Have you ever been in a meeting where there has been a motion on the floor and a Board Member chimes in with a few reasons why the Board might want to exercise some caution, prior to the deciding vote? Perhaps you or others sitting at the table may have viewed the person or comment as negative and not someone who wanted to move the organization forward.

The theme for the Mid-Atlantic Society of Association Executive’s Annual Meeting was diversity. I was fortunate to be able to attend a session titled “Ignite Creativity with Cognitive Diversity: Critical for Survival Growth in Today's Complex World.”

As a Baby Boomer who spent her entire career in the world of membership-based nonprofit association management, you can just imagine the changes that I have experienced during my almost 40-year career. During my self-introduction when delivering any presentation, attendees chuckle when I share that I’m old and “B.C.” – (Before Computer!).

When the title of the meeting is Learnapalooza, you attend the program with anticipation of gaining insight to changes in expectations of how association members want to gather information and learn new material. The two-day program didn’t disappoint. Topics ranged from understanding the changing landscape of today’s learners to dynamic evolution of digitally marketing your educational programs.

At a recent meeting of AMC (Association Management Company) colleagues, I had a chance to deliver a presentation highlighting the new easy to access tools available as a result of the ASAE Foundation’s latest research initiative, ForesightWorks.