In this milestone episode, hosts Colby Horton and Frank Humada welcome Whitney Meyerhoeffer, director of communications at the American Mental Health Counselors Association, for a conversation about what it really takes to communicate in a noisy world. Whitney explains the difference between marketing and communications, why storytelling and audience segmentation matter more than ever, and how engagement has evolved from simple metrics to a full-time discipline. The discussion explores when associations should take public stances, how communicators can help shape those decisions, and why bringing communications teams into strategic conversations early is essential. Along the way, Whitney shares practical advice for preventing burnout, creating "sacred spaces" for self-care, and building mentally fit teams.

In this episode of Engaging in the Next, Edessa Polzin, director of strategic partnerships at the American Marketing Association, joins hosts Colby Horton and Frank Humada for a conversation about the evolving role of marketing within associations and how teams can work smarter in an increasingly complex landscape. Polzin reflects on her own path into the association space and explains why AMA’s mission resonates with her background as a marketing practitioner. The discussion explores the growing pressure on association marketers to drive outcomes like membership growth, event attendance, and engagement while often having limited influence over larger organizational decisions involving products, pricing, and technology. Polzin argues that marketing leaders need a stronger voice at the strategy table as the profession becomes increasingly tied to operations, analytics, martech, and business strategy. The conversation also examines how associations can better leverage first-party data, prioritize high-impact work with lean teams, and thoughtfully integrate AI into their workflows without getting distracted by hype. Polzin shares practical perspectives on automation, personalization, AI governance, and the importance of delivering value in ways that genuinely earn audience attention.

In our season 5 premiere, Chad Rummel, M.Ed, CAE, executive director of the Council for Exceptional Children, joins hosts Colby Horton and Frank Humada to share his journey from rural Kansas to leading a mission-driven association. With a background in teaching high school journalism and accounting, Rummel reflects on how educators who believed in him shaped both his career path and his leadership philosophy. Today, he brings that same mindset to his role at CEC, focusing on developing strengths in staff and volunteers, creating space for new ideas, and aligning leadership around a shared purpose. He also discusses practical shifts in governance, including restructuring board meetings around “mega issues” to prioritize meaningful conversation over routine reporting. Rummel shares how he hires for mission alignment, why that connection is visible to members, and how Universal Design for Learning informs a more inclusive approach to serving diverse member needs.