Back to Events
Aspire: The Academy for Next Generation Association Leadership 2025

Aspire: The Academy for Next Generation Association Leadership 2025

A Certificate Program of CalSAE in alliance with the Third Sector Company

Thursday, February 13, 2025
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (PST)
Register Now

Event Details

About
Aspire: The Academy for Next Generation Association Leadership is a three-month certificate program focused on preparing the next generation of leaders to develop and guide professional and trade associations in society. The program accomplishes this by focusing on best practices in association leadership that will build your knowledge while also challenging your thinking. The Academy applies recognized industry benchmarks of success from ASAE’s “The Seven Measures of Success” and the domains of the Certified Association Executive program. All while in turn expanding your network of peers and learning from a faculty of esteemed association executives. 


The Academy is split into four sessions, February - April, starting with a full-day in-person immersion experience. The focus will be to understand the “measures” of remarkable associations while challenging participants to consider associations as social movements and community-centered organizations. The subsequent two-hour online sessions create roundtable discussions about the leadership competencies associated with next-generation associations including demonstrating emotional intelligence, cultivating belongingness, facilitating group buy-in, and evolving impactful association boards.

Through the Academy, you can expect to:  
  • Walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes an association “remarkable”, and how your association compares 
  • Access leaders in the association space; build your network and community – your tribe 
  • Envision new opportunities when viewing associations as social movements and community-centered organizations 
  • Build your skills to lead change and develop buy-in 
  • Have a safe space to air challenges and concerns on your leadership journey 
  • Explore modern best practice strategies such as “belongingness” and “emotional intelligence” to engage staff and members throughout the organization   


Aspire (formally known as the Association Leadership Academy) is a certificate program of CalSAE in alliance with the Third Sector Company. View the full syllabus for complete details.

 Free Info Session

🤔 Interested but have questions or not sure it’s for you? Let’s talk it through at the free virtual info session on Fri, Nov 1, 9-10:00 am. Register here.

2025 Schedule
This program provides 12 hours of rich content delivered in four sessions, eligible for 12 CAE credits:

Feb 13 Session #1 – 10:00am to 4:00pm (in person, Sacramento)

Feb 27 Session #2 – 9:00 to 11:00 am (virtual)

March 27 Session #3 – 9:00 to 11:00 am (virtual)

April 24 Session #4  – 9:00 to 11:00 am (virtual)

TBD April 7-9 Optional Social & Check-In
at CalSAE Elevate Annual Conference – Monterey

Upon graduation, Academy Scholars will be designated as alumni and will receive periodic invitations to interact with fellow current and previous Academy scholars at conferences and other gatherings.
Audience

Mid-career association professionals in manager and director roles or similar.

Pricing
  • Members - $595
  • Members - Returning Academy Scholars - $395
  • Non-Members - $795
Additional Info for Session #1 Kick Off - Feb 13
  • Accommodations - The Westin Sacramento - $229/night for night prior to event, 2/12. River view premium rooms. Reservation link coming soon...                    
  • Parking - complimentary onsite parking

Sponsored by:

Recommended by Your Peers

"Participating in the Academy helped me view engagement with our members differently and more broadly, resulting in more thoughtful and intentional communications related to the work of our many volunteers. My Academy learning emboldened my conversations with our association’s governing leaders, and it gave me a number of resources, including professional relationships, that will support me going forward."

- Amy Mrugalski, CAE, Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager, American College of Trial Lawyers

Aspire Senior Faculty Director

Jeffrey Wilcox, CFRE | President & Chief Mission Advancement Officer, Third Sector Company, Inc. 

Jeffrey a nationally-recognized pioneer in the field of nonprofit executive development, retention and transition. Founder of Third Sector Company and its Interim Executives Academy and Board Chairs Academy, Jeffrey is an author, columnist and popular speaker on succession planning, board and staff talent development and retention, and strategic interim leadership solutions for nonprofit charitable organizations, trade and professional associations, and congregations. Since its founding in 2002, Third Sector Company has provided services to over 700 nonprofit organizations in Southern and Northern California, Arizona, the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada.

Jeffrey will be accompanied by an esteemed group of 10 other association executives serving as volunteer faculty.

Contact

Megan Denhardt, CAE, Education Consultant: megan@calsae.org

Policies

Meeting & Event General Policies