Board Bites - Winter 2024

Wrapping up an ambitious year full of growth and new energy, the California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE) Board of Directors met in December just prior to our Seasonal Spectacular event in Sacramento. Here’s a few of the highlights coming out of the meeting:

• Seasonal Spectacular 2023 Report: Committee goals were met/exceeded!  Thank you to the staff and volunteers who made this show such a success.

1. • 502 Attendees (highest in 15 years, 100+ over goal)
   • 514 Tradeshow Exhibitors (26% increase YoY)
   • Exhibitor Satisfaction Rating: 4.46 (goal was 4.2 out of 5)
   • Attendee Satisfaction Rating: 4.56 (goal was 4.2 out of 5)

• Membership Update: The Nevada membership subcommittee and honorary members will develop recommendations for the Board, including a list of outreach targets. Staff are creating a compelling case for membership, and volunteers and councils are doing the outreach.
  • Action item: The membership volunteers need to develop a strategic approach to engaging newer members – CSU internships and mentorship programs. Younger membership engagement strategies. Perhaps a leadership academy to engage mid-career professionals. Special rate for new members or those new to the association world.

• DEI Committee: DEI goals were reviewed, and some specific strategies are being used to achieve those goals. The committee recommends that CalSAE conduct an internal assessment of its practices. The plan is to maintain the goals but look at adjusting the strategies via an assessment over the next several months and update the plan for 2024/25.
  • Action Item: Use data to help affirm the society’s ideology, practice, and results. What are the service deliverables? How will our internal resources be used, and what will be the results that benefit both members and the organization? There may be fatigue in discussing DEI, so asking our members what they need is a good idea. Develop a set of priorities and provide some homework for the board that can be used for discussion at a future meeting. Have the DEI committee make some recommendations.

• Bylaws Taskforce: The general overview is that the regions are operating within the scope outlined in the bylaws and that changes were not necessary.
  • Action Items: There may be some important benefits that can be gained with more council integration with other volunteer groups, especially the Membership Advisory Group (MAG) and Professional Development Committee (PDC). It was agreed this area should be explored further. Future meetings will investigate structural issues of what constitutes a region.

The board took a moment to celebrate the progress made in 2023 and the passionate work being done by its volunteers and staff. Looking ahead, the board is energized by the progress being made to address the evolving needs of the association industry. The growth of the organization continues to be top of mind for its leaders, as is expanding its educational offerings to its membership. Association leaders can look confidently to CalSAE to help make the trends that foster the educational and professional needs of the association community.

Summary provided by:
Chris Locke
Society for the Advancement of Material & Process Engineering (SAMPE) 
CalSAE Board Director