CESSE

Whether you’re new to associations or looking to strengthen your understanding of how they operate, Association Basics provides foundational training specifically designed for professionals working in or alongside scientific, technology, engineering, and mathematical societies.

One of the experienced association leaders guiding the November course is Frank Krause, MBA, CAE. Frank brings more than 25 years of experience managing professional societies. He previously served as Executive Director and CEO of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and COO of the American Geophysical Union, where he led strategic transformations across publishing, meetings, technology, culture, and international growth. His experience also includes leadership roles with the American Medical Association and in the for-profit sector.

Join Frank and fellow association professionals for a two-day interactive session covering governance, membership, programs and services, volunteer engagement, balancing mission and margin, and other fundamentals of association management.

🔺 November 17–18 | 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET
🔺 Earn 8 CAE credits
🔺 Register for Association Basics: www.CESSE.org/Association-Basics-Course

Managing projects in an association or nonprofit means navigating more than timelines and deliverables. It also means balancing mission-driven priorities, collaborating with volunteers, coordinating stakeholders, and keeping work moving forward.

CESSE's newest course, Project & Volunteer Management for Associations, brings those realities together, combining fundamental project management principles with practical strategies for effectively working with association volunteers.

Co-leading the December course is Andrea Elkin, PMP, Director of Business Systems at the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB). With more than 15 years of association experience, Andrea's background spans communications, events, project management, business systems, and governance. At CLARB, she provides strategic oversight and leadership for the Project Management Office, IT business systems, and volunteer management while helping align projects and operational solutions with organizational priorities.

Through interactive sessions, breakout groups, and applied activities, participants will explore project planning and timelines, people and volunteer management, communication and collaboration tools, and strategies for common nonprofit project management challenges.

🔺 December 2–3 | 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET
🔺 Earn 8 CAE credits
🔺 Register Today: www.CESSE.org/Project-and-Volunteer-Management-Course

Where can CEOs and Executive Directors connect and candidly discuss the future of STEM societies?

Designed by CEOs, for CEOs, the CESSE CEO Meeting brings STEM society chief executives together to exchange experiences, explore the challenges and opportunities shaping their organizations, and build meaningful connections with peers who understand their work.

Registration is now open for 2027! Join us this January in Savannah for the conversations and strategic insights that make this meeting unlike any other in the association space.

Register by December 7 to save $100. 🔗 www.CESSE.org/CEO-Meeting-Attendee-Registration

STEM society board members are often experts at digging into the details. But when operational discussions dominate the boardroom, how can CEOs help shift the conversation toward strategy and the bigger picture?

Join CESSE for Telescopes, Not Microscopes: Moving Your Board Away from Operational Details, an interactive webinar focused on practical ways CEOs can help their boards stay on the horizon rather than getting stuck in the weeds.

Leading the conversation is Jonathan Adams, MBA, CAE, AAiP, Senior Consultant at AMC Consulting (Association Management Center). Jonathan works with boards and executive teams on strategic planning, board development, organizational alignment, and AI strategy. Before joining AMC, he spent a decade at the Water Quality Association, most recently as VP of Innovation, bringing a practitioner's perspective to the board dynamics he now advises on.

During the webinar, Jonathan will explore practical levers including agenda architecture, board packet design, the chair partnership, and meeting norms, helping attendees identify what they can change themselves and what requires collaboration with their board chair or a governance change.

🔺 Tuesday, October 6 | 2–3 p.m. ET
🔺 Earn 1 CAE credit
🔺 Register Today: https://ow.ly/Y2k350ZRw2J

Working in an association comes with its own unique landscape, from volunteer governance and membership structures to balancing mission and margin. The CESSE course, Association Basics, helps professionals and partners understand that landscape and build practical knowledge they can apply in their roles.

Co-leading the November session is Matt Miller, Chief Executive Officer of the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB). Matt brings extensive association leadership experience, having previously served as Executive Director & CEO at the American Welding Society, Chief Operating Officer for NACE International, and Director of the SAE Foundation and Pre-Professional Programs at SAE International. He is also a former member of the CESSE Board of Directors.

During this two-day virtual course, participants will explore the purpose and structure of associations, governance, membership, programs and services, volunteer engagement, and more through interactive discussions and activities.

🔺 November 17–18 | 10 a.m.–2:30 p.m. ET
🔺 Earn 8 CAE credits
🔺 Register for Association Basics: www.CESSE.org/Association-Basics-Course

A meeting can do more than share knowledge. It can spark the connection that leads to the next major innovation.

Toronto’s concentration of hospitals, universities, research institutes and AI organizations has made it easier for clinicians, scientists, engineers and data experts to collaborate on complex challenges. One example is a University Health Network team using AI-powered models and digital twins to evaluate donor lungs.

For STEM society professionals, this story offers a powerful reminder: the ecosystem surrounding a meeting can be just as important as what happens inside the conference venue.

Explore the article and see how your next meeting destination could help turn new connections into meaningful outcomes: https://ow.ly/2nKh50ZQHzV

Thank you to our Premier Partner: Destination Canada Business Events (Canada Keep Exploring)

Great events don't happen by accident. They're intentionally designed.

Meet Beth Surmont, Head of Strategy & Design at 360 Live Media and presenter for CESSE's upcoming webinar, Beyond the Program: Designing STEM Events for Lasting Impact.

Beth helps associations and nonprofits redesign, reinvent, and reinvigorate their events through audience-centered design and purposeful strategy. A recognized innovator in the meetings industry, she is an ASAE The Center for Association Leadership Fellow, CMP Fellow, recipient of PCMA's 2024 Groundbreaker Award, and a member of the Smart Women in Meetings 2026 Innovator class.

Beth will share practical approaches for designing experiences that create connection, spark new ideas, and generate impact that continues well after an event concludes.

📅 September 22, 2026
⏰ 2:00 p.m. ET
✅ 1 CAE credit available. CESSE is also a CMP preferred provider.
🔗 https://ow.ly/4BbR50ZERCJ

Join fellow STEM association professionals for a conversation about designing events that create lasting value.

Meet Christina Lewellen, MBA, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director and CEO of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and presenter for CESSE's upcoming webinar, Beyond the Program: Designing STEM Events for Lasting Impact.

Known for her data-driven approach to leadership and strategy, Christina is a respected voice in the association community and was named an ASAE The Center for Association Leadership Fellow in 2025. She brings extensive experience leading professional communities, navigating organizational change, and helping associations maximize the value they provide members.

During this session, Christina will share insights on how intentional event design can strengthen communities, support collaboration, and advance organizational goals beyond traditional education and networking.

📅 September 22, 2026
⏰ 2:00 p.m. ET
✅ 1 CAE credit available. CESSE is also a CMP preferred provider.
🔗 https://ow.ly/4i3P50ZERyy

What if the true value of your annual meeting can extend far beyond the event itself?

Meet Michael Beale, Client Engagement Manager at Destination Canada (Canada Keep Exploring) and one of the presenters for CESSE's upcoming webinar, Beyond the Program: Designing STEM Events for Lasting Impact.

With more than a decade of experience in the global business events industry, Michael works with associations and organizational leaders to create events that drive meaningful economic and social impact. His work is informed by Destination Canada's groundbreaking research on event legacy and impact, helping organizations think differently about what success looks like after attendees return home.

Join us on September 22 to learn how STEM societies can intentionally design meetings that foster collaboration, innovation, and lasting value for their communities.

📅 September 22, 2026
⏰ 2:00 p.m. ET
✅ 1 CAE credit available. CESSE is also a CMP preferred provider.
🔗 https://ow.ly/rKQf50ZERsj

The most valuable conversations in STEM society leadership happen when CEOs and Executive Directors come together to learn from one another, share candid insights, and tackle common challenges. That's exactly what you'll find at the 2027 CESSE CEO Meeting, and helping shape this year's experience are two outstanding volunteer leaders:

Scott Grayson, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, American Public Works Association (APWA) and Abigail Gorman, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, American Society for Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics for (ASCPT).

Together, Scott and Abigail are working with CESSE to create an experience designed by CEOs, for CEOs, focused on the issues that matter most to STEM societies today.

📍 The DeSoto Savannah
📅 January 24-27, 2027

Be among the first to hear when registration opens, hotel details are released, and new program information becomes available by signing up for notifications at: www.cesse.org/ceo-meeting