG (consumer packaged goods) start-ups and new products coming out every day.
• How David became introduced to trade associations through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where he spent many years working; at one point he was Chief Operating Officer.
• How as CEO of a trade association, you strive to get to a point where CEOs of your member companies trust that you understand what they worry about.
• How David loves touring factory floors.
• The importance of getting a depth of engagement from staff at all levels of member companies, so when the dues bill comes in, the membership renewal is a given.
• How CBA membership is growing, thanks in part to their successful public policy work and their events.
• How they hold a CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) Summit every year, this is the premier summit for executives from the top companies in the industry.
• One of the biggest challenges for CBA is telling the story of the industry, including sharing how they are the biggest manufacturing industry in the U.S.
• How one of CBA’s goals is to pick out the hardest challenges that their industry is facing and then “run at those very hardest things.”
• How the trade association business has changed because of the explosion of media.
• How associations need to revamp their events and conferences every year or risk having stale events that people stop attending.
• How members want authentic communications from their trade association.

References:

• CBA Website
• CPG Summit

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Dr. Hudson Garrett, Executive Director & Executive Vice President of the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals (AHVAP). Hudson discusses:

• What healthcare value analysis professionals do, and how they strive for exceptional value for patients and healthcare professionals; it’s about more than just price.
• How the profession has become multi-disciplinary and now includes nurses, doctors, laboratory professionals, infection preventionists, supply chain professionals, pharmacists, professors, and more.
• How AHVAP created a way to measure competency in the profession through its board certification.
• How value analysis professionals focus on patient and healthcare safety through the sourcing of proper equipment and supplies.
• How he just become a CAE (Certified Association Executive)
• How Hudson wears two hats; He is ED of AHVAP and also owns a consulting practice.
• How AHVAP is doing interesting things through industry partner collaborations because a lot of innovation of products and technologies come from across the industry.
• How industry partners can now vote and receive the same benefits that healthcare professionals get.
• How AHVAP created a code of conduct for industry partners to prevent conflicts of interest.
• How AHVAP has a board certification for value analysis professionals.
• How AHVAP is creating microcredentials so that members can develop expertise in very specific topics and mature members can continue to learn and grow.
• How AHVAP is creating customized development plans for teams within an organization.
• How membership has tripled in the last 18 months.
• AHVAP has a future summit coming up this summer where the entire profession will be looking at what's next for analysis value professionals.

References:

• AHVAP Website
• Industry Partner Expo

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Sandra Nam, Co-Founder and CEO of Qiqo Chat. Sandra discusses:

• How Qiqo stands for Quality In, Quality Out.
• How Sandra was studying to become a landscape architect when she and a friend came up with the idea to develop a community platform to help her find fellow students and study effectively together.
• How Qiqo was an early Zoom API integrator, stringing Zoom meetings together to create breakout rooms.
• During the pandemic, she and Lucas Cioffi decided to focus on Qiqo full-time to help associations and nonprofits create a variety of different online meeting formats.
• How she calls the entrepreneurial journey “crazy fun.”
• The company’s pivot away from virtual meetings to an online marketplace, or a Buyer’s Guide on steroids, to help association members connect and find partners.
• One lasting effect of the pandemic is that today, we are able to meet and connect in a meaningful way online because that’s now an acceptable way to connect.
• Qiqo’s goal to help their clients be THE network, be THE community for their members.

References:

• Qiqo
• Association Marketplace

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews three guests. Jose Segarra, Board Member of Association Latinos, Don Dea, Founder and Chair of the ASAE AANHPI Association Community, and Rick Burt, Board President of Black Association Executives. They discuss:

• The purpose and goals of the Association Workforce Trends survey.
• How everyone in the association space, from CEOs to entry-level employees, across all demographics, should participate in the survey
• The demographics and professional development questions included in the survey.
• The relevance of collecting data on work settings and salary comparisons across regions.
• How the survey aims to fill a gap in data on DEI initiatives within the association community.
• How diversity, equity, and inclusion within the association community drives meaningful change and supports professional growth for all groups.

References:

• Take the survey!
• Association Latinos Website
• Association Latinos LinkedIn Page
• ASAE AANHPI LinkedIn Page
• Black Association Executives Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jennifer Abril, President & CEO of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA). Jennifer discusses:

• How her members are contract chemical manufacturers or divisions within larger companies that create small batch specialty chemicals for a huge spread of industries across the country.
• How SOCMA focuses on three things:
• B2B Networking
• Advocacy
• Safety
• SOCMA has different ways to connect members, including:
• On online directory that lets companies find contract manufacturers based on the most specific of capabilities.
• Lead sheets that allow companies to specify their needs, with help from a SOCMA members; these lead sheets are circulated to all members. To date, nearly 300 lead sheets have gone out to members, and an estimated 55% have resulted in business for members.
• A tradeshow that connects companies with members.
• SOCMA had sold its tradeshow many years ago and when they did, they realized that the industry lost a critical way to network, share and find partners. Many years later, SOCMA bought a tradeshow and is on the way back to a thriving show.
• How SOCMA advocates to regulators around the special circumstances of contract manufacturers, who manufacture different chemical on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• How SOCMA provides members with a suite of safety trainings and guidance documents.
• SOCMA membership is growing and the organization is thriving.
• The new SOCMA strategic plan calls for SOCMA membership to become a “business imperative” - we love this bold thinking and messaging!

References:

• SOCMA
• SOCMA Show

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Patrick Smith, Founder and Executive Director at Soil Upside. Patrick discusses:

• Climate Smart Agriculture is a movement to move away from just chemically-focused agriculture into biologically-centric agriculture.
• How the transition to climate-smart or regenerative agriculture is a difficult one, but once the transition is made, farming is more profitable.
• How Soil Upside is building a database of funding opportunities to help farmers make this transition.
• His entrepreneurial journey, including how he is uniquely qualified to run a tech company that is focused on climate and regenerative agriculture.
• How Soil Upside is a fiscally sponsored project and that’s how Patrick has been fundraising for the organization.
• How he is running Soil Upside to be a temporary organization. Once he builds the database, he will donate the company to a non-profit that can give the project the attention and care that it needs indefinitely.
• How Soil Upside could only be possible today because of AI and APIs.

References:

• Soil Upside

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/zoo/clarity

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In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Devin Jopp, CEO at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

Devin discusses:

• The founding of APIC and how their members’ job is to prevent the spread of infection in all health care centers.
• The training and certifications that infection preventionists (IPs) get.
• Devin’s journey, moving from IT to CIO, and then to CEO of several health care associations.
• When Devin was at ACHA, he gathered emeritus members who helped write the guidelines for college reopening during the pandemic.
• How Devin’s doctorate taught him that when things don’t work in an organization, it’s often not because of technology, but the structures, policies, and processes.
• How as CEO of APIC, he has seen the overhaul of all the technology systems at APIC.
• How APIC is launching new products called Policy Pro and APIC Text Online. Both products help members do their jobs better.
• How APIC is exploring how generative AI will make their products better in the future, especially since APIC literally has thousands of resources on its website. 
• How APIC has APIC Consulting, which is a network of IPs who go into healthcare settings to help organizations develop their plans, write the procedures, train people, or bring in consultants who work as IPs.
• How it was hell being an IP during the pandemic, and even today we don’t talk enough about the health and safety of healthcare staff.
• APIC is launching a new ethics framework and a new advanced certification program.

References:

• APIC
• PolicyPRO Info
• Apic Text Online
• Apic Consulting Services

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/quiet-flight

License code: KJRRI6GHC7WKCLDT

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda welcomes back a returning guest in Wendy-Jo Toyama, CEO, of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Care (AAHPM). 

Wendy-Jo discusses:

• The four focus areas of AAHPM.
• How they have increased both voice and vote for interdisciplinary team members.
• How AI is changing healthcare, and how it is going to add some risks and take away other risks.
• How hospice is changing to shift towards at-home care.
• How associations are going to be operating in an increasingly competitive environment because there are so many places where people can belong.
• How associations must offer comprehensive value to members structured around education, access, and community.
• The risks to associations that don’t take advantage of AI models that help to catch mistakes and improve data analysis.
• How and why she came to work for an association management company.
• While looking for her first CEO job she led with her values and selected a firm with a culture aligned with her values.
• How AMC is doing a lot of things right regarding diversity, including having a DEI week every year and a DEI advisory group, as well as housing a number of ERGs (employee resource groups).
• How May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI).
• How AANHPI is an incredibly diverse community, encompassing people from various ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. She explains the issues that are overlooked due to the sheer size of the community
• How Asian Americans have some of the highest income communities across the nation as well as communities among the lowest.
• How Wendy is a chair of ASAEs AANHPI Advisory Group, which aims to create a community for execs in the association space, alongside attracting more Asian Americans to the field.
• How Wendy urges listeners to visit the ASAE AANHPI LinkedIn page and collaborate community.
• How we need to use our voices to raise people up, spread awareness, and move the community forward.

References:

• AAHPM
• AMC
• Wendy-Jo’s Previous Episode
• AANHPI Association Community LinkedIn Page
• AANHPI Collaborate Community

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Sue Ann Hong-Whitaker, President & CEO at the Center for Asian Pacific American Women (CAPAW).

Sue Ann discusses:

• How she flew to the U.S. on her own as a child, which taught her how to be independent, resilient, and adaptable.
• How CAPAW’s founder, Martha Lee, wanted to address the persistent sexism and racism that plagues Asian women professionals.
• How AANHPI women are more likely to keep quiet, keep their heads down, and do a good job, but not ask for what they want; THIS holds them back.
• How Sue Ann had a successful career working for a Fortune 50 company, but because of a reorganization and threats to her health from the lifestyle, she decided to make a change, and that’s when she became CEO of CAPAW.
• The mental shift of going from a large Fortune 50 company to a small non-profit with a tiny staff.
• How her number one job at CAPAW is to build relationships.
• How she became activated when the Atlanta Spa shootings occurred.
• CAPAW’s signature programs: The sHERO program and the APAWLI program. The sHERO program is for all women of color, with 5 or fewer years of experience in the professional workforce. The APAWLI program focuses on leadership and targets mid-career professionals who are looking to move up or explore their careers in a new and different way.
• To end racism, sexism, ageism, and all other -isms, organizations must partner to focus on solving these issues. CAPAW is focused on these partnerships.

References:

• CAPAW
• sHERO Program
• APAWLI Program

Joanna welcomes the return of Vince Talucci, CEO of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). In episode 13 of Associations Thrive, Vince talked about his journey to become the CEO, and the changes that IACP has made to grow and thrive, by focusing on younger members, going global, IACP research, education, professional development, and law enforcement support. 

In this episode of Associations Thrive, Vince discusses:

• How the IACP now has 34,000 members, double the number of members in 2016. 
• How membership growth is being fueled by IACPs advocacy work, annual conferences, publications, and education.
• IACP just concluded a 10-city listening tour to find out what's on the minds of their members. They asked their members two questions: What is the most pressing issue confronting your agency, and what is the most important issue facing the profession?
• IACP members reported that the top-of-mind issues are recruitment and retention, officer safety and wellness, violence against police officers, legalization of marijuana, and highway safety.
• How IACP has a timeless strategic plan, but is always thinking about the future and where the profession is going. Technology and AI are issues they are tracking.
• How community policing and having police agencies that look like their communities are evergreen issues.
• When talking about AI and technology, civil rights, privacy, data storage, and ethical usage must be at the forefront of every conversation.
• IACP is exploring what AI is to the policing profession: what it is, the pros, the pitfalls, and interpreting these findings in a meaningful way for members.
• How staffing at police agencies in the future will include professionals who are complementing the police officers out on the street.
• How IACP is focused on leadership in policing organizations through the concept that everyone in a police organization is a leader.
• How IACP was already able to make quick decisions before the pandemic and continues to do so post-pandemic.
• Vince’s proudest moment during the pandemic was how his staff handled COVID.

References:

• IACP
• IACP Conference
• Police Chief Magazine

• When and why she started Matrix Group.
• How Matrix Group’s mission has not changed. We help associations and non-profits increase membership, increase revenue, increase engagement, and thrive in the digital space.
• How there is a real fit between the mission of associations and the capabilities of the web.
• How during the early days, Matrix group had MMM (Making Matrix Marvelous) nights, during which the staff would devote themselves to developing the internal systems that the organization needed to thrive, including the website, intranet, and extranet.
• The fortune taped to her desk that says: Nothing stays sold. We need to make sure that we demonstrate to clients that are still the best choice for them because of our services, tech, innovation, people, and culture, even if they picked us 10, 15, or 25 years ago.
• How to scale your services so that you offer your clients appropriate products and services during lean times and times when they can afford to make investments.
• How leadership development is one of the most important investments a CEO can make in her organization.
• Why she’s called the “Chief Troublemaker.”
• The story behind why Joanna doesn’t like to take no for an answer.
• The company fundamentals that are so important to the Matrix Group culture. Her favorites are “Do or do not. There is no try.” and “Don’t let your boss make a mistake.”
• How AI is changing how we do the work, as well as influencing new product development at the company.
• The advice that she would give to herself or any young entrepreneur just starting out.

References:

• Matrix Group website
• One of Joanna’s many blog posts on company fundamentals
• 9th Anniversary blog post
• 10th Anniversary blog post

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Amith Nagarajan, Chairman of Blue Cypress. Amith discusses:

• His ecosystem of companies that is focused on helping associations transform digitally through positive disruption.
• How he stumbled across associations 30 years ago and never looked back.
• How the people in the association market care deeply about their mission and members.
• How there are two types of innovation: customer-led innovation and inspiration that comes from other sources, including outside the industry.
• How, as a leader, he allocates a couple of days a week to experimentation.
• When to kill ideas that don’t make sense, even if those products are in flight.
• What leaders need to do is create more free time for themselves to think.
• How most of his time is spent being a cheerleader for AI to associations. In his opinion, AI is the most transformative technology that any of us will experience in our lifetimes.
• When it comes to AI, doing something is better than nothing. Start by allocating 15 minutes a week. By the end of the year, you will have developed deep AI expertise, especially when you dedicate time company-wide.
• How AI is here, and whether we ride the wave or are crushed by it, it will continue to accelerate and evolve for decades to come.
• Blue Cypress has several events coming up about associations and AI (see links in the show notes).

References:

• Blue Cypress
• Sidecar Global
• Blue Cypress Events

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Deborah McKinnon, Executive Director of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Deborah discusses:

• Her career journey to becoming Executive Director of ACTEC and her experience working with boards of large and small non-profit organizations.
• How ACTEC fosters engagement among its members through its Institutes, activities such as involving ACTEC fellows in the website redesign, and through educational content, including their podcast series.
• How ACTEC Institutes act as a training ground for young attorneys, instilling ACTEC's values and preparing them for Fellowship. 
• How trust and estate law is important to small business owners who want to pass their assets to their heirs.
• The importance of attracting and involving young attorneys in trust and estate practice.
• How ACTEC can put on events, webinars, podcasts, and educational content through the involvement of their members and ACTEC’s amazing staff.
• ACTEC’s criteria for becoming a member includes at least 10 years of experience, community involvement, and nomination by a current ACTEC Fellow.
• How ACTEC has fosters continued learning, sharing information about the profession, and staying current on legislation affecting trust and estate law in different states.
• At meetings, ACTEC fellows who have been members for less than 5 years get a blue dot on their name tags. ACTEC fosters a culture wherein leaders are trained to seek out blue-dot members to make the new Fellows feel welcome and involved.

References:

• ACTEC
• ACTEC Institutes

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Michael DiFrisco, ED, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD). Michael discusses:

• How cosmetic dentistry is on the rise; brands like Invisalign have become household names.
• How cosmetic dentistry is not a recognized specialty, but cosmetic dentists need specialized training.
• How membership numbers resurged after the pandemic. AACD Identified and catered towards best-fit members: the members who support the organization and are supported by the organization.
• How accredited members are the most engaged, and most likely to renew their memberships.
• How a recent membership survey allowed AACD to learn that 52% of their members are retiring within the next 5 years.
• For this year’s annual conference, AACD reached out to practice transition companies to become exhibitors; they sold out these spots!
• How AACD is reaching out to younger professionals to make up for the upcoming membership cliff.
• How AACD created the Dental Dojo to create a community for members.
• How ACCD created the Esthetic Skill Studio to compete against for-profit organizations. 
• While updating their strategic plan, AACD asked their leadership and members, “If AACD went away tomorrow, what would be lost and who would miss it?” The answer was very clearly ACCREDITATION and it would be missed by accredited members and their patients.
• AACD has research that shows accredited members are more successful than regular members and regular members are more successful than non-members.
• Michael’s amazing formula for helping organizations articulate their brand promise: We are the only (blank) organization that does (blank) for (blank).

References:

• AACD website
• Dental Dojo
• Esthetic Skill Studio
• Annual Conference

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Joe Lindahl, CEO of Mission MSA. Joe discusses:

• How Multiple System Atrophy is a rare neuro-generative disease that is a movement disorder like Parkinson’s, but it is much worse because of the speed at which the disease progresses.
• The organization’s rebrand from Multiple System Atrophy Coalition to Mission MSA to lend clarity and urgency to their mission to cure MSA. 
• Mission MSA is the largest funder of research into MSA, after the NIH.
• His journey working for different organizations, including working for an association management company, and many medical associations.
• The transition from working for a professional society to working for a nonprofit.
• How having patients, care partners, and industry researchers on his Board gives the organization insights and perspectives from the entire MSA ecosystem.
• How Mission MSA provides seed grant funding to support new ideas, and collaborative ideas to help companies attract larger pots of funding.
• How Mission MSA is supported mostly through fundraising.
• Their support services to patients, especially newly-diagnosed patients, including a patient support line that is staffed by trained volunteers and staff, and peer supporters who meet with patients in person.
• MSA Connect, their new, private community platform for patients and care partners.
• The new MSA Centers of Excellence that provide interdisciplinary care from trained healthcare professionals who know about MSA and how to care for MSA patients.
• Mission MSA’s advocacy efforts, including support for the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, which will bring together internal and external stakeholders to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease and other movement disorders.
• When a person gets diagnosed with a debilitating disease, they become eligible for disability payments and Medicare after two years, but that waiting period is too long for MSA patients, because of the speed of disease progression. Mission MSA is advocating for patients to get these disability payments and access to Medicare much sooner.
• March is Multiple System Atrophy Awareness Month. Please spread the word about MSA!

References:

• Mission MSA website
• Multiple System Atrophy Awareness Month

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Howard Pearl, CEO of Charitable Adult Rides and Services (CARS). Howard discusses:

• How CARS is a non-profit that provides fundraising services to other nonprofits. CARS takes the automobile and real estate donations slated for specific nonprofits, sells them at auction, and then remits 80% of the proceeds to the designated nonprofit.
• How CARS uses the proceeds from the sale of autos and real estate to benefit those in need in the San Diego area.
• How he went from interim CEO to full-time CEO when he realized he loved the CARS mission and saw the huge potential in its services and staff.
• How the organization has grown in size threefold with virtually zero staff turnover.
• How credit, respect, and effective management allow staff to flourish and approach their work creatively.
• How he devotes himself to giving his staff the tools, budget, and people to get the job done.
• How staff at any level at CARS can make a decision; they will only be reprimanded for making mistakes if they repeat their mistakes. 
• How he makes all new hires read the book “The Gratitude Diaries” by Janice Kaplan.
• How CARS now supports nonprofits across the country.

References:

• CARS website
• Make a donation form
• The Gratitude Diaries by Janice Kaplan

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Matthew Hughes, CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America. Matthew discusses:

• How WACA is a trade association of Local Councils around the country that bring diplomats, journalists and professors to communities, to foster discussion and understanding about foreign affairs and global issues.
• His journey from the education world  to the association world.
• How and why world affairs should matter to everyone in the US, despite our domestic issues.
• How WACA develops partnerships with organizations that provide local councils with resources and speakers.
• How WACA helps local councils put on great programs, run high performing nonprofits, and be sustainable.
• How the WACA100 trains local council leaders and volunteers for the jobs of running a local council, promoting events, fundraising and running a sustainable organization.
• How WACA trains local councils to manage difficult discussions around polarizing issues to remain true to WACA’s mission of informed civil discourse.
• How WACA inspires the next generation of citizens to contribute to the discussion through the Academic WorldQuest program.
• How WACA’s annual conference last November saw an increase in attendance and was a big success.

References:

• WACA Website 
• Find A Council! 

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In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews James Thomas, Executive Director of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). James discusses:

• When and why ASHI was founded.
• The value of certification for a home inspector, as well as meeting the needs of licensed and unlicensed members.
• Why the home inspection business experiences a downturn during boom times when buyers waive their home inspections, as well as during slow periods when the housing market stagnates.
• How ASHI’s code of ethics helps to ensure that there is no conflict of interest in home inspections.
• James’ journey working for for-profit companies, venture-backed companies, and associations.
• The similarities and differences between running a for-profit and a nonprofit (there are fewer than you might think)!
• ASHI’s task force that sought to determine what members need in today's education market.
• Investing in member education, including investing in a new learning management system (LMS) and continuing to provide online education by reimagining all of the courses and making them all free for members.
• How AHSI’s event programming this year includes an in-person conference and a virtual summit.

References:

• ASHI website
• ASHI Education 
• ASHI - Find An Inspector 

Inspection World

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Laura Caputo, Executive Director of the Romance Writers of America (RWA). Laura discusses:

• How romance is the largest fiction genre.
• How RWA defines romance as a work of fiction with a happily ever after ending, or happy for now.
• How RWA supports all writers of romance, including those who are working on their first book, the newly-published, even the best-selling authors.
• Her journey from being a bankruptcy attorney to Chief of Staff of an association, to Executive Director of RWA.
• How RWA imploded in 2019 amidst allegations of systemic bias against members of color, LGBTQ members, and poly members. The controversy led to the resignation of the President, Executive Director, and, eventually, the entire board.
• How the membership dropped from 10,000 members to 2,500 members, which led to RWA moving from being self-managed to being managed by an association management company.
• How Laura, her staff, and her new Board have worked really hard to rebuild trust with the members and instill inclusiveness across the entire association and their chapters.
• How RWA has been doubling down on member services, including services that help authors get published, the RWA communities, and the RWA conferences.
• How AI affects the profession in so many ways. For example, some writers are using AI to write their books and for some, this isn’t okay. But AI is also training on authors’ work, allowing random people to “write in the style of Nora Roberts”; should this be allowed and how does this affect an author’s work and reputation?

References:

• Romance Writers of American website
• Vox article: Bad Romance

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Meredith Gibson, CEO of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS). Meredith discusses:

• How she determined that what motivates her in her career is mission.
• When she became CEO of AWIS, she had conversations with staff, including someone who she thought was interested in the CEO job.
• The organization’s renewed commitment membership and relationships (with members, chapters, and staff) in 2018.
• AWIS’ Summer of Science which educates the public about how science impacts our world.
• AWIS advocates on issues that fall between gender and science, including DEI curriculum, Title IX activities, bullying, sexual harrassment, bias in hiring.
• One day DEI events can be exciting but they don’t change behaviors and habits. The AWIS Inclusion Project is a 90 day learning experience that gives participants a small activity or reflection every day in order to create new habits and insights.
• How AWIS changed the corporate sponsor package to allow anyone at the companies to access member benefits. This has exploded membership and participation!
• How Meredith’s superpower of conversation and how she’s able to ferret out insights from members, Board leaders and staff.

References:

• AWIS website
• AWIS Inclusion Project

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In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews William Arnone, CEO of the National Academy of Social Insurance. William discusses:

• What social insurance is – Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance and workers compensation. The US government pools risks across the entire country and then provides universal benefits to people in need.
• How the Academy is the largest community of scholars and experts on at least one area of social insurance.
• The Academy’s membership process: you can’t just join, you must be nominated.
• How the Academy of nonpartisan. The Academy does the research and lets others advocate.
• Bill’s winding journey as a staff in Congress, running an area agency on aging, serving as Board Chair of the Academy, and then becoming CEO of the Academy.
• The questions to ask yourself when considering a job and when thinking about your legacy: Is what you’re doing meaningful and does it have impact?
• The skills you need to run a think tank: legal training, fundraising skills, communication skills, and so much more!
• The Academy’s intentional efforts to diversify the membership, including considering life experience as a form of expertise.
• During this election season, the Academy wants the discussion about social insurance to be based on evidence, and not ideology.
• How the Academy has a newsletter that anyone can sign up for to become better educated about the issues surrounding social insurance.
• How there are holes in the social safety net, including programs for people who are part of the so-called “gig economy.”.

References:

• NASI website

• Who ACUA members are: they are internal auditors in colleges and universities. ACUA members audit policies, procedures and compliances with these policies.
• How the rules around college athletes and the DEI programs that are being sunset because of the recent Supreme Court decision are keeping ACUA members up at night.
• Jose’s journey in different associations and his experience working for association management companies.
• How the profession or industry represented by an association strongly affects the culture and personality of the Board and association.
• The challenges associated with managing two associations at the same time, especially when their annual meetings happen in the same month.
• How ACUA’s community is powering the association and how volunteers manage the discussions and nurturing of the communities.
• How ACUA members author guides and resources that help all members do their jobs better and be successful.
• How and why ACUA decided to take their Summit virtual this year in order to reach more members and manage costs.
• Bostrom’s culture and commitment to diversity, which Jose believes is helping the company to thrive.
• Jose role as one of the five founding Board members of Association Latinos. 
• Last year, Association Latinos held its inaugural awards ceremony, honoring two members during Hispanic Heritage Month.
• How a big part of Association Latinos’ mission is to elevate the profile of members in the association community.

References:

• ACUA website
• Bostrom website
• Association Latinos website
• Association Latinos on LinkedIn

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Pam Donahoo, CEO, America's Mortgage Banking Attorneys, aka USFN. Pam discusses:

• How she got introduced to associations because of her mother, who ran an association.
• Pam’s advice for getting to know an association and its industry or profession when you’re a new executive.
• How USFN rebranded to become America’s Mortgage Banking Attorneys.
• How USFN supported its members during the pandemic, when the US government froze all banks’ ability to foreclose on homeowners.
• How USFN doesn’t just educate its members, it educates its members’ customers and government officials.
• What banks and USFN members are doing today to keep homeowners in their homes.
• What USFN is doing to nurture and cultivate the next generation of members and leaders.
• How USFN is rethinking its conference, education, and other offerings.

References:

• USFN website
• The Source

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute (TFI). Corey discusses:

• The critical importance of fertilizer, without which the human population would drop by 50% because of mass famine.
• How COVID was a gift because it gave him time to get to know his members at the start of his tenure at TFI.
• The events of 2021 that led to a huge crisis in the fertilizer market (the black swan event).
• The issues that keep members up at night, including volatile fertilizer markets, supply chain issues, the ability to make massive capital investments, and sustainability.
• How TFI communicated directly with farmers, who are TFI members’ customers, to explain why fertilizer prices were increasing so much during the pandemic.
• The nuanced advocacy and lawmaker education that TFI engages in.
• How TFI has been merging with other associations and the issues surrounding organization mergers.
• How trust is so important in an organization. Staff and members need to trust TFI and its leadership, and TFI leaders need to trust their staff to do a good job.
• TFI’s hybrid staff policy which does not have any specific mandates re: days in the office.
• Global Fertilizer Day on October 13.

References:

• TFI website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Adam Levy, Executive Director of the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association (ACPA). Adam discusses:

• How babies with cleft palate and craniofacial differences (we don’t call them birth defects anymore) are born to families all over the world, not just overseas.
• How Adam feels professionally fulfilled by holding a servant leadership role at ACPA.
• As ED of ACPA, he wants his team members to be successful; their success is his success!
• The importance of clarity in the job: Do staff have clarity about their tasks? Is Adam clear about his vision and expectations?
• How ACPA pivoted to provide patients with learning resources about conditions and treatments.
• How advocacy has become an integral part of ACPA's activities, advocating for patients and their families, especially when it comes to what insurance companies will cover.
• How ACPA is retooling their conferences to be less structured around a venue, but optimized for attendee education and connections.

References:

• ACPA Website
• Find an ACPA Approved Team

This episode of Associations Thrive is a little different. Host Joanna Pineda had the opportunity to sit down with some of the top podcasters in the association industry. 

• Dave Coriale, Delcor Technology Solutions and host of Reboot IT
• Kiki L’Italien, Association Chat and host of Association Chat
• Ben Muscolino, Breezio and AMSGeek and host of The Association Podcast
• Dave Will, PropFuel and host of Association Strong

They talked about a few of their favorite episodes, key themes of governance, reinvention and entrepreneurship that keep popping up during the podcast interviews, and how the podcasts are changing them.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Juan Amador, Executive Director or the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS). Juan discusses:

• SACNAS's goal to increase the representation of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Native Americans in STEM.
• SACNAS's motto of "celebration, not assimilation." Juan explains this as celebrating science, community, and culture and bringing one's true self to science, including cultural expressions, and building stronger communities.
• The importance of mentoring in Juan’s career.
• How SACNAS has a variety of mentoring programs, including official mentoring, long-term mentoring and episodic mentoring during the SACNAS annual conference.
• What it means to him to be the first recipient of the Association Latinos Estrella Award, awarded last October 2023.

References:

• SACNAS website
• Association Latinos website
• Association Latinos Inspira Award

• Their favorite podcasts, outside of Associations Thrive
• Episodes that stood out for them this year
• Episodes that surprised them
• Key themes that echoed through multiple episodes, including:
• The theme of the importance of having a great culture in order to have a high-performing organization
• Governance and the importance of having great Board-staff relations
• Organization rebranding and website redesigns
• How associations and nonprofits helped the US navigate and overcome the pandemic

We’re looking forward to another great year of CEOs sharing their journeys and the things that their organizations are doing to thrive.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Loretta DeLuca, CEO & Owner of DelCor Technology Solutions (DelCor). Loretta discusses:

• Her beginnings in the association space and the founding of DelCor.
• How Delcor is run by a triumvirate (Loretta, Dave, Brian) and how they bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the company.
• The ways in which DelCor is expanding to provide more resources and services to the 501(c) sector.
• How DelCor has managed its growth, in order to maintain relationships, its reputation and the quality of its services.
• How DelCor has “boots on the ground,” or people who are tasked with spotting industry trends.
• Why associations should spend time mastering data analytics to further understand their members' needs.
• Modern methods of educating younger generations about the positive missions and goals of 501(c) organizations.

References:

• Delcor website
• The 501(c) IT Maturity Model
• Delcor’s podcast, Reboot IT

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Marcie Finney, Executive Director at the Cleveland Cord Blood Center (CCBC). Marcie discusses:

• What umbilical cord blood is and why we bank it.
• The differences between a private cord blood bank and a public cord blood bank.
• The life-saving treatments that are now available because of research enabled by cord blood and stem cell transplants.
• Marcie’s journey from being a researcher to running the CCBC.
• The work she’s done to make CCBC a great place to work, including better infrastructure, a new strategic plan, updated job descriptions, and so much more.
• How the CCBC is part of the Cord Blood Association, which brought cord blood banks together and helped them achieve FDA licensing.
• The importance of racial and ethnic diversity in the cord blood units stored by public cord blood banks, especially as the US population is growing more diverse.
• How CCBC supports groundbreaking research into new treatments for all sorts of diseases, including leukemia, autoimmune disorders, cerebral palsy, and HIV.
• How creating a diverse cord blood inventory is a national resource.
• How nurses call donors when their baby’s cord blood is going to be used; these are some of the best calls they make!
• Why moms should consider donating their babies’ cord blood to a public cord blood bank.

References:

• Cleveland Cord Blood Center
• National Marrow Donor Program 
• Cord Blood Association
• Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Blane Ruschak, President of The PhD Project. Blane discusses:

• His personal journey from auditor to recruiter to head of The PhD project.
• The importance of diversity in the business community and how The PhD project is making a difference by recruiting diverse candidates to get their PhDs and become professors at business schools around the country.
• How The PhD supports its members through conferences, training and mentoring. The PhD project has a 90% PhD completion rate, a number unheard of in other programs.
• How they help new PhDs become better teachers and researchers through training and conferences.
• When The PhD project was founded, there were fewer than 300 Black, Hispanic and Native American professors in US business schools. Today, there are over 1700!
• How their members become PhDs and professors to give back, make a difference in their communities, and conduct meaningful research.

References:

• The PhD Project website
• The PhD Project on LinkedIn
• Member Stories

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Khanh Vu, CEO & Executive Director of the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE). Khanh discusses:

• How Asian scientists and engineers are often held back by cultural traits, including the desire to always be respectful, let their seniors speak first, and not seem overly aggressive.
• How SASE helps members develop the communication and leadership skills needed to rise up the rank at their organizations.
• How Asian women are the least likely to move into leadership positions, which is why SASE has a women’s leadership conference and new mentoring pods to support their women members.
• How the SASE National Convention is known for its amazing food, training, and job interviews with corporate sponsors.
• How hundreds of job offers were made during this year’s National Convention.
• How Northrop Grumman’s CEO challenged her Asian and Asian-American executives to come up with a plan to recruit and nurture their Asian-American staff, and then share their playbook with other SASE corporate sponsors.
• How Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) help groups within companies find support and training.
• How the National Convention in 2023 was the largest ever, with 3,000 attendees.
• How membership is at an all-time high of over 20,000.

References:

• SASE website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Julie Kresge, Executive Director of the Erie County Bar Association (ECBA). Julie discusses:

• Her unique and winding path to becoming an Executive Director.
• How the Erie County Bar Association promotes the rule of law, does a lot of good in the community, and creates a vibrant community of attorneys.
• How the Bar Foundation raises money for law school scholarships and education support for homeless students.
• The Bar’s new strategic plan, which lays out 34 recommendations for improving the association. 
• The Bar’s new, non-attorney membership type that is meant to expand membership and support all the legal staff at law firms.
• The Bar’s weekly journal, which reports on all legal activities in the community. This journal is a HUGE member benefit and revenue generator.
• The Bar’s signature events: Law Day and the Bench Bar Conference.
• How lawyers are in high demand in Erie County right now.

References:

• Erie County, PA Bar Association website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jimmy Williams, Jr., General President of The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). Jimmy discusses:

• His background in the trades as a fourth generation tradesman.
• Leading an organization during the pandemic when there was little guidance from the government about how to keep workers safe.
• Supporting workers during periods of economic turmoil.
• The enduring value and importance of registered apprentice programs, which have a curriculum approved by the federal government.
• How the IUPAT’s membership will be over 50% minority within the next year or two.
• How the largest segment of membership growth is coming from women.
• How equity is baked into the union’s structure, but inclusion is a feeling and it’s what makes members feel welcome.
• How IUPAT is advocating on issues of importance to members, including social issues.
• How technology and AI are changing the profession, and IUPAT is recognizing that their training and work have to adapt accordingly.
• How the union is growing in membership again, after years of stagnant membership growth.

References:

• IUPAT website
• Finishing Trades Institute website

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In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Tara Puckey, Executive Director of Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). Tara discusses:

• How she’s only ever worked for journalist associations.
• The crowded association space that RTDNA occupies because there are over 70 journalist associations!
• How RTDNA has changed over the years to include Internet journalists.
• The governance changes that RTDNA started about five years ago to expand committee membership, make the Board more strategic, and create a pipeline of new and upcoming leaders.
• The staff culture changes that Tara ushered in, including going fully remote, unlimited PTO, and creating a culture where staff show up for the people around them.
• How RTDNA completely revamped their conference: they reduced the number of attendees, eliminated panel discussions, made every session be more discussion than lecture, added white space to the schedule, and emphasized self care throughout the conference (think puppies and baby goats).
• How RTDNA partners with a local nonprofit in the city of their conference. Attendees participate in a service project, and instead of renting furniture and equipment, the association purchases and then donates everything to the local partner (often at a lower cost then renting!).
• How it’s really hard to be a journalist these days, especially when covering violence or war.

References:

• RTDNA website
• Baby goats at the 2023 conference

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Amy Melnick, Executive Director, National Coalition for Hospice and Palliative Care. Amy discusses:

• The difference between hospice and palliative care.
• How the Coalition represents the many professions involved in hospice and palliative care, including doctors, nurses, chaplains, physical therapists, social workers, and many more.
• How the Coalition lets members “gang up on the problem” but not each other.
• The Coalition’s Clinical Practice Guidelines, which were developed with input from 50 organizations and creates a blueprint for providing gold-standard palliative care for all people living with serious illness.
• The Coalition’s Pediatric Palliative Care Division, which is working to make access to quality pediatric palliative care more available to children, and ensure that children who need hospice or palliative care can still receive curative treatment.
• Her pledge to transition the Coalition successfully to a new Executive Director through documentation, and co-working with Dr. Jessica Hausauer for one month.

References:

• NCHPC website
• Clinical Practice Guidelines for Palliative Care

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In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bonnie Ricci, Executive Director from International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA). Bonnie discusses:

• How ICAISA is the accreditor of accrediting bodies for independent schools.
• What an independent school is.
• The value of accreditation is, how ICAISA standards are developed, and how these standards change to adapt to the changing learning environments of schools.
• How ICAISA helps accrediting bodies be better by taking their staff out of their comfort zones and introducing them to new ideas and practices that are often outside the education space.
• The impact of accreditation on student learning and success.
• A grant that ICAISA has received to study the impact of governance on independent schools.

References:

• ICAISA website
• List of ICAISA members

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jeffery Beckham Jr., CEO, Chicago Scholars. Jeffery discusses:

• In Chicago, there can be up to a 30% life expectancy gap between zip codes. Chicago Scholars believes that your zip code should not determine your life’s outcomes.
• Chicago Scholars’ 7-year model that pairs students with mentors starting in their junior year, until they finish college and land their first job.
• How Chicago Scholars currently serves over 5,000 students in their program (550 juniors join every year), with the help of 200 mentors, 50 staff, 400 volunteers, 25 part-time counselors, 30 Board members, 30 associate Board members, and alumni.
• How Jeffery had to develop the skills he needed to be an effective CEO, including fundraising and storytelling.
• How Chicago Scholars accepts 550 juniors each year, but there are close to 5,000 college-ready students who could be/should be scholars.
• On October 24, Chicago Scholar is holding its 6th Annual Onsite College and Leadership Forum, during which 140 colleges will interview Chicago Scholars for admission into their programs. Last year, they conducted over 3,300 interviews, which resulted in 1500 admittances and $85M in aid given.
• Jeffery’s alter ego as a renowned artist, and how his art gives him time to think creatively about problems at work, as well as celebrate his students.

References:

• Chicago Scholars website
• Onsite College and Leadership Forum
• Art by Jeffery Beckham website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Tom Morrison, CEO of the Metal Treating Institute. Tom discusses:

• The importance of his members, both captive and commercial metal heat treaters.
• How you create ongoing energy and passion in an organization by innovating quickly and doing new stuff.
• How MTI rebranded to be MTI Strong in 2009. Tom wants companies to know that they are weaker without MTI.
• How Tom has organized MTI around his members to be able to respond quickly to member needs.
• How Tom meets with his Executive Committee once a month in order to keep them updated and make decisions quickly.
• When presenting the MTI Board with decisions to make, he presents them with the information, options, and the cost of doing nothing.
• Tom’s formula for success at MTI is ALIVE: Ask the right questions. Listen intently. Innovate. Value Creation. Executive excellently.
• MTI’s Industry Support Team, which adds huge value to members AND industry consultants.
• How MTI is spicing up their upcoming annual meeting with theme nights and engaging sponsors through a sponsored timeline. 
• How MTI measures member engagement and focuses on the at risk members.
• Membership is strong, non-dues revenue is very strong, and association reserves are very strong!

References:

• MTI website
• MTI Industry Support Team
• Association Strong podcast

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Richard Yep, Interim Executive Director/CEO, The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA). Rich discusses:

• When and how a chief executive should decide that it’s time to leave an association.
• The skills and experiences that association chief executives need, that are relevant to the job, regardless of industry or profession.
• How to get to know an association and its members fast, especially when you’re an interim CEO.
• The importance of doing an annual assessment of the Board and each Board member.
• The increased attention being paid to DEI when looking for association staff and board members.
• How everyone at an organization – staff and volunteers – should get unconscious bias training.
• How CEOs need to check their egos at the door when working with appointed and elected boards.
• The value of getting the CAE (Certified Association Executive) designation.
• What’s next for Rich - consulting, travel, and so much more!

References:

• SWANA website
• ACA website
• CAE certification

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Josie Hernandez, Board President, Association Latinos. Josie discusses:

• How and why Associations Latinos was born.
• The significance of Hispanic Heritage Month.
• The association’s Latina Equal Pay Event coming up on October 5.
• The association’s awards program coming up on October 12.
• How Association Latinos aims to create a community that uplifts members, creates leadership opportunities, and makes it easier for employers to find quality DEI candidates for top jobs.

References:

• Association Latinos website
• Latinx Treasures
• Awards Ceremony on October 12, 2023
• Association Latinos on LinkedIn

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Founder at Helping People Help, Author, and former Executive Director of the Craigslist Foundation and the NUMI Foundation. Darian discusses:

• Why so many nonprofit executives leave the sector and how executive coaching is the most cost-effective way to address executive burnout.
• How Darian used six-month sabbaticals after each significant career pivot to reflect on his life and career, open his heart and mind to the universe, and decide on his next.
• How organizations can manage the transition from a working board to a fundraising board.
• The best way to cultivate potential donors to ensure fundraising success. The key is getting donors to invite your organization to apply.
• How to make Board meetings more effective and move the organization’s mission forward.
• Darian’s best-selling books on nonprofit management and fundraising.

Listeners of Associations Thrive can contact Darian on his website and request a free 15-minute coaching call on fundraising or governance. Be sure to mention this podcast!

References:

• Helping People Help website
• Nonprofit Management 101
• Nonprofit Fundraising 101

Melanie discusses:

• How AACRAO was established in 1910, which makes AACRAO the oldest higher education association in the US. 
• The journey from being an admissions officer and active AACRAO member to becoming the Deputy Director and then Executive Director. 
• How the latest strategic planning process at AACRAO was the most inclusive of members and staff. 
• The reorganization of the staff to support the new strategic plan. 
• AACRAO’s 90-day process improvement process. 
• AACRAO’s Learning Mobility initiative, which is tied to getting a learner into and through the higher education system successfully, especially as higher education becomes less traditional. 
• How a higher education transcript is central to the higher ed experience, and it hasn’t changed in 50 years!
• How AACRAO’s caucus groups help members find their community. 

References:

• AACRAO website
• Strategic Enrollment Management
• Learning Mobility

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In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Joanna Fawzy Doran, CEO at Triage Cancer. Joanna discusses:

• The legal and practical issues associated with having cancer, including access to health insurance coverage, knowing how to get access to proper care, employment issues, accessing disability benefits, finances and managing medical bills.
• How Triage Cancer partners with other cancer organizations to educate cancer patients, their families and their health care teams.
• How Triage Cancer offers events all over the country, not just the major metro areas, but the far flung reaches of the country, including Guam!
• Their advocacy efforts to protect and increase patients’ rights.
• How Triage Cancer staff attorneys respond to thousands of emails and calls each year!
• Triage Cancer’s checklists, guides, tip sheets, videos, blog, webinars and podcast.
• How Joanna and her sister literally wrote the book about Cancer Rights!

References:

• Triage Cancer website
• Cancer Rights Law Book

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Kelli Baxter, Executive Director at the American Translators Association (ATA) . Kelli discusses:

• The difference between a translator and an interpreter.
• How AI is disrupting and disrupting the profession.
• ATA’s new virtual conference called “Translating and Interpreting the Future” that was a huge success.
• ATA’s new year-round sponsorship program.
• How the association is navigating being in Florida for their annual conference this year.
• ATA’s prestigious certification program; only 20% of people who sit for the test pass.
• How a recent member survey revealed that 62% of ATA members are close to retirement.
• ATA’s new social media initiatives and ATA ambassadors.

References:

• ATA Website
• The ATA Podcast
• ATA’s Virtual Events

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews John Tramontana, CEO at Michigan Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA). 

John discusses:

• How MVMA promotes and advances veterinary medicine throughout Michigan.
• The diverse environments in which his members work.
• What it was like to be a veterinarian during the pandemic.
• How vets shifted their business practices during the pandemic, including telehealth visits with established clients. Yes, vets performed pet exams over Zoom and set up curbside visits!
• How MVMA is trying to really listen to their members.
• How MVMA is using data to understand member trends and shifts in demographics.
• How veterinary medicine has shifted from being male-dominated to women-dominated.
• MVMA’s Power of 10 Leadership Academy.
• How and why MVMA added an organization-based member type in 2022.

References:

• MVMA Website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Lisa Salberg, Founder and CEO of the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association (HCMA).

Lisa discusses:

• What Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is.
• Lisa’s own journey of having Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and how she no longer has the condition because of a heart transplant.
• Why Lisa created the Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Association.
• HCMA’s most important benefit: each member gets a free intake call, a book, a journal, and guidance on how to navigate the healthcare system and get the best care.
• HCM Centers of Excellence.
• HCMA’s goal of reaching the 85% percent of HCM patients who are not diagnosed.
• Lisa’s advice for founders of organizations.

References:

• HCMA Website
• ABC News interview of Lisa Salberg holding her own heart after her transplant

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Chuck Ingoglia, President and CEO of The National Council for Mental Wellbeing or the National Council. Chuck introduces the National Center, shares his journey to becoming the Chief Executive, and the things that the National Council is doing to thrive. Chuck discusses:

• Who the members of the National Council are and the services they provide.
• How the National Council worked with the US Congress and state legislatures early in the pandemic to allow telehealth visits with providers to be reimbursable.
• Why so many association and nonprofit chief execs come from government affairs.
• The National Council’s Mental Health First Aid course and how it’s fueled the organization’s growth and success.  The National Council has now trained over 3 million people in mental health first aid.
• The National Council’s goal of training 22 million people in mental health first aid.
• The National Council’s advocacy efforts that led to Congress approving $8 billion dollars for states to expand certified community behavioral health clinics (CCBHCs).
• The service that allows anyone in the US to dial 988 and be connected with a mental health professional. This is akin to dialing 911, but for mental health support.
• How they had Rob Lowe and Daniel Pink as speakers at their annual conference last May.
• How they tried new things at this year’s annual conference, including meetups for different groups, and a puppy park where attendees could come and play with, and adopt, puppies!
• How their membership is strong and growing!

References:

• National Council for Mental Wellbeing website
• Mental Health First Aid
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Todd Hauptli, CEO of the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE). Todd introduces AAAE, talks about his journey to becoming CEO, and then discusses what AAAE is doing to thrive. Todd discusses:

• How he made the move from government affairs to becoming the chief executive.
• How he wrote a book that charted a plan for growing the association’s revenue to $100M by 2028 and presented it to the search committee as part of the interview process for the CEO role.
• How just 2% of AAAE’s revenue comes from dues! The rest of of AAAE’s revenues come from partnerships with best in class for profit companies to provide mission-critical products and services to airports.
• How he believes that great people, aligned around a shared vision, committed to excellence, can achieve amazing results, as has been the result at AAAE.
• How AAAE takes a lot of its revenue and delivers it to the Foundation, which gives it back to the profession through scholarships and professional development grants.
• How AAAE took the lead during the pandemic and convinced the federal government to help save the airline industry and the airports.
• How domestic travel is back, even surpassing 2019 numbers in some cases, but international travel still has a ways to go to reach pre-pandemic levels.
• How AAAE is on track to reach $133M in top line revenue in 2023! Which means Todd reached and exceeded his $100M goal well before 2028!

References:

• AAAE website
• AAAE’s Airport Solutions

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Lowell Aplebaum, CEO of Vista Cova. Lowell introduces Vista Cova, talks about his journey to becoming founder and CEO of Vista Cover, and then discusses why governance is so critical to the success of an organization. Lowell discusses:

• How managing Board relationships well is essential to the success of any chief executive.
• How chief execs bring in outside facilitators when their voice needs to be part of the discussion and when they want to be sure the discussion is balanced and objective.
• How outside facilitators can help organizations navigate hard discussions and tough decisions.
• How  governance are the bodies of the organization that determine direction and help allocate the right resources in the right way to get to that direction.
• His top tips for improving relations with Board and committee members every week.
• How committees should be like phoenixes. When an organization creates a new strategic plan, all committees should be sunsetted, and then reborn to support the new strategic plan.
• How organizations should have a schedule for reviewing their governance so that when they do it, it’s objective, and does not rely on who’s in the seats at the time.
• The difference between having a nominating committee and a leadership development committee.
• Vista Cova’s Charrette, which brings together a small gathering of industry thought leaders who decide on the most important issues of the day and who walk away with better questions and a better understanding of those issues.

References:

• Vista Cova website
• Vista Cova’s Charrette
• The Will to Govern Well by Glenn Tecker
• Recruit the Right Board by Mark Engle

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Carly Boos, Executive Director of the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Society or CLL Society. Carly introduces CLL Society, talks about her journey to becoming the Executive Director, and discusses the things CLL Society is doing to thrive. Carly discusses:

• What CLL is, that it’s a blood cancer that is both a leukemia and a lymphoma.
• The push and pull between mission and margin, and how well-run organizations are able to do more.
• How she was brought in to develop the organization’s first strategic plan, and she started with a SWOT analysis and lots of conversations with stakeholders.
• How everything that CLL Society undertakes is measured against the strategic plan to ensure algnment with the plan.
• Their new community hematologist outreach program.
• How patients who are being treated by an oncologist or hematologist who is not focused on CLL often have worse treatment outcomes, so CLL Society has a program to connect patients with experts at no charge.
• CLL Society’s in person and virtual support groups.
• CLL Society’s research grant program, which encourages research and innovation into new treatments for CLL.

References:

• CLL Society website

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Dr. Annise Mabry, Founder & Executive Director of The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation. Annise introduces the Foundation, talks about her journey from being a homeschool mom to founding the Foundation, and then talks about what the Foundation is doing to improve communities, especially in rural America.

Annise discusses:

• How she started her foundation because the reading curriculum she wanted to buy for her homeschooled son was only available to nonprofits.
• The students who reached out because they had developed a model that could predict the next Ferguson.
• How Annise and the students discovered that communities that have higher levels of non-high school graduates results in a higher risk of becoming another Ferguson.
• How Annise’s homeschool cooperative has partnered with police and sheriff departments to increase the high school graduation rate in counties across Georgia.
• How high school graduates have so many more doors open to them than non-high school graduates.
• How Annise created the SW Georgia Community Policing Resource Center, which is a partnership between Walmart and police and sheriff departments to create cops’ closets; people who have an interaction with law enforcement can receive clothing, furniture, food, and other necessities free of charge.
• How police officers deliver donated gifts to kids in poor communities with blue lights and sirens!
• How Annise measures the effectiveness and impact of the Foundation’s efforts.

References:

• The Dr. Annise Mabry Foundation website
• Tiers Free Alternative Diploma Program
• SW George Community Policing Resource Center

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bob Thomas, President & CEO at Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (CMHA). Bob introduces CMHA, talks about his journey to becoming CEO, and then shares what CMHA is doing to thrive. Bob discusses:

• How Bob was introduced to the association through a research grant that he received while in graduate school.
• The merger between NCMA and ICPI: why the two organizations decided to merge, when the discussions started, and how the new CMHA has evolved in the last year.
• How you merge two organizations that have different legacies, cultures, and offerings to members.
• The new concrete masonry checkoff program, which Bob and NCMA worked on for nearly a decade.
• The new checkoff program will provide promotion, research and training to benefit the concrete masonry industry and encourage use and innovations.
• Hardscape North America, the tradeshow for hardscape contractors, dealers, and landscape professionals!
• The industry’s focus on sustainability.

References:

• CMHA website
• Concrete masonry checkoff program
• Concrete masonry building solutions
• Hardscapes solutions
• Hardscape North America tradeshow

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Eve Lee, Executive Director of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA). Eve introduces AOPA, shares her journey to becoming Executive Director, and the things AOPA is doing to thrive. Eve discusses:

• What orthotists and prosthetists do.
• How she loves being an association executive!
• How AOPA has gotten legislation passed in four states such that insurance companies now cover recreational prosthetic devices that today are mostly covered through charity.
• How AOPA uses partnership to amplify their message at the grassroots level.
• How AOPA uses partnership to improve their own learning about what’s happening in the field.
• AOPA’s affinity health plan and AOPAversity.
• How this year’s National Assembly will feature: a Digital Showcase that will allow manufacturers to show off their most cutting edge products and services, an event at the NAACP museum that will celebrate athletics and kids being active, and a women of O&P luncheon.
• How membership is steady. There is a lot of consolidation in the space and private equity money is coming into the industry.

References:

• AOPA website
• AOPAversity

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Allison Grealis, President and Founder of the Women in Manufacturing Association (WIM). Allison introduces WIM, shares why and how she founded WIM, and the initiatives behind WIM’s astounding growth. Allison discusses: 

• How women now represent 30% of the manufacturing workforce, up from 24% over a decade ago.
• How WIM’s goals are to have the manufacturing workforce be 50% women, AND have more women in leadership roles.
• How the pandemic and virtualization of WIM’s programming allowed the association to go global. 
• How WIM is expanding internationally by working with companies around the world to organize and host events.
• How WIM helps companies recruit through virtual career fairs.
• How WIM spent two years developing training that helps women move into leadership roles.
• How companies find WIM through attendance and speaking at industry events, podcast interviews, LinkedIn groups, and social media postings.
• WIM’s partnership with Jobs for the Future to help recruit more women into registered apprenticeship programs.
• WIM’s podcast, Hear Her Story!

References:

• Women in Manufacturing Association website
• Hear Her Story podcast
• WIM 2023 Summit
• Jobs for the Future

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Johnnie White, CEO of ASA, a professional society for appraisers. Johnnie introduces ASA, talks about his journey to becoming CEO, and then discusses the changes he’s shepherding at ASA to grow the association. Johnnie discusses:

• The different types of appraisers and why ASA designations are so important
• The new member types at ASA that are meant to welcome other professionals in the industry
• ASA Difference, an initiative to make the public more aware of the appraisal profession
• ASA Connect, the new ASA community that allows members to connect with other members in their category or industry
• ASA’s hybrid event strategy that is in response to members demanding both in person and virtual events

References:

• ASA website
• ASA Difference toolkit for members