2026 April Leadership & Management Summit

Wednesday, April 15

6:30 – 7:30 PM   Welcome Reception

Thursday, April 16

8:30 – 9:15 AM   Registration / Continental Breakfast

9:15 – 10:30 AM  Board Management: Dealing with Difficult Boards - Hardy Smith

Dealing with difficult boards is a source of frequent frustration for association and nonprofit leaders. The distraction that a difficult board creates prevents an organization from achieving its full potential. Board engagement expert Hardy Smith, IOM will identify contributing influencers that create difficult boards, provide techniques for how to respond to difficult board members, and facilitate peer discussion on difficult boards

• What preventative actions can be taken to avoid difficult board situations
• Why self-reflection is essential for dealing with difficult boards
• How to respond positively to difficult circumstances

10:30 – 10:45 AM  Networking Break

10:45 – 11:45 AM  Coaching Made Easy: 7 Simple Tools to Transform the Development of Your Team Members - Aaron Ellinger

Organizational leaders have more responsibilities than they have time to complete them. Too often, one thing that gets missed is the critical role of developing their direct reports. Research shows that the most effective way to do this is by utilizing Coaching skills. But what exactly does that mean? This presentation will identify 7 simple tools that leaders can use to help their team members develop and grow.

11:45 – 1:15 PM Networking Luncheon with Peer Discussion

1:30 – 2:30 PM   Taming High-Performing Nightmares: How to Survive Toxic Superstars Without Losing Your Ethics or Your Mind - Scott Mason

This dynamic session equips association leaders to confront one of the most treacherous traps in leadership: the toxic superstar. While high performers may look like assets, their ethical or interpersonal issues can endanger teams, stakeholders, and even your own career. Using the myth of Jason and Medea—the world’s first “high-performing nightmare”—as scaffolding, Scott Mason shares a powerful framework, vivid original artwork, and actionable strategies to help leaders protect culture, credibility, and success.

• How to Identify and dispel common myths surrounding high-performance leadership, especially those that may lead leaders at all levels, including the C-suite, to tolerate toxic superstars.
• How to connect core values and ethical grounding to "in real life" leadership, re-establishing credibility lost via the toxic superstar.
• What is needed to build a plan that both manages the employee and rebuilds the association’s culture and key relationships.

2:30 – 2:45 PM  Networking Break

2:45– 3:45 PM   Governance Rehab Lab - Jim Thompson, CAE, Tying it Together Consulting 

Every association has a “House of Governance,” and every house needs maintenance.  In this highly interactive session, CEOs will step back from day‑to‑day operations and take a rapid 10‑question assessment to identify which parts of their governance structure are strongest and which may need repair.  After reviewing the seven core domains of the House of Governance framework, participants will identify their two lowest‑scoring areas and join small‑group “Governance Rehab Labs” to generate practical solutions, share lived experience, and learn from peers facing similar challenges.

• Diagnose governance gaps using a concise assessment across seven core domains.
• Compare real‑world challenges with peers and uncover patterns that commonly undermine board effectiveness.
• Generate practical, immediately usable strategies through facilitated small‑group “Rehab Labs.”
• Contribute to a sector‑wide resource that captures shared insights and strengthens governance across associations.

3:45 - 4:00 PM      Adjourn

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront
225 East Coastline Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202

Room Rate: $169

Cutoff Date: April 5, 2026
Complimentary valet or self parking

Make Your Reservation: Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront

Enjoy walkable downtown access and panoramic views of the St. Johns River when you stay at Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. Our hotel features the largest event space in Northeast Florida, comfortable guest rooms and suites and delicious onsite restaurants. Start your day with a coffee at the full-service Starbucks, take a dip in the rooftop pool or stroll through downtown to find live entertainment – Jacksonville is yours to explore at Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront.

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