Beyond the Bylaws: Risk, Governance, and New Revenue with Jeff Tenenbaum

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Jeff Tenenbaum, Managing Partner of Tenenbaum Law Group and one of the association industry’s leading nonprofit attorneys, for a wide-ranging conversation about the legal, governance, and business challenges facing associations today.Jeff shares how an $8-an-hour internship at ASAE unexpectedly launched a 30-year career representing associations and nonprofits. From there, we dive into the issues he sees organizations getting right, and the ones that lead to the calls no association CEO ever wants to make.We explore board micromanagement and bad behavior, the often misunderstood lines between members, boards, committees, and staff, and why associations need to be more proactive about legal risk. Jeff also discusses cybersecurity, insurance coverage, antitrust, outdated bylaws, and the legacy governance practices that organizations continue simply because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”The conversation also looks beyond risk and compliance to the business of associations. Jeff shares how nonprofits can explore new revenue models, partnerships, joint ventures, and outside investment while staying aligned with their mission. It’s a reminder that nonprofit may describe an organization’s structure, but it doesn’t mean associations shouldn’t think creatively about growth.

Live from ASAE Indianapolis 2026, The Association Podcast sits down with Ginger Ausloos, PMP®, AAiP, Vice President of Information Technology, at AACSB. Ginger shares a leadership approach centered on empowerment, open dialogue, mutual respect, and aligning team ideas to mission, vision, and values through strategic planning with a “member first” lens. She discusses the evolution of viewing members as both family and customers, why associations need a sales mindset and stronger cross-sell across departments, and how CRMs and processes are often underused without proper training. Ginger recaps her “AMS Exodus” session on shrinking all-in-one AMS reliance over a 10-year journey, emphasizing data portability, a central data warehouse, and modern integrations. She also highlights building a high-trust culture focused on continuous professional development, communication, business analysis, and project management practices like lessons learned and standups. 00:00 Live at ASAE 202600:46 Meet Ginger Osloos01:12 Leadership Through Trust02:26 Aligning Ideas to Strategy03:58 Members Versus Customers05:52 Everyone Is in Sales08:22 Cross-Sell for Value10:55 CRM Training Gap12:16 AMS Exodus Debate14:08 Warehouse First Architecture16:15 The Warehouse Battle16:50 Affordable Data Integrations17:26 Growth Mindset Culture19:24 Hiring for Hunger21:15 Celebrating Team Wins23:11 Training People Up25:17 Skills for Modern IT26:49 Project Management Habits28:59 Documentation and Change29:53 Process Improvement Mindset30:56 Conference Wrap Up

Liz Peuster, Chief Communications Officer at the South Carolina Association of CPAs and founder of LP Innovates, joins The Association Podcast for a conversation that goes far beyond AI hype. Liz shares her career journey through the association world, why storytelling is at the heart of member value, and how associations can use AI to create better member experiences while developing, not replacing, their staff.From building custom AI assistants that coach employees into stronger writers to helping professionals navigate AI adoption with confidence, Liz offers practical ideas that any association can implement immediately. Whether you're just beginning your AI journey or looking for smarter ways to serve members, this episode is packed with actionable advice and fresh perspectives.Timestamps00:00 Welcome and Liz's association career journey 03:40 There's an association for everything 07:40 Why storytelling starts with understanding your members 12:00 Turning member challenges into advocacy success stories 14:20 AI concerns facing the accounting profession 17:00 Helping members evaluate AI vendors and technology 21:40 Building custom AI tools inside associations 24:00 Creating "Paige," an AI copy editor that teaches instead of rewrites 28:00 Why AI should focus on upskilling staff, not replacing them 30:30 Reclaiming time for member relationships 34:00 Teaching the next generation to use AI responsibly 37:00 Launching LP Innovates 39:30 Practical AI strategies anyone can implement tomorrow 41:00 Custom Copilot prompts that sound like you 43:00 AI workflows that eliminate inbox distractions 45:00 Saving hundreds of hours through small AI improvements 47:00 Final advice: Start with what frustrates you most

On this episode of The Association Podcast, Megan Paulini of Associations International, Senior Technical Solutions Specialist and recent AWTC Champion Award winner, shares how she accidentally entered the association world via a temp role and grew from member services into tech solutioning, QA, and deep NetForum work. She explains how an AMC’s shared-services model supports multiple association clients across varied tech stacks and why clear definitions, overcommunication, and documentation prevent costly misunderstandings. Megan reflects on recognition through AWTC, her preference for puzzle-style projects, and practical ways she uses AI daily, including having it review requirements for gaps, interview her with follow-up questions, generate test cases, and build a project forecast spreadsheet to reduce QA bottlenecks. The conversation also touches on realistic personalization, data foundations, and balancing customization with guardrails. 00:43 Guest Intro 01:16 Rapid Fire Questions03:23 How Megan Found Associations04:32 From Member Services to Tech07:26 Inside the AMC Model10:06 Patterns Across Clients12:22 Translating Business to Tech15:56 AWTC Award Spotlight20:37 Favorite Projects and Puzzles21:53 Switching to Maybel Setup22:23 Daily AI Wheel Spin22:59 AI for Better Requirements24:27 AI as Interviewer25:51 Forecasting QA Bottlenecks27:10 Choosing AI Tools30:05 Data Personalization Reality32:52 Progressive Profiling Vision33:23 Career Path Marketing35:12 Role Evolution at AMC38:43 Guardrails Over Customization40:27 Office Rundown Analogy41:03 Closing Takeaways

On this episode of The Association Podcast, Scott Bush, CEO of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), shares his path from mechanical engineering to a decade in minor league baseball, leading to his role at SABR focused on growing revenue and membership. He explains SABR’s origins in 1971, its mission of sharing baseball research, and its structure of 85 worldwide chapters and 34 research committees spanning analytics, history, and niche topics, including projects restoring grave markers for former players. Bush discusses how technology, the pandemic, and virtual engagement expanded access and community, while emphasizing “humanity first” in member communication. He outlines strategies to improve retention, build fundraising, and expand student membership through baseball analytics courses, and details current debates on content strategy, AI-driven declines in search traffic, and potential paywall or newsletter approaches. He also previews SABR 54 in Cleveland (July 29–Aug 2), featuring Guardians speakers, research presentations, a game, League Park visit, and a Major League screening with director David Ward. 00:00 Cold Open Setup00:14 Welcome and Guest Intro00:45 Rapid Fire Questions02:34 Scott Career Journey05:59 What Sabre Does07:52 Tech and Pandemic Shifts10:14 Chapters and Committees13:30 Sabre and Analytics Origins18:44 Growing Sabre Revenue21:25 Student Analytics Boom22:15 Courses and Portfolios23:16 Favorite Committees Talk24:06 Legacy Versus Innovation29:47 Human Touch and Tech32:55 Content Strategy Debate36:33 SEO and AI Disruption38:07 SABR 54 Cleveland Preview41:02 Wrap Up and Thanks 

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Lacey Pope, MBA, CAE, Customer Success Manager at Web Scribble, to discuss her career journey in associations and her transition to the industry partner side. Lacey shares how she entered the association world through temp work, earned her CAE, and later drove process improvements at the Oncology Nursing Society that increased live support and boosted customer satisfaction by nearly 10%. She reflects on leading membership technology modernization at Shriners International—including AI translation tools, a new LMS, project management platform, and Power BI reporting—work that earned her recognition at the AWTC Awards. The conversation also explores hiring in the age of AI, daily AI use in customer success, and how associations can build stronger workforce development pipelines beyond a basic job board. 00:00 Welcome and Introductions 00:36 Rapid Fire Questions 02:17 Lacey Association Journey 03:26 Process Improvement Wins 04:55 Career Pivot and Web Scribble 07:22 Awards and Title Tradeoffs 09:32 Vendor Side and Member Value 12:05 Meet Mabel Topic Wheel 13:23 Hiring in the Age of AI 17:44 Daily AI and Policies 20:01 Using AI On The Side 20:51 Five-Year Career Pivot 22:17 Recruited To WebScribble 23:00 Industry Credibility Matters 24:58 Networking And Job Boards 27:02 Daily Wins And Parenting 28:21 AWTC Recognition And Belonging 30:52 Recognition And Community Growth 33:24 Customer Success Trends 34:51 Advice For Student Pipelines 36:42 What WebScribble Does 38:32 Final Thanks And Wrap

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Jamie Atchison, MSMIT, Senior Director of Innovation and Strategy at the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Jamie shares her unique journey from public health programming into technology leadership, highlighting how she bridges business needs and digital innovation within her organization.We explore ASPPH’s groundbreaking AI chatbot, built in just eight weeks, and the intentional, human-centered approach behind it. Jamie dives into how associations can responsibly adopt AI, the importance of curated and trusted content, and how vertical AI models can combat misinformation in complex fields like public health.The conversation also covers leadership philosophy, including servant leadership, psychological safety, and building high-performing “one-pizza teams” that can move quickly without losing alignment. Jamie offers a forward-looking perspective on how AI and agentic AI will reshape associations, emphasizing augmentation over replacement and the need for strong critical thinking in an AI-driven world.00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:01 Rapid Fire Questions02:00 Jamie’s Career Journey and Path into Technology05:00 Transition from Program Work to Digital Innovation Leadership07:00 Building High-Performing “One-Pizza Teams”09:00 Inside the AI Chatbot Project (8-Week Build)12:00 Team Structure, AWS Partnership, and Knowledge Transfer13:00 From Problem to Solution: Why a Chatbot?14:30 Responsible and Ethical AI in Public Health17:00 Guardrails, Curated Content, and Vertical AI Models18:00 Data Considerations and Content Strategy20:00 Member Feedback and Adoption of AI Tools21:30 Human-Centered Design vs. Over-Reliance on AI23:00 Broader AI Strategy and Task Force Initiatives26:00 Building a Digital Innovation Team in Associations29:00 Bridging Business Strategy and Technology Execution32:00 Future Trends: AI, Agentic AI, and Workforce Impact36:00 Servant Leadership and Building Trust in Teams39:00 Culture, Collaboration, and Crisis Response in Tech Teams40:00 AWTC Recognition and Team Success42:00 Aligning Personal Values with Organizational Mission44:00 Where to Learn More About ASPPH’s AI Initiatives

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Dana Kohli, Vice President of Client Solutions at DelCor Technology Solutions and recent AWTC award winner, for a conversation about leadership, partnerships, and the evolving role of technology in associations.Dana shares her career journey from music educator to association technology leader, and how her people-first approach has shaped her work helping organizations solve complex challenges. The conversation explores emerging trends in the association space, including data strategy, CEO involvement in technology decisions, system selection evolution, and the growing importance of change management.We also dive into the human side of technology, from building authentic partnerships to asking tough questions and creating space for meaningful collaboration. Dana shares insights on daily wins, leadership moments, and why the most successful technology initiatives always come back to people.Throughout the conversation, we reflect on how associations are balancing innovation with practicality, navigating security and automation challenges, and embracing what Dana calls “good old-fashioned leadership” in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Erica Salm Rench, Chief Marketing Officer at Sidecar, to explore how associations can move beyond AI buzzwords and into meaningful adoption. Erica shares her career journey from digital marketing to leading AI-driven innovation in the association space, along with the experiences that shaped her approach to technology, community, and leadership.We dive into practical strategies for AI adoption, including building a culture of experimentation, creating internal learning cohorts, and identifying workflows ripe for automation. Erica also discusses the growing role of agents, the balance between personalization and privacy, and how associations can use data more effectively to improve member engagement.Throughout the conversation, Erica highlights the importance of collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning as associations navigate rapid technological change. She also shares insights from her work at Sidecar, emerging trends in AI, and what leaders should focus on today to prepare their organizations for the future.

On this episode of The Association Podcast, we welcome Ravi Rooprai, Director of IT and PMO at the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT). Ravi shares his unique journey from molecular microbiology and pharmaceutical consulting into association technology leadership, bringing a scientific mindset to digital transformation and innovation.The conversation explores how MDRT is modernizing association technology by decoupling legacy systems, building scalable data ecosystems, and experimenting with AI-driven personalization. Ravi explains how his team approaches technology through experimentation, feasibility studies, and agile thinking to improve member experiences and operational efficiency.We also dive into MDRT’s cutting-edge meeting technology, including large-scale multilingual interpretation powered by AI and the infrastructure required to support thousands of attendees simultaneously streaming translated sessions. Ravi discusses how associations can better leverage data, personalization, and experimentation to drive engagement, retention, and measurable member value.From building a culture of innovation to applying e-commerce thinking to membership value, this episode offers practical insights for association leaders navigating digital transformation.00:01:00 Introduction to Ravi Rooprai and MDRT00:01:30 Rapid Fire Questions00:02:40 Ravi’s Career Journey from Science to Association Technology00:04:30 Lessons from Industry Applied to Associations00:05:30 Using ROI and Value Metrics in Association Technology Decisions00:07:00 Measuring Member Lifetime Value00:08:30 The Value of MDRT Membership for Financial Professionals00:10:30 Reworking Legacy AMS Systems Through Decoupled Data Architecture00:12:00 Building a Modern Data Ecosystem Around Legacy Platforms00:13:30 Scaling Membership Systems to Handle Peak Demand00:14:45 Managing 60–70K Membership Applications During Renewal Season00:16:00 Leveraging AI and Technology at Large Global Conferences00:17:00 Simultaneous Translation and Multilingual Meeting Experiences00:18:30 Solving Conference Connectivity and Infrastructure Challenges00:20:00 Improving the Member Experience Through Technology00:21:00 Favorite Tools: AI, Copilot, and Power Apps00:23:30 Empowering Staff to Experiment with Technology00:24:30 Personalization and Data-Driven Engagement00:26:00 Using Engagement Data to Shape Event Programming00:28:00 The Future of Digital Transformation in Associations00:29:00 Applying a Scientific Mindset to Technology Innovation00:31:00 Building a Culture of Experimentation and Safe Failure00:33:00 Feasibility Studies and Agile Technology Testing00:35:00 Applying E-commerce Thinking to Membership Value00:37:00 The Future of AI and Meeting Technology at MDRT00:39:00 Rethinking the Conference Experience00:40:00 Closing Thoughts