What happens when you gather four leaders representing distinct, identity-based association communities? You get a bold conversation about visibility, representation, and creating spaces where people feel they truly belong.

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda sat down with four Association Community Group leaders:

1. Rebecca Achurch, Chair of Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC)
2. Kelli Baxter, Vice President of Black Association Executives (BAE)
3. Carlos Cardenas, President of Association Latinos
4. Diana Lee Tucker, Chair of Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Association Community

They discuss:

1. How each of their organizations was formed out of a need for community and visibility.
2. The power of representation and why identity-specific mentoring matters.
3. Why cultural proximity helps build confidence and unlock leadership potential.
4. Their commitment to allyship and how they've collaborated across groups.
5. The importance of welcoming allies into their communities to foster inclusion.
6. Innovative programs, like peer mentoring and CAE funding, that uplift emerging leaders.
7. Challenges around growth and sustaining energy as founders transition out of leadership.
8. The importance of financial sustainability and succession planning for long-term impact.
9. Their hopes to inspire association CEOs to create similar communities within their industries.
10. Why now is not the time to back away from DEI-focused spaces, despite current headwinds.

References:

1. AWTC Website
2. BAE Website

How do you keep members engaged when the industry is undergoing constant mergers and acquisitions? How can an association stay flexible, strategic, and still build a sense of community?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Leakhena Swett, President of the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA). Leakhena discusses:

1. What liquid terminals are and how critical they are to the global supply chain, from fuels and chemicals to molasses and palm oil.
2. The diverse membership of ILTA, including 70 terminal members and 300+ supplier members providing everything from drone tech to cleaning services.
3. The constant M&A activity in the industry, and how ILTA mitigates the risk by staying in communication with members and focusing on value.
4. How Leakhena’s background in technology and systems thinking has shaped her strategic approach to leading ILTA.
5. A flexible strategic plan that allows ILTA to pivot quickly, given how fast the industry and regulatory environment are changing.
6. How ILTA is responding to increased demand for in-person engagement by taking committee meetings to member locations.
7. The big changes coming to ILTA’s 2026 annual conference, including CEU accreditation and shorter, more dynamic sessions with organic networking.
8. An intentional move away from rigid session tracks to more inclusive, cross-functional learning.
9. The expansion of roundtable discussions at the conference, supported by a mobile app for gamification and post-event engagement.
10. Why ILTA relocated its HQ from Arlington, VA to downtown DC to better serve its advocacy mission and engage directly with federal agencies.

References:

1. ILTA Website

In this special episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda is joined by colleagues from Matrix Group International, Inc.: Dave Hoernig, Vice President of Software Engineering, Jessica Parsley, Director of Project Management, and Alex Pineda, Creative Director. They look back on the trends they’re seeing in the association space. They discuss:

1. How AI dominated 2025, with associations investing heavily in staff training, internal policies, and custom GPTs to boost content production and streamline workflows.
2. The AI tools that helped Matrix Group clients modernize outdated content by converting PDFs to HTML, summarizing large documents, and creating metadata and schema for better discoverability.
3. Why associations wrestled with how much previously gated content to expose for AI indexing, balancing member-only value with public visibility and relevance in AI search results.
4. “About the Industry” storytelling sections of a website becoming a trend, with associations crafting narratives to spotlight the importance of their fields not just to members, but to the public and policymakers.
5. How clients faced tighter budgets in 2025, making incremental updates and data-driven decisions more important than ever.
6. The notable rise of multimedia content, with podcasts and audio read-alouds replacing and supplementing long-form text to meet member preferences and improve accessibility.
7. How personalization is becoming easier with AI and how associations can now deliver customized recommendations for members, modeled after platforms like Netflix or Duolingo.
8. How AI is revolutionizing design and development, with tools that boost creativity, accelerate prototyping, and reduce tedious manual work.
9. How mobile-first and voice-enabled experiences are expected to surge, especially as younger members rely more on phones and smart speakers for web interaction.

References:

1. Matrix Group Website
2. See how TFI tells the story of the industry.
3. We made a few tweaks to the ALDA website in advance of a larger redesign in the future.

How do you tackle deforestation and climate change while strengthening local economies? What’s the role of trees in securing food, water, and livelihoods? And what if environmental nonprofits acted more like sales organizations, with scalable, partner-driven models?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Hank Dearden, Executive Director of ForestPlanet. Hank discusses:

1. How ForestPlanet plants high volumes of trees at very low cost through partnerships with local NGOs.
2. Why ForestPlanet emphasizes community-led initiatives, vetting, and supporting tree-planting organizations in developing countries.
3. How planting trees revitalizes soil, retains water, and improves food and income security.
4. The role of agroforestry and permaculture in transforming degraded land into sustainable ecosystems.
5. Why tree planting is “the catalyst” in a larger chain of environmental and economic benefits.
6. The critical relationship between upstream tree planting and downstream mangrove restoration and fish population health.
7. How ForestPlanet works with corporate partners to plant trees for every product sold. These partnerships benefit ForestPlanet, local communities AND the corporations.

References:

1. ForestPlanet Website
2. Support ForestPlanet
3. The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/zoo/clarity

License code: RQWZMZXYSBVT16ZW

How can hospitals in rural and underserved communities innovate, stay open, and thrive amid financial pressures and changing healthcare demands? And how can associations serve as the glue that binds competitors together for a common purpose?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Richard Roberson, President and CEO of the Mississippi Hospital Association (MHA). Richard discusses:

• MHA’s nearly 100-year history of serving a diverse mix of public, private, religious, and rural hospitals across Mississippi.
• How MHA helps connect members to collaborate on shared challenges.
• MHA’s powerful advocacy work at the state and federal levels to support hospitals and ensure they are heard by legislators and agency leaders.
• The launch and impact of IntelliTrue, a health information exchange platform that improves care coordination, reduces readmissions, and helps avoid unnecessary healthcare costs.
• How IntelliTrue connects hospitals, physicians, FQHCs, insurers, and mental health centers, providing clinical data that enables better patient care.
• The innovation behind TrueCare, a provider-owned Medicaid health plan formed by MHA members to improve care and reduce friction between hospitals and payers.
• How TrueCare is governed by a consortium of large and small hospitals and currently serves 100,000 Medicaid recipients.
• The power of storytelling and how MHA collects stories through affinity groups, hospital visits, and direct community engagement to humanize healthcare policy.
• Mississippi’s distinction of having the lowest hospital costs in the country: a positive for patients but a challenge for hospital sustainability.
• Richard’s vision for the next five years: improved patient outcomes through reduced ER visits and better coordination between providers, supported by a stable policy and payment environment.

References:

• MHA Website
• IntelliTrue
• TrueCare Website

What if we treated every cancer diagnosis not just as a medical challenge but as a journey of hope, strength, and transformation? And what role can an organization play in fostering community and empowerment through that journey?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Alissa McKinney, Executive Director of Above + Beyond Cancer. Alissa discusses:

• Iowa’s alarming cancer statistics and the environmental and behavioral factors contributing to the state’s high rates.
• How the medical community defines a survivor as anyone from the moment of diagnosis, not just those in remission.
• How Above + Beyond Cancer delivers mind-body-spirit programs for cancer survivors and caregivers, all free of charge.
• Above + Beyond Cancer’s 12-week evidence-based program with pre- and post-assessments to track participants’ strength and health improvements.
• Above + Beyond’s weekly offerings, like hiking, yoga, aquatics, and pole walking, specifically designed with input from healthcare professionals.
• Their rural outreach effort, a pilot program to expand cancer survivorship services into rural Iowa, in partnership with local cancer centers and YMCAs.
• The Transformational Journey program, including physically demanding treks in Patagonia and the Himalayas for survivors and caregivers.
• How one participant went from being unable to walk a mile to completing a 58-mile hike in Patagonia, rediscovering her strength and confidence.
• The Celebrate! gala, Above + Beyond Cancer’s signature event that honors organizations and individuals who uplift the cancer community.
• The upcoming 15th anniversary of Above + Beyond Cancer, including the launch of Iowa’s first-ever survivorship conference in June 2026.

References:

• Above + Beyond Cancer Website

How can your association foster inclusive, empowering spaces that go beyond professional development to create real human connections?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda sat down with three Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC) leaders:

• Rebecca Achurch, CEO of Achurch Consulting and Secretary-Treasurer, Founder and Incoming Chair of AWTC
• Gretchen Steenstra, Director of Client Strategy at DelCor Technology Solutions and Past Chair and Founder of AWTC
• Jill Treby, Director of Membership at the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) and Chair of AWTC

They discuss:

• The founding and 5-year growth of AWTC as a community for women passionate about technology and leadership in associations.
• Why “champions” is a verb in AWTC’s name and what it means to be one.
• The evolution of AWTC’s signature event, Advance, and how it blends networking, learning, and personal development.
• How the Situation Room format during Advance fosters fast, impactful problem-solving through diverse perspectives.
• AWTC’s unique, inclusive membership model: free to join, with optional donations, and no barriers to entry.
• A growing recognition and awards program that celebrates women doing excellent work at all levels, not just lifetime achievers.
• AWTC’s commitment to access and belonging, including scholarship rates and no-cost virtual programs.
• The critical role of male allies and volunteers in supporting AWTC’s mission.
• How local groups (like in Chicago and Denver) are forming organically, expanding AWTC’s reach.
• Their excitement for 2026: expanded programming, deeper engagement, and a sustainable model that empowers volunteers to lead.

References:

• AWTC Website
• AWTC on LinkedIn
• AWTC Advance 2025

What does a small association need to go independent? And what does it take to transform an association into an entrepreneurial, nimble, and innovative organization?

In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Addy Kujawa, CEO of the American Alliance of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). Addy discusses:

• How AAOE supports orthopedic and musculoskeletal practice executives, primarily C-suite leaders focused on the business side of practices.
• The organization’s evolution from being managed by AAOS to becoming fully independent, and thereby saving costs, increasing agility, and creating a tight-knit, high-performing staff team.
• The challenges and logistics of relocating the association from Illinois to Indiana, hiring new staff, and setting up operations from scratch.
• Why independence was the right decision: complete control, direct board governance, nimbleness, and a culture of ownership.
• How Addy introduced EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) to improve accountability, strategic focus, and communication. They began with a 90-day pilot that transformed into a permanent operating model.
• The success of EOS in fostering innovation, sunsetting underperforming programs, and promoting team-wide accountability and ownership..
• A young professionals council that created a resource guide for new orthopedic execs, and a revamped webinar program that grew from 15 to 50 annual events.

References:

• AAOE Website