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2025 Annual Summit Session Descriptions
November 5-6, 2025
The Pfister Hotel | Milwaukee, WI
Opening Keynote: Rise Above Chaos and Discover Significance
Erick Rheam
All busy professionals desire to lead a life a significance, to know that their life had an impact on others and made a difference. However, the whirlwinds of life create chaos that often pulls from every direction leading to frustration, overwhelm and regret.
This inspiring session pulls from my 20-year research that led to a proven methodology of not only surviving chaos but rising above it so that a busy and overwhelmed professional can achieve a life of significance at home and at work.
Breakout Session #1: Proper (and Legal) Influence is a Must in Today’s World
Andy Phillips
Attorney, President & CEO, Attolles Law S.C.
There are rules surrounding what types of political engagement are allowed depending upon the status of your organization. This session will explore some of those constraints to ensure you and your constituents stay “legal.” And once that boring stuff is out of the way, Andy and Mark will discuss how to best utilize legal counsel to develop an effective and compliant advocacy strategy.
Breakout Session #2: Master the Seven Elements of the Perfect Day
Erick Rheam
To achieve a life of significance, you must learn to master yourself. The whirlwind of life gets in the way and couple that with daily bad habits and it’s nearly impossible to rise above the chaos and live a significant life.
In this fun and interactive workshop, I unpack the seven elements of the perfect day that I discovered on my own journey back to significance. I unlock the seven habits, that if applied daily will insulate you from the whirlwind so that you may focus on the. principles necessary to find your own level of significance.
General Session Keynote: No More Awkward: How to Handle the Conversations That Matter Most with Your Board & Members
Susan Thomson
CEO, Licensed ActionCOACH Business & Executive Coaching
Every Association Executive faces them: the board member who dominates meetings, the member with an unrealistic demand, or the conversation you’ve been putting off for with the board for months. Avoiding these moments can cost trust, momentum, and member engagement.
In this energizing keynote, you’ll learn how to move past the awkwardness and approach tough conversations with confidence. Using the proven SPA framework, Starters, Preparation and Attitude, Susan Thomson will show you how to shift difficult discussions into productive dialogue that builds stronger relationships, healthier boards, and more engaged members.
You’ll walk away with practical tools, real-world examples, and the courage to tackle the conversations that matter most—without blowing up, backing down, or burning bridges.
Breakout Session #3: Ask the Attorney
Andy Phillips
Attorney, President & CEO, Attolles Law S.C.
This session will explore a variety of legal topics related to employment law and the complications presented by the at-times divisive world in which we live. But this is not an opportunity to simply sit back and listen – there will be real time engagement on topics of interest to the entire crowd.
Breakout Session #4: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
More session details coming soon!
Afternoon Keynote: Adapting Leadership in a Changing World: Using Your AI to Lead with Alignment and Influence
 Amber Swenor
Change is all around us, and it’s accelerating. Most of the skills professionals learn today will be outdated in just a few years and for technical skills, that window is even shorter.
Meanwhile, the human brain is wired for stability and predictability. When change outpaces the brain’s ability to process it, it overwhelms the nervous system and triggers stress responses that can cloud decision-making, block creativity and undermine leadership confidence.
And yet, you hold the power within you to be the leader your organization, your team and your members need, even in times of uncertainty.
In this energizing and empowering session, transformational strategist Amber Swenor guides association professionals to connect with their zone of genius and lead from a grounded, authentic place of influence. You’ll explore how to build leadership impact, not by doing more, but by leading from alignment with your values, strengths and vision.
Because the truth is: influence isn’t granted—it’s cultivated. And when you lead from your internal power, you create trust, momentum and meaningful results for yourself, your team, and your members.
Opening Session: Going Sideways to Go Up: Navigating Your Association Management Career
 Rebecca Brandt
Executive Director, Inc
Sometimes the path to career growth isn’t a straight line—especially in association management, where professional titles and opportunities can vary widely. This session will explore the unique career pathways within association management and highlight how diverse experiences can help you grow in unexpected and rewarding ways. Attendees will gain strategies for navigating career development, uncover opportunities to broaden their expertise, and learn how to identify the right partners and mentors to support their professional journey.
Breakout Session #5: Association Investing – Best Practices for Your Investment Program
 Joe Guest
CIMA, Raffa Investment Advisors
This interactive session is designed to provide association leaders with actionable insights into the world of association investing. Covering everything from identifying how much to hold in reserve, to investment policy best practices, lessons learned from the Study on Nonprofit Investing, and more, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn how to strengthen your association’s investment program.
Breakout Session #6: Connecting with Intention: Proactive, Personalized, and Practical Member Strategies
Denise Husenica
Elizabeth Clausen
More session details coming soon!
Closing Keynote: Reflect, Reset, Renew
Dawn Zak, MS, LPC, CSAC
EAP Account Executive
Aurora Employee Assistance Program
Whether you're leading a team, managing a household, or just trying to navigate daily life, your energy and wellbeing are at the core of every decision and interaction. Competing demands often vie for our attention and can create stress.
When you leave yourself out of the care equation, this stress builds and can lead to physical and emotional exhaustion, reduced job satisfaction, and a higher risk of mental health problems. In the end the ripple effect reaches those we work with, our families, and communities.
This 60-minute session is a self-focused wellbeing opportunity. Time for self-attention, for inside out reflection and renewal, both well-deserved and needed. This presentation is designed to give participants time to start with self – to take a step back, take a deep breath, and carve out time for yourself (guilt free) so that you might find you are better equipped to support your customers and each other.
In this interactive time we will take a closer look at what is on your plate that might be creating overwhelm and stress, the implications of cumulative stress, and the good news about post traumatic growth.
There is not a quick fix remedy for stress and there are ways we can nurture and support our well- being. It starts with us... I care for myself, so I can care for you, and we can then care for those we serve.
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