Through The Noise

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,

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 pro

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

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

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 nonpr

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 s

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

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 Scho

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 demo

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);

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

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 liv