Associations Thrive

How do two organizations with common members serve the industry better? When does it make sense to merge organizations? How do you ease the transition to a new, unified organization? 

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

How do you use partnerships to amplify your message, get things accomplished and get feedback from the field? How do you shape state policies so that insurance companies cover more of what patients need to live their best lives?

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

How do you expand your membership across the country and around the world? What’s really working to recruit women into industry, and help them move up in their careers?

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

How do you expand the definition of membership so your association can grow? How do you promote your profession and designations to highlight your members’ professionalism?

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

How do you navigate a political topic like censorship when you have members on all sides of the debate? How do you evolve as an association when the environments that your members work in are changing so dramatically?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Tracie Hall, Executive Director of the American Library Association (ALA). Tracie introduces ALA, talks about her journey to becoming Executive Director, and the things ALA is doing to thrive, and defend our rights to read and learn. Tracie Hall discusses:

• The Five Truths of Library Science.
• The diversity of libraries and how they are changing so dramatically.
• As information has become more digital, we don’t need the library itself to be a repository of physical books.
• How ALS is navigating the censorship debate in America today.
• ALS’ commitment to the freedom to read, adult literacy and broadband for all.
• How Tracie looked back on ALA’s history to see how the association navigated the McCarthy era and the state-sanctioned book bans and censorship campaigns.
• The importance of DEI to ALA, specifically because libraries serve all people, and the librarian profession is not as diverse as it should be.
• The ALA Annual Conference coming up on June 22, 2023 in Chicago.
• What it’s like to be a librarian these days.

References:

• American Library Association (ALA) website
• The Five Laws of Library Science by Ranganathan
• ALA Annual Conference
• ALA Divisions
• ALA’s Fight Censorship page
• The ALA on Diversity
• Unite Against Book Bans

What’s the best way to work with community organizations to recruit and retain workers from underserved communities to benefit your industry?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jennifer Poff, Executive Director from North State Building Industry Association Foundation. Jennifer introduces the Foundation, talks about her journey to becoming ED, and then talks about how the Foundation is thriving and serving the Sacramento area. Jennifer discusses:

• How the Foundation is looking to change the makeup of the residential construction industry in the Sacramento area, which is still predominantly white and male.
• How the Foundation works with over 100 community organizations to recruit and nurture underserved communities; it really does take a village to help people achieve their dream jobs.
• How the Foundation has staff who speak languages like Farsi and Pashto to better serve immigrants from around the world.
• How Project My Own Bed gives kids their own bed AND gives their students experience and a connection to the community.
• How the Foundation has an annual poker tournament to raise funds for the Foundation’s work.

References:

• North State Building Industry Foundation
• Project My Own Bed

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

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How do you meet the needs of a diverse membership that includes tiny preschools, tuition-free schools in an urban area, and large, K-12 schools in an affluent suburb? What does it mean to be an independent school that is also an Episcopal school attached to a parish or cathedral?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews The Reverend David Madison, Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). David introduces NAES, talks about his journey to becoming ED of NAES, then talks about how NAES is thriving through a core commitment to helping member schools be excellent schools with an Episcopal identity. David discusses:

• How Episcopal schools are devoted to having strong academic programs and strong character development and formation for students. 
• How Episcopal schools, although they may be connected to a parish or cathedral, are independent in their academic inquiry, and in the fact that 85% of students are not from the Episcopal denomination.
• How Episcopal identity informs pedagogy, formation, student life, governance, decision-making at the Board level, curriculum decisions, hiring decisions, chapel – everything.
• How NAES is using in-person and virtual events and gatherings to create connections between members because NAES members like to get together!
• How NAES is intentional with their Biennial conference schedule to ensure that during every time block, there is content for all roles and types of schools, while focusing on Episcopal Identity during the plenary sessions.
• NAES’ consulting service that helps member schools with issues related to Episcopal Identity and governance.
• How the NAES communities allow members to post their questions, request help, and share resources 24/7; the communities are thriving!
• How NAES is set to offer monthly office hours with David and Monica (NAES Associate Director), during which members can pop in to chat with David and Monica, ask about programs, share an issue they’re facing at their school, or just say hello.

References:

• NAES website
• NAES Biennial Conference in 2024

How does a sharecropper become a pre-eminent mathematician who is able to map the world, thus paving the way for GPS? Where would we be without GPS today? Lost, for sure!

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jane Plitt, President of the National Center of Women’s Innovations (NCWI). Jane introduces the Center, talks about her journey to becoming President, and then shares some amazing stories of women innovators, including:

• Dr. Gladys West, the African-American woman who used math to map the earth's shape and made GPS possible.
• Hedy Lamarr, the glamorous film star who, at the beginning of World War II, helped to develop a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes that used spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to defeat the threat of jamming by the Axis powers.
• Martha Matilda Harper, the inventor of the international retail franchising concept, the reclining shampoo chair and cutout sink.
• Vesta Stoudt who, during WWII, was worried that the packaging for ammunition wasn’t strong enough, so she invented duct tape. And the world was changed forever.

Jane also talks about the origins of the Center, why it’s important to tell the stories of women innovators, the Center’s upcoming gala in October 2023 where Dr. Gladys West will be honored, and the interactive museum they will create in the VA Tech campus opening up in Alexandria, VA.

References:

• NCWI Website
• Donate to NCWI

How do you professionalize an organization? When and how does a Board decide that an organization is ready for a large technology overhaul? And does color matter when it comes to conference merchandise? (Hint: the answer is yes!)

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Cynthia Young, Executive Director of the American Art Therapy Association. Cynthia introduces AATA, talks about her journey to becoming ED of AATA, and then discusses the things AATA is doing to grow and thrive. Cynthia discusses:

• What art therapy is and how it’s different from talk therapy
• How patients don’t need to be good at art for art therapy to be effective
• How becoming ED of AATA was her first chief exec job AND her first association job
• The amazing support she’s received from the association community
• How the Board came to decide on a large overhaul of AATA technology
• How AATA’s new website, membership database and community helped the organization thrive during the pandemic
• The DE&I aspect of AATA: while art therapists serve a hugely diverse set of clients, art therapists tend to be white and female
• How AATA gave student members the ability to vote
• How AATA went from having one membership meeting a year, to six all-member meetings a year
• How AATA members seem to love the color purple, so Cynthia is sure to always sell purple merchandise at conference

References:

• American Art Therapy Association
• Americans for the Arts

Can one act of kindness change a person’s life forever? Joe Sellers says YES.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Joe Sellers, General President of SMART, the International Union of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers. Joe introduces SMART, talks about his journey to becoming General President, and talks about what SMART is doing to usher in a new era of union construction and thrive as an international union. Joe discusses:

• What SMART does and how it represents a diverse set of professions and crafts.
• How SMART members are in all of our communities, making sure our HVAC systems are installed properly, driving buses and metro trains, and everything in between.
• His neighborhood in Philadelphia that celebrated kids joining the union and how he finally made it to the sheet metal apprenticeship program in his second year of trying.
• How we are about to see a huge construction boom in this country, as well as a renewed focus on rail.
• How SMART recruits all over the country through its training centers and contractors.
• The importance of mentorship within SMART.
• How SMART is working hard to change the culture of the union through policies, toolbox talks, and ongoing education.
• How one man changed his life forever when he offered him work at his company, after Joe suffered a terrible motorcycle accident and had been out of work for seven months.

References:

• SMART Website
• The different crafts within SMART
• SMART Women’s Committee