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Associations Thrive: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Joanna Pineda
This is Associations Thrive, the podcast celebrating successful associations and their leaders. Listen in as top association executives tell all, revealing the creative and innovative ways they’re increasing their bottom line, serving their members, and reimaging their organizations. The Associations Thrive podcast is hosted by Joanna Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker at Matrix Group International. Joanna’s personal mission and the mission of Matrix Group is to help associations and nonprofits increase membership, generate revenue and thrive in the digital space. We believe that every association has a unique mission and unique story in how they’re serving their members, impacting their industry, and ultimately changing the world. Guests include top trade association, professional society, and non profit executives. We’re here to help amplify their stories so all associations can learn and thrive, together.
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- 3 weeks ago27 min
199. Patti Montague, CEO of SNA, on Keeping Kids Fed, Advocating Through Crisis, and Protecting the Future of School Meals
What happens when schools close, but millions of children still need breakfast and lunch? How can an association help its members keep feeding students—and respond when rising costs threaten their ability to continue?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Patti Montague, CEO of the School Nutrition Association (SNA). Patti’s first appearance on the podcast inspired Joanna’s book, When It Mattered Most. In this return conversation, Patti discusses:How SNA represents 50,000 members in a profession that serves approximately 30 million school lunches and nearly 15 million school breakfasts every school day.Why serving meals outside cafeterias, delivering food on buses, and providing several days of meals at once required regulatory waivers that SNA secured for schools.How members began serving curbside meals immediately after schools closed.SNA’s advocacy for free breakfast and lunch for every student, and why Patti believes school meals are an investment in children’s health and ability to learn.How the pandemic strengthened SNA’s partnership with USDA and helped secure additional funding as food costs and supply chain pressures increased.Why staffing shortages, rising food and equipment costs, and inadequate reimbursements have created another crisis for school meal programs.How SNA is pressing Congress and federal officials for additional funding and higher meal reimbursement rates—and why meal program shortfalls affect other school district priorities.How SNA uses media coverage, social media, and members’ stories to communicate the urgency of the crisis, with Patti reporting that 80 percent of members are concerned about financial sustainability over the next three years.References:School Nutrition Association website
- Oct 8, 202643 min
198. Devin Jopp, CEO of APIC & Tracey Moorhead, CEO of AAPACN, on When It Mattered Most, How Associations Stepped Up During COVID, and the Lasting Lessons of the Pandemic
When the world was in crisis and people desperately needed trusted guidance, who stepped up to help professions, industries, healthcare systems, schools, and communities navigate the uncertainty? And what can associations learn from that experience about how to serve members, build partnerships, and lead during the next crisis?This is a special episode of Associations Thrive! Joanna’s new book, When It Mattered Most, launches today, October 8. The book tells the stories of 24 associations that did extraordinary things to protect professions, industries, schools, hospitals, and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Host Joanna Pineda interviews Devin Jopp, CEO of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), and Tracey Moorhead, President and CEO of the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN). Both are featured prominently in When It Mattered Most, and share the stories of how their organizations helped keep the world running during the pandemic.Tracey and Devin also share how their organizations have changed post-pandemic, including the addition of organizational members and a stronger emphasis on certifications. Finally, they discuss their recently completed strategic plansReferences:Get Joanna’s book, When It Mattered Most:Kindle & PaperbackHardbackBarnes & NobleBuy elsewhereVisit Joanna’s website and learn about her writing, podcasts, and bookAPIC WebsiteAAPACN Website
- Oct 1, 202636 min
197. Bridget Lee, Founder & ED of ALL Chicago, on Effective Governance, Board Training, and Empowered Communities
What does it take to turn passionate community advocates into effective board members? And how can associations and nonprofits better prepare volunteer leaders to govern instead of manage?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Bridget Lee, Founder and Executive Director of the Academy for Local Leadership (ALL Chicago). Bridget discusses:How Chicago is transitioning from a mayor-appointed school board to a fully elected 21-member board.ALL Chicago’s three pillars: Prepared Leaders, Empowered Communities, and Effective Governance.How ALL Chicago trains aspiring school board members to understand the responsibilities and complexities of governance. The important distinction between governance and management. Board members should focus on ensuring that systems solve problems rather than stepping in to solve individual problems themselves.How ALL Chicago makes its fellowship accessible by offering the program for free and paying participants a stipend. ALL Chicago’s Governance Compass Framework, which focuses on setting direction, protecting community values, holding the system accountable for student learning, being transparent, and governing collectively.Bridget’s larger vision that effective governance can lead to effective government—and that electing leaders is only the beginning. Success comes when leaders make things better for the communities they serve.References:ALL Chicago WebsiteThe Governance Compass FrameworkALL Chicago on LinkedIn
- Sep 24, 202626 min
196. Randy Bowman, CEO of IACET, on Quality Continuing Education, Microlearning, and Responsible AI
How do learners know that the continuing education they receive is accurate and high quality? As AI and new technologies transform learning, how can associations ensure their education remains valuable and trusted?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Randy Bowman, CEO of International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Randy discusses:How the organization’s roots go back more than 50 years to the creation of the Continuing Education Unit (CEU).How accreditation creates standards so learners and employers can trust the quality of continuing education.How the organization grew from about 385 accredited providers 10 years ago to approximately 650 today, while increasing retention to 93%.The growth of microlearning, including two- to three-minute lessons that learners can access when they need information immediately.How virtual and augmented reality are creating safer, more realistic training opportunities in dangerous professions.The shift toward competency-based education, where employers care increasingly about demonstrated skills rather than time spent in training.A new distinction for accredited providers designed to demonstrate responsible AI use and appropriate AI governance.Why Randy says their ultimate stakeholder is the learner, and describes the organization as a “noble guardian of the learner’s interest.”References:IACET WebsiteContinuing Education Unit (CEU)
- Sep 17, 202637 min
195. Sheri Jacobs, CAE, CEO of Avenue M Group, on The Unexpected Power of Boundaries, Smart Risk-Taking, and Innovation
What if the thing holding your team back from innovation isn’t too many constraints, but too few? And how can associations create clear boundaries that give staff the confidence and freedom to experiment, learn, and move faster?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Sheri Jacobs, CEO of Avenue M Group, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. Sheri discusses:How AI is making information and education easier and faster to access, but associations have an important advantage: trust and reliability.The premise behind Sheri’s newest book, The Unexpected Power of Boundaries: “Growth happens at the speed of clarity,” and clarity comes from well-defined boundaries.Why telling teams to “think outside the box” can actually inhibit creativity. Unlimited choices can overwhelm people and cause them to default to familiar ideas.How leaders can define the why and the what—including the constraints—while giving their teams freedom to determine the how.Why leaders should reverse the speaking order in meetings. When senior leaders speak first, others tend to fall in line; inviting junior and frontline staff to speak first can surface ideas from people closest to members and customers.The important distinction between risk tolerance and risk capacity. Risk tolerance is about comfort; risk capacity is about how much an organization can actually afford to experiment, fail, learn, and recover.Why simply telling employees to “take risks” isn’t enough. Innovation happens when organizations combine psychological safety with clear boundaries around where experimentation is safe.How the “Best New Mistake Award” can encourage experimentation by celebrating employees who tried something, failed, learned from it, and used the learning to move the organization forward.Why associations should regularly examine whether their boundaries are outdated—and create a process for experimentation that defines hypotheses, assumptions, learning, and how results will be shared.How associations and conferences can turn inspiration into action by creating constraints such as a 30-day challenge that asks participants to take one smart risk and report back on what happened.References:Avenue M Group WebsiteThe Unexpected Power of Boundaries BookPivot Point BookThe Art of Membership Book
- Sep 10, 202630 min
194. Jana Darling, President of MGI, on Why Membership Growth Is Getting Harder and Making Your Value Clear
What happens when membership growth gets harder, even though the members you already have continue to renew? How can associations better communicate their value, attract new members, and create the engagement that fuels growth?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Jana Darling, President of Marketing General (MGI). Jana discusses:The findings from MGI’s 2026 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, now in its 18th year and based on responses from nearly 500 associations.How membership growth is getting harder. Only 38% of associations reported membership growth this year, down from 45% the previous year and close to a historic low for the study.Why associations “cannot renew their way to growth.” Retention remains relatively steady at about 82%, but without a steady pipeline of new members, organizations will eventually decline.How strong retention suggests that associations are delivering value once people join. The challenge is often communicating that value effectively to prospective members.Why engagement is “the engine of everything else,” and why associations should begin engaging prospects before they join. With members increasingly strapped for time, associations also need to make participation easy and meaningful.Why associations need to continually reevaluate their member value proposition. With information increasingly available through AI, open access, and other free sources, associations must understand what members value today. Organizations that conduct regular member research are more likely to report membership growth.How 39% of associations say an inability to articulate their value prevents them from offering a more compelling member value proposition. Jana says that if members are the business of an association, the value proposition should be central to everything the organization does.How associations can use the Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report to compare themselves with their peers, identify practices correlated with growth, set realistic expectations with their boards, and find opportunities to innovate and improve.References:MGI WebsiteMGI’s 2026 Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report
- Sep 3, 202626 min
193. Carlos Cardenas, CAE, President of Association Latinos, on Leadership, Cultural Superpowers, and Hispanic Heritage Month
What happens when professionals stop viewing their culture as something they need to minimize at work, and start recognizing it as a leadership superpower? And how can associations create the spaces, programs, and opportunities that help underrepresented leaders build confidence, visibility, and pathways to leadership?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Carlos Cardenas, CAE, President of Association Latinos. Carlos discusses:How Association Latinos exists to increase the representation of Latino leaders throughout the association community, from mid-level management and the C-suite to nonprofit boards.Why the founders decided Association Latinos needed to become its own 501(c)(3), rather than remain an affinity group. The organization wanted to control its destiny, understand and serve its community directly, and develop programs specifically for Latino association professionals.How Association Latinos seeks to shine a spotlight on Latino professionals who are already doing great work while also “unlocking their confidence” so they recognize their own power and potential.How the CAE Se Puede program and Avanza Scholarship create pathways for Latino association professionals to earn the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, while a partnership with Sidecar creates opportunities to earn the Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification.Why a small organization needs to “think like an entrepreneur.” Association Latinos is building creative partnerships with organizations such as ASAE, Sidecar, and the LPGA Amateur Golf Association to provide greater value even without large, consistent revenue streams.How the inaugural For La Causa golf event introduces members to golf, gives volunteers an opportunity to relax and connect, creates value for partners and sponsors, and could eventually create a new fundraising stream.How Conexiones, Association Latinos’ education summit, uses a cohort model instead of a traditional choose-your-own-session conference format. Participants experience the program together in smaller groups, creating deeper relationships and longer-lasting connections.Why culture is part of the “special sauce, or salsa” of Conexiones. Association Latinos encourages professionals to bring their heritage, languages, ancestry, stories, and authentic selves into their leadership instead of feeling that advancement requires assimilation.How Association Latinos separated its Honores awards from Conexiones so award recipients, volunteers, allies, and community leaders could be celebrated more intentionally, and so the awards event could become a fundraising opportunity of its own.Why Hispanic Heritage Month should be more than a once-a-year spotlight. Carlos wants Latino thought leadership and stories elevated year-round, while also honoring the often “invisible layer” of parents, grandparents, immigrants, workers, and others whose sacrifices created opportunities for the generations that followed.References:Association Latinos WebsiteCAE Se Puede & Avanza ScholarshipConexiones 2026
- Aug 27, 202619 min
192. Cheryl Kreider Carey, CAE, CEO of SIIM, on Building Bridges Across Imaging, AI, and Creating a Culture of Belonging
What does it take for a 45-year-old association to continually reinvent itself in a field being transformed by digitization and AI? And how can an association bring together professionals from different specialties, roles, and organizations to help shape the future of an entire field?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Cheryl Kreider Carey, CAE, CEO of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM). Cheryl discusses:How imaging informatics sits at the intersection of medical imaging, digital health, and technology management.How SIIM membership grew by more than 20% in 2025 as the association expands its reach across imaging specialties.How SIIM’s nearly 3,000 members represent five different personas, including clinicians across imaging specialties, scientists, developers, vendors, and imaging IT experts.How the organization’s ethos, “You Belong at SIIM,” reflects its commitment to bringing these different communities together.Why Cheryl describes SIIM as a “45-year-old startup.” The organization has reinvented itself as medical imaging evolved from film to digital and has had three different names over its 45-year history.How Cheryl works to create what she calls an “invisible culture,” inspired by successful sports coaches who build team chemistry that ultimately produces visible results. At SIIM, she describes the culture as “high emotional intelligence, low ego.”How SIIM partnered with the Digital Pathology Association to create a Bridge Pass: one streamlined payment that allows participants to attend both SIIM’s annual conference and the Pathology Visions Conference.How SIIM has been ahead of the curve on artificial intelligence, holding its first AI conference in 2017 and continuing to convene professionals around AI ever since.References:SIIM WebsiteBridge Pass Program
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About Associations Thrive
This is Associations Thrive, the podcast celebrating successful associations and their leaders. Listen in as top association executives tell all, revealing the creative and innovative ways they’re increasing their bottom line, serving their members, and reimaging their organizations. The Associations Thrive podcast is hosted by Joanna Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker at Matrix Group International. Joanna’s personal mission and the mission of Matrix Group is to help associations and nonprofits increase membership, generate revenue and thrive in the digital space. We believe that every association has a unique mission and unique story in how they’re serving their members, impacting their industry, and ultimately changing the world. Guests include top trade association, professional society, and non profit executives. We’re here to help amplify their stories so all associations can learn and thrive, together.
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