Guest Author: Alex Beall, ASAE
The National Speakers Association hosts a training program for incoming chapter presidents. Here’s a look at how it improves chapters’ performance and strengthens the national organization at the same time.
Since chapters play a large role in promoting an association and drawing members at a local level, it’s essential that chapter leaders have the skills to take on this responsibility. The National Speakers Association hosts a program called the Chapter Leadership Institute to prepare its chapter presidents for their new role.
Held at NSA headquarters each November, the institute brings together the presidents-elect of NSA’s 34 U.S. chapters for training and networking as a kickoff to their tenure. The program is coordinated by the Chapter Leadership Committee, which is composed of former chapter presidents.
“It was really about helping chapters understand the importance of the role that they play and giving them some of the skills and techniques they could use to be more effective at running an association in terms of raising money, communicating with their members, and all that kind of stuff,” says Patrick Donadio, NSA board member and former CLC chair.
