The Association Blog

The Association’s Vice President of Programs shares our number-one priority in designing our professional development offerings. (Hint: there are 1,600 of them)

Over the last few years, I’ve seen interest in online learning wax and wane. Many of us in the field are trying to figure out the best way to reach the most people with impactful professional development offerings without increasing Zoom fatigue. It’s a hard nut to crack. To become better informed so we could make better decisions, we asked you for feedback.

Earlier this year we conducted a survey of our 1,600 members, and close to 300 people responded—a strong response rate. What we heard from you was clear: you want to connect with your peers for networking, coaching, and problem solving. One of you even called them “virtual learning circles,” which I loved. You also asked for roundtables with discussion and brainstorming afterwards. And you want professional development that speaks both to executive functions and to the training needs of emerging leaders.

The Leadership Summit – Designed with you in mind

We were trying to meet these needs when we began planning The Leadership Summit, hosted last month. We wanted an experience that included high-level content fit for executives and emerging leaders alike, connection with peers, and a chance for you to hear from other industry leaders about how they’re living these concepts in their work. It sometimes felt like we were trying to deliver everything to everyone, but we took it on.

This Leadership Summit was an incredible collaboration across our Association team. From the earliest stages, Executive VP Katherine Shenar, Senior Director of Professional Development Valerie Sheppard, and I worked closely on keynote selection. It was Valerie’s idea to bridge keynotes and discussion sessions with practical, field-tested tips from leaders—that’s how the panels came to life.

When it came time to finalize the run of show, I was unexpectedly out due to a death in the family. In my absence, Director of DEI Initiatives Jasmin Robinson, drawing on her extensive curriculum design experience, and Director of Operations Lori Minton, an extraordinary project manager, worked with Valerie to shore up every nuance of the event. When I returned and saw what the team had built, I was so proud of how our vision had come to life. The format was simple but powerful: each of the three days featured one info-packed 90-minute session consisting of an incredible 30-minute keynote session, followed by a 25-minute panel of members sharing real-life examples of how they’re applying those principles in their organizations, and then 35 minutes of discussion time for attendees to consider what they heard and learned. And most importantly, to commit to the pieces they wanted to bring back to their work, their team, their community.  

I’ll admit, I was a little nervous about trying something new. But the results speak for themselves: our post-event survey revealed that 92% of the attendees said the experience was excellent or at least good, and 64% reported they would definitely apply new strategies learned. That’s a remarkably high application rate, and we were thrilled. We were just as thrilled with what we learned in the process.

The Annual Conference – Connection at the center

In-person learning and networking are still at the heart of The Annual Conference, but this year we’ve taken extra steps to make those moments more intentional and impactful. We’ve built in new ways for you to connect with peers, reflect on what you’ve heard, and translate big ideas into action plans to take home with you. We’ve also added a playful twist with our Furmily Feud event, because building community should be fun as well as meaningful. Our goal is that you’ll leave Atlanta not only inspired, but equipped with strategies—and accountability—to put what you’ve learned into practice.

Keep the conversation going

This is just the beginning. Our programs will continue to evolve based on what’s happening in the field and what we hear from you.

As we plan future programs, what’s one thing we could do that would help you feel more supported in your role?