Through the Noise

Ernesto runs the show solo again today while Blake is creating a podcast for another organization (need help with yours? Get in touch!). We're excited to chat with Janet Koster, Executive Director for the Association for Women in Science, the only organization in the United States working at the intersection of STEM and gender. Women have traditionally been underrepresented in the sciences and as recent as the 1960s and 1970s were not even admitted to many of the prestigious science programs. AWIS was founded in 1971 to rectify the imbalance and give women a voice and to increase visibility and opportunities for women across all STEM fields. Women entering (and already in) STEM fields face a number of obstacles men many not even recognize and AWIS is actively working to even the playing field. For more on their programs and initiatives, don't miss this episode and find out how to connect and collaborate.

Ernesto flies solo again from the host chair as Blake is away traveling. We're excited to welcome back to the show Bethany Henderson, the Executive Director of DC SCORES, a Washington, DC-based organization that inspired a national organization and chapters around the country. DC SCORES provides free after-school programming to children in Washington, DC that includes team-based learning and activities like soccer and creating spoken word poetry. They have recently become a community partner of DC United, the professional soccer team in Washington, DC and collaborate on events and activities that enrich the lives of everyone involved. Find out what it takes to run a nonprofit on a school calendar rather than a fiscal year and get some tips to bring back to your own organization. Bethany Rubin Henderson is an award-winning social entrepreneur whose career has spanned the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including service as a White House Fellow in the Obama Administration. She strongly believes every child deserves an equal chance and every community deserves engaged citizens. Bethany and her husband have two kids, a dog, and a blog about their struggles to juggle their two-career, two-kid household. DC SCORES builds teams for low-income DC youth that instill self-expression (through poetry), physical fitness (through soccer), and a sense of community (through service). We are one of the largest DC youth development organizations, and have worked with over 9,000 students

We're happy to welcome Helena Berger of the American Association of People with Disabilities. She joins us today in her role as President and Chief Executive Officer for AAPD, but over the past (nearly) two decades, she has been held many crucial leadership positions within the organization, as well as advocating for disability rights for a quarter century. The AAPD recently acknowledged that the traditional membership plan used by most associations just wasn't a great fit for their community and the people they wanted to reach so they scrapped it. Have you been questioning the viability of your own membership plan? If so, don't miss this episode to find out how one organization is changing the game for their supporters. Helena Berger has been a disability-rights advocate for over 25 years and is currently the President & CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). She is a mission-focused, seasoned, strategic, and process minded leader with experience scaling an organization, leading an executive team, and developing a performance culture among a diverse group of individuals. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is a convener, connector, and catalyst for change, increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities.

Today's guest is Linda Darr of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Passengers are The ASLRRA represents the business owners of the 565 short line railroads carrying freight throughout the U.S. Many are small business owners, including smaller, family owned short line railroads. These also include short line excursion cars such as the ones used for Whistle Stop tours for politicians like Franklin Delano Roosevelt nearly a century ago. Passengers are not a consideration for the members of this organization and are seen as merely a barrier to commerce. Check out this episode to learn more about this industry and discover the (unpleasant) meaning of the word "foamer". Linda Bauer Darr is the President of the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. Prior to leading ASLRRA, Ms. Darr worked with every major mode of transportation either as an advocate or a government official. Ms. Darr serves on the Board of the University of Denver's Intermodal Transportation Institute, is President of the Short Line Railroad Safety Institute and is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Committee of 100 Association Executives. ASLRRA proudly represents approximately 550 small business entrepreneurial owners and operators of short line and regional railroads throughout North America. Our membership consists of over 1,000 companies which also includes firms that provide railroad switching, terminal and tourist/excursion services and supply goods and services to the short line industry.

We're happy to welcome Blake back to his host chair and theproper operation of the sound effects for Through the Noise. Shannon Steene ofthe Carpenter's Shelter in Alexandria, VA also joins us again on the show. We spoke with him over a year ago when he was new to the role of Executive Director and today we get to see what he's been working on in the past year. They have made major progress on expanding their services, offerings, and have a pretty big announcement to share with the Through the Noise community. They're holding their 15th Annual Fundraiser on April 23, the Carpenter's Cook Off with 15 local restaurants and you're invited! Show up to support the community if you're nearby. Shannon Steene is the Executive Director of Carpenter's Shelter in the City of Alexandria, Virginia. He brings more than 20 years of leadership experience to his role, having worked at local, regional and national nonprofits. The Carpenter's Shelter offers Alexandria's homeless the shelter and support to stabilize and transition back into independent living in the community.

On this episode of Through the Noise, it's the return of the Revenue Architect himself, Dave Wakeman of Wakeman Consulting Group. As always Dave specializes in helping everyone from nonprofits to Fortune 1000 companies to political advocates to fully realize their support bases. This week, Dave talks to hosts Blake and Ernesto about the challenges inherent to working with donors for charities and nonprofits. When the name of the game is garnering buy-in support for your project, Dave Wakeman is a go-to figure for advice on donor development, connectivity and communication. Dave also explains the importance of effective and relatable storytelling in fundraising campaigns, as well as staying focused along one's project path. Principal of the Wakeman Consulting Group, he's known as the "Revenue Architect" and helps organizations — nonprofits and for-profits — become more effective and make more money. Sounds great, right? Today we'll talk about the importance of storytelling in conveying your mission. Through the lens of Bunnies for Bethesda, we'll figure out how to grow effectively and scale that growth in a way that makes sense for the mission. You'll also find out more about the new Non-profit Advisory Board Networking Group we've recently initiated. Dave Wakeman is known as "The Revenue Architect." His firm works with organizations to maximize their revenue structures. Dave writes a weekly newsletter all about value creation in your organization.

So you're thinking about jumping out of a plane - for fun, of course. But how easy is it to pull that off, let alone pull the ripcord? On this week's episode, hosts Blake Althen and Ernesto Gluecksmann talk skydiving with guest Nancy Koreen, Director of Sport Promotion with the United States Parachute Association (USPA). With both a national and international presence, the USPA is a nonprofit organization committed to helping educate and facilitate all things skydiving. Nancy explains her role as a promotor of this classic thrillseeker's sport, as well as the high importance of safety, training and accountability in skydiving. Nancy also discusses skydiving as a progressive learning experience. With skills ranging from assisted beginner's jumps, to freefalls, to group diving and acrobatic formations, there's always room to learn and grow, even in the wide open sky - but always with a vital grasp on safety. So check out this episode of Through the Noise - no skydiver's certification required! Nancy Koreen has been the director of sport promotion for the U.S. Parachute Association for the past seven years. She has been skydiving for more than 20 years and has completed more than 8,000 jumps. The United States Parachute Association is a non-profit association dedicated to the promotion of safe skydiving nationwide, establishing strict safety standards, training policies and programs at more than 240 USPA-affiliated skydiving schools and centers throughout the U.S.

What do boating, flooring, wine, guitars all have in common? Wood is the easy answer. But the industry behind wood is far more complex, and there's a lot to learn for anyone looking to get into it. For this episode of Through the Noise, Blake and Ernesto talk with Cindy Squires, Executive Director for the International Wood Products Association (IWPA). Whether you're an emerging business or an emerging country, it is vital to understand the legal and ethical aspects of international wood sales and trade. Wendy talks us through how the IWPA serves to help manufacturers, retailers, importers and others navigate the world of sustainable forestry. Cindy Squires has extensive experience with law, the marine industry, the Department of Agriculture, as well as trade associations and advisory. She is also on the Board of the American Hardwood Export Council. Tune in to this in-depth look at how the IWPA extends olive branches to help emerging businesses and nations access global networks, understand compliance and regulations, and learn both what to do and what not to do in the world of sustainable wood sales and trade. Cindy L. Squires, a lawyer by training, joined the International Wood Products Association (IWPA) as Executive Director in March of 2013 and has worked previously for the marine industry, as an environmental lawyer, on Capitol Hill and in a Federal Agency. As the chief executive for the leading international trade association for the North American imported wood products industry, Cindy represents importers, manufacturers and service providers engaged in the import and use of hardwoods and softwoods from sustainably managed forests in over 30 nations across the globe. At the International Wood Products Association, we believe that supporting the legal and sustainable harvesting and trade of international wood products is the future. By building understanding and demand in North America for globally sourced wood products, we are supporting sustainably managed forests and local economies throughout the world, while supporting jobs and industry in North America."

Chris Abraham of Gerris digital is a recognized leader in digital marketing and he joins us on Through the Noise for the second time to talk strategies nonprofits can employ to get their work out and get the word out too. He last joined us in June, 2015 so we're pleased to chat with him again and see what's changed since then. Pick up some useful strategies for getting more attention online and how to get the best kind of attention. What is earned media? Why should it matter to you? How can you earn it? If you're asking these questions or wondering how you can harness the power of the internet to illuminate your mission, don't miss this episode. Chris Abraham is a leading expert in digital: online reputation management (ORM), Internet privacy, social media marketing, and digital PR with a focus on blogger outreach, blogger engagement, and Internet crisis response. After growing up in Hawaii, Chris moved to the DC area almost 27-years ago, though he has detoured through the UK, Berlin, and Portland before returning to his home in Washington. Chris has been volunteering with local homeless kitchen, Miriam's Kitchen, for over five years. Gerris is a virtual digital agency, bringing together some of the best global partners in online engagement, influencer marketing, blogger outreach, social media marketing, search engine marketing, online reputation management, content marketing, digital PR, training, and strategy. Our low overhead allows us to gladly serve startups, publishing, nonprofits, and associations.

Mickey Panayiotakis joins us again as a guest host during Blake's absence as we welcome Justin Draeger, the Executive Director of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. While paying for college and student loans are two of the most stress-inducing topics for families, NASFAA works to ease the process by providing training and assistance to over 20,000 professionals at 3,000 colleges that offer financial aid to students. Since the federal government provides the bulk of available financial aid, the regulations are strenuous, confusing, and often intimidating. The staff of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators also now offers a podcast for their members to learn more about the ins and outs of aid and how to make it as easy as possible. Justin Draeger is President and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators where he serves as the primary voice of NASFAA and as the liaison between the association members, the U.S. Congress, federal agencies and the media. Most of Justin's career has been devoted to assisting disadvantaged populations achieve their educational goals and better their communities. The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators is an organization that represents 20,000 financial aid professional around the country who are dedicated to shaping the future by promoting student access and success in higher education.

During Blake's absence, we've invited a guest host, Mickey Panayiotakis, of Infamia as we welcome our guest Patrick Atagi from the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association. Wooden pallets are one of those unique items that many people do not think about often but without which, the hauling of freight of all varieties would not be possible. There's nearly two billion pallets in the United States at any given time but they are in a constant state of use, degradation, rebuilding, and recycling to keep the wood in circulation and used again and again until it's not possible to remake into pallets. It has had a sustainable business model since the beginning and besides being good for the environment, pallet construction and recycling is labor intensive which creates and maintains jobs. Learn more about this often unconsidered but essential item and the association that advocates for it's members on Through the Noise. Atagi is a long time Washingtonian and a senior association executive with experience on Capitol Hill and as a presidential political appointee under George W. Bush. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, has an MBA from the University of Maryland, and a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). The National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) is the largest organization of wood packaging professionals in the world, with more than 670 company members in 28 countries who manufacture, repair and distribute pallets and wood packaging in unit-load solutions, or who supply products and services to the industry.

Today we bring you an unusual show -- Ernesto hosts Through the Noise alone while Blake is away. Our guest is Ronald Painter, CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards. Representing nearly 550 Workforce Development Boards and their more than 12,000 members, the NAWB strives to ensure that the workforce has the training and resources available to become effective employees in the rapidly changing work environment. Besides appropriate training, there's a tremendous number of other factors that must be considered, such as transportation, healthcare, childcare, and pensions that are shifting. Ron has been the President/CEO for the National Association of Workforce Boards, whose offices are in Washington DC, since 2009. Prior to his coming to DC, the region was home, and his career from local elected official to a local workforce board director. NAWB is the national voice for the nation's over 500 local business-led workforce development boards, whose work is to help; identify the skills needed, and develop and maintain the nation's workforce. Today we bring you an unusual show -- Ernesto hosts Through the Noise alone while Blake is away. Our guest is Ronald Painter, CEO of the National Association of Workforce Boards. Representing nearly 550 Workforce Development Boards and their more than 12,000 members, the NAWB strives to ensure that the workforce has the training and resources available to become effective employees in the rapidly changing work environment. Besides appropriate training, there's a tremendous number of other factors that must be considered, such as transportation, healthcare, childcare, and pensions that are shifting. // TWEETS: New episode with Ronald Painter of @workforceinvest on the transformation of work and getting prepared. #work #workforce #nonprofit

Rebecca Vandall and Dawn Williams of the Mortgage Bankers Association join Blake and Ernesto in the studio to talk about their work representing all members of the real estate finance industry. Ms. Vandall is the Director of Program Development and Dawn Williams is the Vice Present of that department and they are part of a team that pulls off an impressive 20 major meetings per year as well as 5 major conventions with expo halls. Find out how they successfully coordinate so many conferences with so many participants so often and grab some time (and money) saving tips for your next event. Rebecca and Dawn share responsibility for program development for the Mortgage Bankers Association. Rebecca has spent over the last 20 years making a living selling conference registrations in some form or fashion. She rocks the suburbs with her husband Jeff, and sons, Will and Benny. Dawn has over 25 years in marketing and event management, including 14 years as a freelance marketing consultant. Dawn and her husband Andy have three teenagers and are preparing to be empty-nesters. Rebecca and Dawn share the passion "let's try something new," and a work ethic to "get it done. Mortgage Bankers Association is a leading financial services trade association hosting 18 conferences annually-including 5 with tradeshows, 400+ educational sessions and 2100+ speakers.

Water is crucial to every form of life -- water is life, according to many -- and has been in the news quite a bit recently, so we've invited someone on the show to talk about water irrigation for both agriculture and landscaping. Deborah M. Hamlin is the CEO of the Irrigation Association which represents 1700 companies involved in every aspect of irrigation from manufacturers of parts to installation experts. The organization uses a variety of methods to do outreach and to counter common misconceptions about irrigation. They've recently launched a podcast called "Bring Water to Life" and are active in social media, interacting with their members and the general public. Since water is an issue that impacts each of us, this episode can certainly shed some light on the different approaches to water conservation and conflict present in the eastern and western U.S. Deborah Hamlin has been the CEO of the Irrigation Association for the past 10 years. She has worked in association management for her entire 30-year career, helping organizations to realize their missions. The Irrigation Association is a trade organization representing manufacturing companies on down to installers of irrigation systems in both the agricultural and landscape (residential/commercial) markets.

Elissa Myers takes a break from solving the problems of many nonprofits in order to join us today on Through the Noise to talk about revenue generation -- something we all need to hear. Though her email signature identifies her as a "Marketing Wizard," her official title is "Director of Revenue Generation" with the Drohan Management Group. We'll address the prevalent -- and damaging -- misconception among nonprofits that making money is not important. It's simply impossible for anyone to make any progress towards achieving their mission if they don't have the financial resources to hire staff, attract and retain members, supporters, and sponsors. Ms. Myers works with a number of different organizations through her work with the association management firm Drohan Management Group and she draws on a number of these to illustrate her points and provide useful examples. Get some useful tips from this episode and convert them into cash for your programs! Elissa Myers is a 40+ year veteran of association management, having served as a senior executive with the American Society of Association Executives, CEO of the Electronic Retailing Association, and now CEO of the Academy for Eating Disorders, as a part of the Drohan Management Group. She has helped dozens of associations put in place strategic marketing and governance plans. The Academy for Eating Disorders is an international professional society comprised of physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, and researchers who specialize is finding and delivering a cure for eating disorders.

Val Giddings is a Senior Fellow at the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation and joins us today to talk agriculture, GMOs, and sustainability, and facts. ITIF is a think tank that been around for just over a decade with the mission to "formulate, evaluate, and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress. "Alternative Facts" have been dominating our news cycle for months and we address them on today's show as related to foods labeled as organic vs GMOs. L. Val Giddings is a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF). Giddings joined ITIF after nearly three decades of experience in science and regulatory policy relating to biotechnology innovations in agriculture and biomedicine. Recognized as one of the world's leading science and technology think tanks, ITIF's mission is to formulate and promote policy solutions that accelerate innovation and boost productivity to spur growth, opportunity, and progress.

Today we're speaking with Joseph Colangelo, the Founder of Bear Analytics, a small firm dedicated to providing associations with analytics they can use to transform their events. They focus on actionable analytics -- giving you information you can actually use to improve your organization's tradeshows, conventions, exhibits, and services. Want to find out more about your audience or who is attending your conventions? Curious why people attend for 1-2 years and then drop off? Check them out. With tradeshows comprising between 20-80% of the revenue for most associations, it's essential to know what your attendees are getting out of it -- or not getting -- in order to improve and continue to serve your membership, exhibitors,and industry. Joe Colangelo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bear Analytics, a Virginia-based startup focused on using the power of data analytics to grow events. Bear Analytics empowers their clients with insights to grow their audience and understand onsite event engagement via a suite of proprietary data cleaning and behavioral analytics tools.

We're thrilled to welcome Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association. He joins us on the heels of one of the world's most popular conventions, the "Gadget Show" which CTA hosts every January in Las Vegas -- the only city equipped to handle their 175,000 attendees, 4000 exhibitors, and 1000 speakers. For the CES, they "build a city in a week" in order to house their growing attendance and the exhibit hall which is so massive, it's not possible to see it all in one week. Mr. Shaprio leads us through some of the newer innovations at the convention as well as his motivations for working in the tech world. If you weren't able to make it to the CES this year, grab some headphones for this quick 25 minute episode and get a glimpse of what happened this year and a taste of what's to come.

Michael Fischetti is the Executive Director of the National Contract Management Association and he joins us on Through the Noise to discuss the ins and outs of contract management, who does it, and why we need it. With 20,000 members, the NCMA is the professional association for professional contract management, including those that work with government agencies. Contracting officers are required for contracts that involve tax-payer funded projects and the NCMA provides continuing education credits, conferences, and opportunities for networking and idea exchange between its members. They also offer professional certification for their members to become a Certified Professional Contract Manager. Michael P. Fischetti is the executive director of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) located in Ashburn, Virginia. In that position, he is chief executive officer (CEO) responsible for managing a professional association representing over 20,000 contracting and acquisition professionals, with over 111 chapters worldwide, an annual budget of approximately $10M, and a professional staff of 30. The National Contract Management Association is the world's leading professional resource for those in the field of contract management, providing books, an academic journal, an Annual Review, a monthly magazine, and the largest conferences in the world dedicated to acquisition.

Nonprofit boards and staff are often too busy and, let's face it -- unprepared -- for the task of finding a new executive to head the organization and so they turn to professionals for help and we've brought one on the show for you today. Pamela Kaul is the President of Association Strategies, Inc. and her company manages the executive search from top to bottom to ensure that the org has access to the very best candidates. She mentions that they don't help people find jobs as much as they help organizations find people. Though most people can talk effectively about their organization or company, many have trouble talking about themselves -- even though this is a skill that is crucial to advancing to and maintaining executive level status and perfecting your three minute elevator speech is Ms. Kaul's advice. To find out about executive presence and other elements of the search, don't miss this episode. And if you're free after that, why not give us a review on itunes? Pamela offers three decades of experience in executive search, transition management and organization development. As the Founder and President of Association Strategies, Inc., she pioneered ASI's unique systems-based approach to executive search and since founding the company in 1986, has successfully applied it to deliver superior talent to many hundreds of leading associations, foundations, NGO's and philanthropic organizations. Association Strategies, Inc., is a premier executive search and transition firm serving the unique needs of associations and nonprofit organizations. With offices in Alexandria, VA and CO, ASI has a talented team of 9, who provide expertise in executive search and transition management, succession planning, Board search, leadership development and CEO research.

As a country, we've started 2017 with a lot more healthcare uncertainty and insecurity than recent years. Costs are rising and the Affordable Care Act remains on the chopping block of many Republicans, leaving those seeking healthcare with high premiums for minimal procedures. So we've invited David Sloves to join us on the show by phone to address some of the concerns facing nonprofits. As CEO of Nonstop Administration & Insurance Services, his aim is to deliver affordable healthcare options to the staff of nonprofits so they can be in good health to do the work they need to do. As he mentions, healthcare for 90% of the population costs less than $1500 per year but our costs are exorbitant across the board because of the costs of the other 10%. His company is an insurance broker and administrator that helps manage these costs for nonprofits and helps save them money so that people working to better our society can take care of themselves and go to the doctor when they're sick without breaking their nonprofit wallets. David has developed repeatable, cost-effective solutions to complex business problems for Fortune 500 clients since the 1980's. He has a strong commitment to human rights, heath care advocacy and environmental awareness. Nonstop deflates the annual costs of employee healthcare through its unique partial self-insurance program, Nonstop Wellness, which allows nonprofits to stabilize the growing costs of premiums, eliminate all employee out-of-pocket expenses, and access unspent reserve funds for unrestricted operating use.

Tara Palacios of Arlington Economic Development joins us to talk about her role as BizLaunch Program Lead and how she helps prospective businesses owners become successful business owners. AED works with for-profit and nonprofit businesses of all sizes and Ms. Palacios worked for a decade with AED's nonprofit capacity building program and she encourages nonprofits to seek their services as well. The main problem she sees -- particularly with for-profit companies, but also with nonprofits -- is lack of planning at the beginning and inability to grow or scale. Avoid these and other common start-up problems with realistic goals and plans. Tara Palacios is the Director of Arlington Economic Development's award-winning BizLaunch program. Ms. Palacios launched the initiative in 2002 and has overseen the growth of the program which has seen over 40,000 small businesses launch and grow in Arlington, Virginia. BizLaunch, Arlington's small business and entrepreneurial assistance network, offers over 40 workshops and seminars each year, as well as Counseling & Mentoring sessions for small businesses with the aim of helping entrepreneurs design their businesses plans, as well as to develop and grow their enterprises.

We're thrilled to welcome Megan Beyer, Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She was appointed to the position when Obama decided to break with tradition and staff the committee with artists instead of philanthropists. Join us for a discussion on the arts and their transformative role in education as we explore the question "Why are the arts always the first to go in financially tough times?" When you hear about the Renaissance, the focus is always the arts, so it's important to continue supporting the arts and access for all. Megan Beyer is the Executive Director for the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She led the first cultural delegation to Cuba last spring and promotes arts and humanities in education through the President's Committee's initiatives. Created in 1982 under President Reagan, the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is an advisory committee to the White House on cultural issues.

Our guest today, Jeff De Cagna, will change the way you think about your approach to board recruitment, management, and collaboration. Charging that nonprofit organizations of all ages, sizes, and missions are missing a crucial opportunity for growth and relevance by under utilizing their boards, and that boards are similarly wasting their skills, time, and connections by focusing on the minutiae of organizational operations and micromanaging staff rather than looking ahead and being proactive about inevitable transitions organizations will face as technology continues to evolve. Host an annual meeting? Jeff De Cagna has some perspectives on the continuing value of holding "interruption-based experiences" like meetings that force most work to come to a standstill. If you're holding an expensive annual meeting because "that's what we've always done", you won't want to miss this episode. Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE is a strategist, design thinker and foresight practitioner who collaborates with association and non-profit boards of directors and their staff partners. He is also a respected contrarian who challenges association/non-profit orthodoxy at every opportunity. Foresight First LLC works with association and non-profit boards to strengthen their performance through learning with the future.

Though most of our guests are from nonprofits, occasionally we bring in a subject matter expert to offer advice relevant to all nonprofits. Today we're excited to bring you a wealth of knowledge on communications from Dionne C. Clemons, Professor of Strategic Communications at Howard University. In order to grow your organization, it's essential to have a communications plan that fits with your organization's strategic goals and to know where your audience is so you can meet them where they are. Join us for a conversation on trust, transparency, and collaboration in your communications and take your organization to the next level. Dr. Dionne C. Clemons is a strategic communications management scholar, coach and practitioner with more than two decades' experience helping nonprofits, government agencies and small businesses tell their stories more effectively. Dr. Clemons serves as Creator and Chief Communications Officer of Clemons Consulting, LLC and as a lecturer within Howard University's Cathy Hughes School of Communication. Clemons Consulting, LLC is a boutique strategic communications management firm that provides public relations counsel to nonprofit and government arts organizations as well as to creative entrepreneurs.

Kari Luther Rosbeck spends most of her days fighting the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex -- the rare genetic disorder that is the leading genetic cause of both epilepsy and autism -- we were fortunate to get her on the show today to discuss some of the strategies her staff at the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance employ in the struggle against this horrific illness. A common problem many organizations have is getting heard Through the Noise (ding ding ding) especially with the tremendous variety of illnesses and disorders that can affect infants and children, so raising awareness among pediatricians and so they'll be able to recognize the signs of TSC and treat them appropriately. The TSA has recently launched a new website to streamline their educational and outreach efforts and make the available research easier for professionals and the public to find. We also address the techniques for courting and closing major donors and sponsors so there are some useful takeaways for the members of your development team.

Michael Monti joins us in our newly painted studio to talk architecture, design, and education. As the Executive Director of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, he represents a membership base of 200 architecture schools, 6,000 faculty members, and 200 affiliated firms. Working to keep architecture curriculums relevant, members collaborate and communicate to stay on top of evolving trends, like the increasing concentration on green buildings with energy efficient performance. Don't miss this episode for a deeper discussion of these topics and to learn more about their newest project, Study Architecture. Michael J. Monti has served as executive director of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture since 2004. For nearly twenty years he has worked with nonprofit boards in higher education, with a particular focus on building evidence-based research that can improve the world. The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture leads architectural education and research by demonstrating the value of our members' work to society, by advancing pedagogy, and by serving as the voice of architecture schools.

Today we sit down with Virginia Bader of the American Dental Education Association. With many years under her belt in the nonprofit world, Ms. Bader runs the communications for ADEA as their Chief Communications and Marketing Officer. ADEA represents the 76 dental schools in the US and Canada as well as 20,000 individual members that are dental professionals. Unlike medical schools which includes years of residencies, dental schools must prepare students to be practicing dentists on day 1 so the curriculum work of the ADEA is especially crucial. Ms. Bader notes that the #1 childhood disease in the U.S. is tooth decay which is completely preventable. Virginia Bader, M.B.A, is the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer as well as the Acting Chief of Staff for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). ADEA represents all 76 dental schools in North America, as well as over 800 allied dental programs and 20,000 individuals in the dental education community.

Frank Walter is the Vice President for Strategic Communications for Child Trends, a locally-based, national organization that works to improve the lives of all children and their families. As a data and research-driven organization, they work to disseminate information that can benefit children and families and dispel information that is incorrect or leads to harmful practices. While many organizations and publications are reluctant to publish negative findings, Child Trends is working to democratize the process and they make all of their findings available to their thousands of followers and supporters. We address the challenges of coming from a PR background and being a guest on a podcast with little idea what the hosts may ask. Child Trends is the nation's leading nonprofit research organization focused exclusively on improving the lives and prospects of children and youth; is #18 and #39 in the country for best places to work for recent grads and women (http://reviews.greatplacetowork.com/child-trends); and is growing so check the website for job postings http://www.childtrends.org/careers.

As our reliance on technology grows, our need for information security continues to evolve and so we've invited Patrick Gaul, Executive Director of the National Technology Security Coalition to join us on Through the Noise. We address "Security fatigue," a troubling problem for professionals who work to keep corporations and organizations safe from hackers and industrial espionage. If you've wondered if your organization is equipped to deal of the rapidly changing technological landscape, Patrick Gaul's decades of experience are a great place to start.

Today's episode with Erin Fuller is an excellent way to start the New Year and consider new strategies and perspectives from a professional who has over 20 years experience managing associations. As President of the Association Management & Consulting Branch of MCI USA Group, she has driven the growth of her own firm as well as that of dozens of other associations across the United States. One problem she sees again and again is the conviction of some nonprofit staff that nonprofits don't need to make money and somehow need to avoid it. As she astutely observes, "Nonprofit is a tax status, it's not a business model." Join us for this conversation as we explore the benefits and challenges of association management. Erin Fuller serves as the president of association management and consulting at MCI USA, and leads more than 100 professionals in working with nonprofit organizations. She has worked at MCI since 2002, and has spent more than 20 years working for and leading associations. MCI USA is a division of the MCI Group, an event and association management global firm of more than 2000 talents in 62 offices in 31 countries serving more than 1500 organizations each year.

Most people working for nonprofits are probably familiar with ASAE -- the American Society for Association Executives and regular listeners to Through the Noise are certainly aware of their contributions to the association world. We've had several ASAE staff on the show and have talked about their many conferences bringing together diverse organizations with the vendors that work to make them run more effectively and efficiently. We took the opportunity to leave the studio and visit their 2016 Technology Conference and Expo to get a sense of the people, businesses, and innovations that are transforming the association world. Join us as we talk to companies from around the world that offer services from mobile learning apps to payment vendors to companies that help organizations decide what other products to buy. Don't miss this special conference expo episode for a glimpse into some of the new products and services available.

Join us for our conversation with RJ Karney who represents the 5.9 million member American Farm Bureau Federation. They are the "voice of agriculture" and are a true grassroots organization starting at the county level with 2500 county bureaus that compromise the 50 state farm bureaus. A major focus of the American Farm Bureau Federation is to let people know that their food doesn't just "come from the grocery store" and that 2 million Americans start their day long before sunrise to plant, grow, and harvest the food that sustains us all. The AFBF has an impressive grassroots lobbying strategy and throughout the year sends 4-5000 members from different state bureaus to meet directly with their representatives about the issues that concern them -- an approach that is very well received by members of Congress who would rather meet with their constituents then professional lobbyists.

Most of the savvy listeners of Through the Noise are fully aware of the efficacy and necessity of social media but if you're still on the fence, our guest today, Tammy Gordon of Verified Strategy could be the one to make the case that works for you. As an early social media pioneer, she created and ran the social media program and department for a 37 million member organization, AARP, and oversaw tremendous growth and engagement. After a decade with AARP, she founded Verified Strategy to support C-level executives with social media consultations and strategy. We also tackle the subject of screen-time burnout and the importance of taking time away to stay effective and provide time and space for inspiration, education, and growth.

Join us for a conversation on mental illness with Mary Giliberti, CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Representing 50,000 members with 900 affiliates and 48 state organizations, NAMI advocates for all sufferers of mental illnesses while working to eradicate the stigmas surrounding it. Their approach includes emphasizing the person not the illness, adopting language such as "a person suffering from schizophrenia" rather than "a schizophrenic." Collaborating with different associations focusing on specific illnesses, they work to provide education and help finding adequate and timely support for their members and others. Mary Giliberti, J.D., is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Prior to becoming CEO, Ms. Giliberti served as a section chief in the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

We really enjoyed our conversation with Chris Mead of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives when he was a guest on Through the Noise last year so we decided to invite him back on the show. We wanted to find out more about his work with the Association as well as his passion -- a historian of the Chamber of Commerce. Last time he was in the studio, we talked about the history of the various Chambers of Commerce around the country and his book "Magicians of Main Street." With over 7000 Chambers around the country, their work and membership varies widely and the Association of Chamber Executives helps unite the people working in offices large and small while envisioning and planning for what the future will bring -- as in their strategic plan - Horizon 2025. Chris Mead has nearly 20 years' experience working with associations. He handles mostly sponsorships and memberships. And he's also fascinated by chambers of commerce and their role in the building of the United States. The surprising influence of chambers on American history is something he uncovered in his recently published book, The Magicians of Main Street: America and its Chambers of Commerce, 1768-1945. ACCE, founded in 1914, is an association of 1,200 local, regional, and state chambers of commerce, mostly in North America.

Kiki L'Italien is the CEO & Founder of Amplified Growth, a digital marketing firm specializing in SEO and SEM -- search engine optimization and search engine marketing. These types of online outreach are crucial for nonprofits to stay relevant but they are often misunderstood or overlooked. We talk about nonprofit growth, and reaching and engaging current and potential members. As many of our guests have noted on Through the Noise, it is essential to know who you are trying to reach, find out where they spend their time, and meet them where they are. Don't miss this episode if you're struggling with this part of running your nonprofit. Ms. L'Italien also founded and is the host of Association Chat on Twitter every Tuesday at 2pm since 2009. Find it under #assnchat.

Today's guest is Henry Wallmeyer, President & CEO of the National Club Association. The National Club Association is the nonprofit that represents and advocates on behalf of all private clubs. Their membership base is the club itself, rather than the staff of the clubs, and they currently have 400 members and are striving to reach 1000. Private clubs took a major hit after the recession as individuals from all walks of life strove to tighten up their budgets and eliminate extraneous expenses. For many, membership in a private club was one of the first things to go and with dwindling individual members, clubs have had to adjust and become more flexible in order to survive. Mr. Wallmeyer would like the members (or the staff of the club) to know that they can easily play an important role in helping the NCA become more effective in helping them -- just get in touch. Henry Wallmeyer has more than 15 years of experience in association management, focusing on organizational development, marketing, membership and advocacy. Prior to joining NCA as president & CEO in September 2015, he served in executive management positions with several large trade and professional associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the International Parking Institute, and the American Academy of Otolaryngology. The National Club Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade association, serves as the advocate for private clubs, representing their interests on Capitol Hill, in the regulatory agencies, in the statehouses and in the courthouses as well as providing resources on industry trends and governance best practices.

If you've recovered from your eating, drinking, and shopping hangovers, join us for a conversation with Lisa Karlisch, a Management Consultant with Sparkfire Strategy. Whether you are with a new organization, thinking of starting one, trying to manage and scale growth, or decide if you've achieved what you set out to do -- Ms. Karlisch can help you figure out where you need to go next. Though many people hope to hire a management consultant to tell them exactly what they need to do, the Sparkfire Strategy approach involves getting people on the same path and making sure that they are walking in the same direction -- and empowering the staff to know how to lead. As Ms. Karlisch notes, in many cases, the process is often as important as the result. Join us today for some great tips to take back to your own organization. And don't forget to review us on iTunes! Lisa Karlisch is a Principal at Sparkfire Strategy. Prior to working at Sparkfire, she was the COO at a non-profit organization and a consultant at McKinsey & Company. She has her Ph.D. In clinical psychology from Duke University. Sparkfire Strategy is a strategy consulting firm that focuses on foundations and non-profits primarily in the health care, education, and social services sectors.

Grab a cup of coffee for this conversation with Mary Linnell-Simmons of Fairtrade America as we explore the ideas behind "fair trade" and consider the implications of our choices. Do you know anything about that coffee? Who grew the beans? Who harvested them? The fair trade movement is involved in making the entire supply chain fair so producers of food and other goods we depend on are able to live sustainable, healthy lives. Fairtrade America provides a voluntary certification that a product is fair trade and you can find that designation on over 30,000 goods. Awareness of fair trade grows after a catastrophe, like the clothing factory fire in Bangladesh that killed hundreds of workers, prompting people to question the working conditions used to keep clothing so cheap.

Today's guest is Scott Michael who steps away from his role as President & CEO of the American Moving & Storage Association where he has helped the industry in various capacities over the past 23 years. While moving and storage typically are not the subject of heated dinner party debates, they play an important role in the lives of most people, at least occasionally. Find out how a well-timed and organized move can make all the difference for military families who must move and uproot their entire family every couple of years. Planning a move? Check out this episode to find out when might be the easiest time of year for you and your family. Scott Michael serves as president and CEO for the American Moving & Storage Association. He has served as the industry's primary liaison to the U.S. Department of Defense, GSA, and other government customers of the moving and storage industry. He was previously vice president for membership and has held other positions with the association and the American Movers Conference during the past two decades. Scott also serves as a vice president of the National Defense Transportation Association, an organization of transportation providers that works in support of the military. He lives in Alexandria, Va., with his wife and three daughters. The American Moving & Storage Association represents professional movers and serves as the home of the ProMover certification program for interstate moving companies, with members ranging from small, family-run businesses to national van lines and industry suppliers.

We're very excited to welcome Delshan Baker to the show today. Ms. Baker joins us from an organization in Baltimore called Thread that's been receiving some great publicity. Earlier this year, Ernesto read a profile in the New York Times about the transformative work the staff and volunteers of Thread do for underperforming students in Baltimore. Thread only works with students in the bottom 25% of their class and provides them with a volunteer support network that is available 24 hours a day for 10 years. They manage a spectacular community of volunteers that Show Up and form a family support system that is structured to help the student begin thriving and continue to succeed into adulthood. Delshan has almost 15 years of operations experience in the non-profit and for-profit sectors, from managing an $11M budget to launching essential technology projects. She has a BA in Studio Art from Stanford University, an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, and is a Baltimore native. Thread engages underperforming high school students confronting significant barriers outside of the classroom by providing each one with a family of committed volunteers and increased access to community resources.

Nicholas Croce Jr. joins us today from the American Psychiatric Nurses Association where he represents 11,000 of the country's nurses that treat patients suffering from mental illnesses. Prior to becoming Executive Director of the APNA, Nicholas Croce Jr. had a long career in a number of different fields, including the U.S. Air Force, the Post Office, and work as an x-ray technician before delving into the association world. The work of psychiatric nurses is often misunderstood and they are seen as "the nurses that sit around and play cards with patients," but with 60 million Americans suffering from mental illnesses that cannot be seen or observed quite as easily as a broken leg or bronchitis, these nurses use a variety of techniques of observation to gain a handle on what is bothering the patient -- including patiently playing cards. We discuss the importance of patient-first language such as a "person with alcoholism" rather than an alcoholic, or "a person suffering from schizophrenia" rather than a schizophrenic, acknowledging that the person is more than a major illness or problem. Nick Croce is a Vietnam Era Veteran with 35 years of managerial experience in not-for-profit organizations. For the past ten years he has serves as the executive director of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association represents the scientific and educational interests of mental-health nurses in the United States.

Hating school is a time-honored tradition by nearly all students who are forced to attend schools for much of childhood into becoming an adult but today we're sitting down with someone who is working to change the face of education to present a more rounded and useful world view. Peter Guttmacher is the Director of Programming and Curriculum Development for the District of Learning which is an initiative of Fair Chance, the organization we recently had on Through the Noise. Employing recent technological advances in the classroom, students are able to work towards a broader type of education grounded in the real world. Students earn digital badges to illustrate their success in a variety of different areas and are are able to demonstrate their various skills and talents via these badges You might even wish you could go back to school if it could be more like this. Tweets: / New episode with Peter Guttmacher of @dc_learning on experiential learning, digital badges, and the whole student #education #tech

Most people (and certainly listeners of this podcast!) will agree that no one's future should depend on the zip code where they were born. And today's guests spend every day working to ensure each child actually has a "fair chance," no matter where they were born and it's also the apt title of their organization. Gretchen Van der Veer, Executive Director and Benjamin Bradburn, Director of Development join us to talk about the mission of Fair Chance and the strategic partnerships they form to help different nonprofits become more effective in their services. Similar to an accelerator for start-ups, their partnership program works with organizations for as little as six and as many as 24 months in several key areas of nonprofit management. Next episode we'll delve a little deeper as we chat with one of Fair Chance's partner organizations. PS: Like our work? Rate us on itunes!

Please welcome today's guest Melissa Panagides of BDO USA who was recommended by friend-of-the-show Joan Parker of Counterpart International. Melissa Panagides has been called an "organizational therapist" in her role as Senior Manager of Management Advisory Services at BDO and she helps drive growth through mergers and acquisitions. This is an important episode for anyone managing a nonprofit facing difficult questions about transitions and considering a merger with another organization -- or if you happen to be on the "target" side of the equation, and are being acquired. Find out from an expert in the field how to plan ahead, manage expectations, and support people during this difficult time. Melissa Panagides-Busch has been working for over 25 years working getting things done. Her career started in public health and project management, meandered through education research and non-profit management, and is now focused on management advisory services. BDO USA, LLP is known primary as an accounting firm. The Management Advisory team supports organizations that are going through or considering change. We focus on helping organization identify the right technology for their needs, transform their business and plan and implement mergers and acquisitions.

If you're a regular listener of the show, you have probably heard us talk about and host ASAE, and you probably know that they are the American Society of Association Executives and their work is especially relevant to our audience. So we are pleased to welcome Rhonda Payne, ASAE's Chief Learning Officer to Through the Noise today. Though CLO is not a common position in many organizations at this time, it is particularly crucial for ASAE which is hosts a number of conferences every year while offering important trainings for the staff of a wide variety of associations. Ms. Payne is responsible for the development of all of the educational offerings of ASAE, including the on-demand courses that they now have available. Check out this episode for more on ASAE's work and how it can benefit yours today. ASAE is a membership organization of more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 9,300 organizations. Its members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world.

If you are new to management, have had problems managing your staff, or are looking for some insight into strategies that might work better with the teams you have in place, today's episode with Mike Subelsky is a great place to start. He is (among other things) Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Staq, a tech start-up based in Balitmore that "makes ad operations more efficient" through compiling data from 350 different platforms. Staq is a rapidly growing company that welcomes people from all backgrounds with an interest in programming and strives to create an organization of empowered staff so that it can continue even when someone is on vacation or leaves the company. "Give away all the credit, take all the blame" is one of the many takeaways from this episode that may help you improve relationships with your staff and help them become more creative and invested. Don't miss these and other essential tips to starting and running organizations in a way that supports people. Mike is the CTO of STAQ, an enterprise data unification company based in Baltimore and New York. He has started a variety of profit-and-nonprofit organizations in Baltimore, including the Baltimore Improv Group theater company. STAQ helps businesses retrieve, organize, and take action on all of the data they have stored in many difficult-to-use silos.

There are few things today's guest Mike Harden hasn't done prior to becoming a coach to other executives. After a career in business spanning four decades, he has settled into the comfortable role of helping others become better at their own jobs. He says that the most successful people -- and coaching clients -- are those who know that there is much left to learn and are open to listening. There are four key problems that plague companies and organizations and knowing how to identify and when and how to address them is crucial. A proactive approach is best when handling "people problems" (staff), customer, financial, and product and service problems. As a coach who has spent decades as a C-level executive, Mr. Harden has experience in the hiring and firing realm and has some useful advice for anyone losing sleep at night over the possibility of having to fire someone. Mike Harden is the Founder and CEO of Clarity Group. Mike is an Executive Coach, specializing in CEOs and C-level executives. With over 13,000 hours of coaching experience and over 42 years of executive experience, Mike is able to help leaders move their organizations to the next level and deliver their own "A" game.

Over the next couple of episodes, we'll be hosting guests who specialize in helping people become their best selves. Today we sit down with Nancy Belmont, the Chief Inspiration Officer of Vessence, a company based in Alexandria, Virginia that helps people and brands identify their values so they can pursue them. She walks Blake and Ernesto through the 12 major archetypes as defined by Carol S. Pearson which are useful for individuals and organizations. Are you primarily the magician, sage, jester, or lover? Or perhaps one of the other 8? In order for an organization or business to be successful they must have a variety of different archetypes in order to achieve balance. She coaches companies to identify those types in their brand and adopt a storyline that is most fitting to project to the public. Ms. Belmont asks: Why do you wake up every morning? What motivates you? For some clarifying perspectives, you won't want to miss this episode!