Associations Thrive

How do you celebrate Hispanic heritage all year long? How do you respond when a baby is separated from her mother at the border? What do you do when you realize agricultural workers are being asked to work without personal protective equipment?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Antonio Tijerino, President & CEO at Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Antonio introduces the Foundation, talks about his journey to becoming CEO, then discusses how the Foundation is growing and thriving. He discusses:

• The origins of the Foundation and Hispanic Heritage Month
• His personal philosophy of big ears, big heart, and big guts
• Why it’s important to stay flexible, resourceful and optimistic when meeting the needs of your constituents
• The Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center each year
• How the Foundation responded to the call to provide agricultural workers with masks during the pandemic
• How the Foundation worked with Microsoft to create the first Latino-themed Minecraft game, Latin Explorers
• The Foundation’s work at the border and why he’s impatient with sexism, racism, Islamophobia, and anti-semitism
• How the Foundation is trying to close the digital divide that exists within in the Latino communities
• The Foundation’s Charlas
• His Fritanga podcast
• How the Foundation has reached 30 million students in 30 different languages, and taught 100,000 kids how to code

References:

• Hispanic Heritage Foundation website
• Fritanga Podcast

How do you define your leadership values and how do you ensure they guide everything you do, from job hunting, to developing programs, recruiting members, and managing your staff? 

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Wendy-Jo Toyama, CEO of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM). Wendy-Jo introduces AAHPM, talks about her journey to becoming CEO, then discusses what AAHPM is doing differently to thrive. She discusses:

• What hospice and palliative care are, the settings they are provided in, and the professionals who provide this care.
• Wendy-Jo’s leadership values of creativity, courage, service, justice and family.
• What it means to be an interdisciplinary association.
• How associations are never going back to what life was like before the pandemic.
• How AAHPM just had their two highest membership months ever.
• The importance of AAPHM’s communities, which are meeting virtually and in person.
• AAHPM’s four innovations: Being Interdisciplinary, Focus on Philanthropy, DE&I, and Data Analytics.
• How AAHPM gave interdisciplinary members voice and vote, including two new Board members who are interdisciplinary.
• Wendy’s work with ASAE to increase the number of AAPI individuals in the association profession.

References:

• AAHPM Homepage
• AAHPM Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
• AAHPM Giving Center
• Reasons To Give – includes donor stories and Impact Reports
• Medicare.gov provides some background on finding hospice care
• Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!); https://uppbeat.io/t/paul-yudin/quiet-flight; License code: KJRRI6GHC7WKCLDT

How do you serve a diverse membership that includes 3 year olds, 90 year olds, and everything in between? How do you make sure that your membership process maintains standards and is fair and equitable? How do you create new products and services that generate revenue and are true to the organization’s brand identity?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Trevor Mitchell, Executive Director/CEO, American Mensa. Trevor introduces American Mensa, discusses his journey to becoming ED, and talks about what American Mensa is doing to grow membership and thrive.  Trevor discusses:

• American Mensa’s diverse membership
• How the membership process is being revisited to ensure that it’s fair and equitable to all?
• Why the smartest people in the world need a community like Mensa
• American Mensa’s strategy of retaining membership in the post-pandemic world
• American Mensa’s communities and their value to the membership
• New products that services that will generate revenue and extend the brand, including a wine offering, and two TV shows
• How American Mensa’s annual meeting is like no other

References:

• American Mensa website
• Mensa International

What does it mean to be a digital native association? How do you expand membership within member organizations? How do you support your members in a post-pandemic world?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jeff Shields, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Business Officers Association (NBOA). Jeff introduces NBOA, talks about his journey to becoming CEO at NBOA, and discusses how membership is roaring back post--pandemic. Jeff discusses:

• How his relationship with the NBOA Board powers the association.
• How NBOA was born a digital native. The association didn’t start with a large, in person meeting. They started with online meetings and education. 
• How NBOA is going to become a fully virtual organization in 2024. 
• How NBOA is reaching out to more roles at independent schools in an effort to deepen engagement at member schools. 
• How the NBOA magazine and Melissa Zinder on Jeff’s staff recently won Trendy awards from Association Trends. 

References:

• NBOA website
• NBOA magazine - Net Assets

What moves someone to found an organization that provides healthcare to the most vulnerable? How do you leverage relationships with healthcare providers to provide comprehensive care to patients? How do you sustain fundraising efforts all year long?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Dr. Ahman Nooristani, Founder of the SLO Noor Foundation and Savie Health Clinic. Dr. Nooristani introduces the Clinics, talks about why he founded these two organizations, and discusses how the Clinics are making an impact in their communities. Dr. Nooristani discusses:

• How he was moved to start the SLO Noor Foundation when he learned that 30% of the population in San Luis Obispo was uninsured.
• How the majority of his patients at the Clinic are middle-class individuals and families.
• The comprehensive nature of the Clinics. The Clinics offer medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, lab, physical therapy, and even surgery services to the uninsured.
• How he leverages donations to the Clinics with significant in-kind services.
• The fundraising challenges faced by the Clinics.
• The impact on an entire community when just one person gets sick and can’t get the health care they need.

References:

• SLO Noor Foundation
• Savie Health
• Make a donation and support the SLO Noor Foundation
• Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/tobias-voigt/nexus; License code: M2POPMBVFCE0RIPZ

How do you determine what your associations’ core services should be? And once identified, how do you stay committed to these core services? How do you identify adjacent markets and modify your governance to grow?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Dan Berger, President & CEO of the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions (NAFCU). Dan introduces NAFCU, talks about his journey to becoming CEO of NAFCU, and talks about how NAFCU is growing and thriving. Dan discusses:

• How NAFCU is obsessively focused on ACE - Advocacy, Compliance and Education. If a program or service doesn’t belong to one of these buckets, NAFCU does not do it anymore.
• How and why NAFCU went from being the National Association of Federal Credit Unions to becoming the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions.
• How NAFCU’s hiring matrix includes a requirement that a job candidate have experience being a member of a team, any kind of team, including a sports team or a music group.
• How Dan addressed his leadership blind spots as a CEO by hiring an executive coach and creating a personal cabal of other association CEOs.
• How NAFCU thrived during the pandemic by staying focused on advocacy, nurturing their communities, launching podcasts, creating an in-house video studio to increase production value of their education, and opening up their executive conference.

References:

• NAFCU Website
• NAFCU’s focus on ACE (Advocacy, Compliance and Education)
• NAFCU’s 2022 Accomplishments
• Dan Berger Leadership Blog
• NAFCU CUPP Podcast

How do you support emergency physician members who are exhausted after three years of a pandemic? How do you revamp traditional member benefits, including an annual conference, publication and education?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bailey McMurray, Executive Director of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians (ICEP). Bailey introduces ICEP, talks about her journey to becoming ED, and then talks about what ICEP is doing to support members and rebuild membership. Bailey discusses:

• Why becoming the Executive Director of a healthcare association was the best profession for her, given her family background and interests.
• What ICEP is doing to stem membership decline that was being caused by members leaving the profession and a global pandemic.
• How membership is everyone's job at ICEP.
• WHY and HOW membership is everyone’s job at ICEP.
• How ICEP took its oral board review course online, with great success!
• How Bailey is transforming Illinois EPIC, EPIC’s quarterly publication, into a multimedia experience.
• ICEP’s most important advocacy issues, including reducing violence in the ER (emergency room), and boarding and crowding.
• Her superpower! (You gotta listen to find out!)

References:

• ICEP website
• ICEP oral board review courses

What does it mean to be an association for students and run by students? How do you create member value and drive retention when your members turn over every few years? How do you advocate for student members in a rigorous profession that can be very hard on students?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Larry Hoffer, Executive Director, American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). Larry introduces AIAS, talks about his journey to becoming Executive Director, and then shares what the organization is doing to advocate for students and provide real benefits. Larry discusses:

• How the AIAS Board President and Vice President change every year AND work for the Executive Director.
• The Alliance, which is a coalition of architecture associations from around the country, including AIAS, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA).
• How Larry focused on staffing at AIAS after two years of the association being chronically understaffed as a result of the pandemic.
• How AIAS has brought back in person meetings, to the delight of members.
• How membership and meeting attendance are way up.
• The benefit that Larry is most proud of: four free counseling sessions from Better Help for ALL members, no matter where they are in the world.

References:

• AIAS website
• AIAS chapters

Post-pandemic, what aspects of your organization do you revisit and change? In this episode of Associations Thrive, Wade Koehler, Executive Director or Foodservice Consultants Society International, the Americas Division, says EVERYTHING! Wade discusses:

• What foodservice consultants are and how they design commercial kitchens in every type of environment imaginable.
• Why FCSI launched a podcast.
• How FCSI blew up its annual conference by bringing in new members to help plan the event, adding new social events, eliminating the formal banquet, adding unique experiences, and so many more changes!
• How he creates amazing events by imagining the attendees’ experience from the time they arrive at the venue and check-in, to the time they leave for home.
• Their new Bizessentials webinar program that helps members get better at every aspect of their businesses.
• An annual project showcase that features amazing projects by amazing members to the greater design community.
• How membership is growing, revenue is growing, and members and suppliers alike are thrilled with the association.

References:

• FCSI The Americas Division
• Project Showcase
• FCI International

Did you know that every piece of clothing you own was hand sewn? What is the state of the garment industry in the US? In the world? How do you reinvigorate an executive conference and tradeshow? 

In this episode of Associations Thrive, Michael McDonald, President of the Sewn Product Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA), introduces SPESA, talks about his journey to becoming President, and discusses: 

• His philosophy of trying to be at the right place at the right time by being everywhere and volunteering, walking around, getting to know people.
• How the garment industry is one of the last industries to be automated because they work with soft fabrics. Every piece of clothing is still hand sewn!
• How SPESA reinvented its executive conferences.
• Why Michael will never hold a conference without a partner organization ever again.
• How SPESA is bringing back training to its tradeshow floor and reimagining its pavilions and programs.

References:

• SPESA website
• Texprocess Americas 2023
• Behind the Seams Magazine