Session Schedule
In-Person
January 19, 2027, 10am to 4pm & January 20, 2027, 8:30am to 12:30pm
Program introduction, personalized content deepens self-understanding through the DiSC® model.
About the speaker
Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, CPF is the CEO of Vista Cova — a company that partners with organizations on strategic visioning and planning, reviewing & aligning governance structures, training stronger Board members, and providing expert facilitation. As an IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator, Lowell frequently provides dynamic sessions to organizations — getting volunteers, members, and staff involved through experiential learning approaches.
After starting his career in the informal education realm, over the course of more than a decade, Lowell worked inside associations as a COO as well as in the realms of membership, volunteer leadership establishment and growth, and global alliance building. His passion for facilitation led to the founding of Vista Cova where he has worked with hundreds of nonprofit organizations from local to global, from trade to individual member and foundations.
In addition to his role as CEO, Lowell is actively involved in various leadership capacities within the ASAE, including serving on the ASAE Research Committee and as a past Chair for the overseeing commission for the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. He also chaired ASAE’s Task Force on CEO Pathways and previously led as Chair for ASAE’s Component Relations Council. He serves on the Curriculum Committee and as an instructor for the US Chamber of Commerce’s IOM program. Additionally, Lowell has contributed significantly to the field, co-executive editing and contributing as an author for ASAE’s Component Relations Handbook, 2nd edition, and contributing chapters to the latest versions of Professional Practices of Association Management and Membership Essentials. He is committed to building a stronger future for nonprofits and associations, co-founding the CAE Scholarship and serving as a mentor for ASAE’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program.
In Winter 2023, Lowell completed his doctorate in education with a focus on organizational leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, further enriching his expertise in the field. Lowell has served on the Board and in volunteer capacities for Shepeard’s Table, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is currently serving on the organizing committee for the Brain Ball for the Alzheimer’s Association. Most importantly, his most important job is as dad to his three littles who give daily feedback on his terrible/wonderful dad jokes.
Virtual
February 10, 2027 – 8:00am to noon
Attendees gain insight into their own preferences and tendencies, learn more about relating to others and receive actionable strategies to help them improve their interactions and ultimately, their performance.
In-Person
March 17, 2027 – 10am to 4pm
Sharpen your written, verbal, and advocacy skills through hands-on activities, practice, and evaluation. At the end of the session, others will want to hear what you have to say. Includes a MI Capitol visit with legislators.
About the speaker
Lisa Reiff was raised on a sheep farm in Oakland County. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University in Agriculture Communication.
She has advocated for agriculture on the state and national level her entire professional career. For nearly a decade she was the executive director for the Michigan Association of Fairs & Exhibitions helping to promote fairs across the state and in Lansing. She served on the International Association of Fairs & Expositions State and Provincial board of directors. She also worked for Journal Communications as the editor for 11 state department of agriculture magazines. Lisa has worked for the Michigan Corn Growers Association and the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan, as well as the United Soybean Board.
Lisa developed the consumer facing agriculture education exhibit, My MI Farmland, at the Michigan State Fair. She continues to show sheep at the local and national level and served as the former editor for the American Southdown Breeders Association publications.
In-Person
June 8, 2027 – 9:00am to noon
Feel at ease sharing your thoughts, opinions, and representing others when talking with legislators, leaders, and the public. It’s as simple as following a few key steps to ensure your point is heard.
About the Speaker
Chris Iott grew up on Iott Seed Farms, a 2,000-acre farm in Kalkaska that grows about 27 million pounds of potatoes each year. He spent more than two decades as a journalist, the final five covering the Detroit Tigers for MLive.com, before leaving the field in 2016 to start Social Sound, a social media/marketing business.
Chris has worked with a variety of clients in a wide array of industries, including multiple car washes, a periodontist, a local HVAC company, two school districts and a subscription socks company. In the past few years, he has found himself working more and more with clients in agriculture and currently handles social media and marketing duties for four ag-related businesses: Iott Seed Farms, Main Farms, Midwest Water Stewards and North River Vodka, which is owned by Chris and distilled from potatoes grown on his family’s farm.
Chris believes strongly that farmers need to do more to tell the positive stories of agriculture; that they need to educate their friends, neighbors and fellow voters across the state of Michigan; and that social media is a great place to do both of those things.
In-Person
June 8, 2027 – 1:00 to 4:00pm
Discover how governance differs from management, how to use governance as a powerful tool, and how governance is implemented.
About the speaker
Susan Radwan, CAE, SMP, is a governance and leadership consultant with an international scope of practice. Her leadership workshops focuses on how to be a strategic leader. Radwan has worked with countless board leaders to strengthen their skillsets, their confidence, and their executive presence as they tackle challenges in a group process.
Radwan is currently the President of the Association for Strategic Planning (ASP) and she co-authored Governing by
Principles released in 2020 and is the Executive Editor for Professional Practices in Association Management in 2021 which is the textbook for association leaders.
Virtual
July 14, 2027 – 10:00 to 11:30am
Gain the essential skills to communicate your message, mission, and vision during interviews with the news media.
Virtual
August 19, 2027 – 9:00am to noon
Overall view of the various HR issues as they relate to any management or leadership position. Learn how effective leaders move their organizations forward.
About the speaker
Jodi Schafer is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) and the owner of Human Resource Management Services. Jodi a bachelor’s in psychology and education from Kalamazoo College and 20 years of experience in human resource management. She was recognized as one of the “10 Over the Next Ten” in the next generation of business leaders by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, and accepted the MSAE Association Choice award on behalf of HRM for the consulting services category. Jodi sits on several statewide committees focused on human resource policy and leadership development. She is a regular contributor to various industry publications and is author of a ready-to-use HR system for small employers. Jodi conducts speaking engagements and training seminars on all aspects of human resources, including employee relations, leadership skills, performance development, on-boarding, recruitment, and retention.
In-Person
November 23, 2027 – 9:00am to 4:00pm
Intentional, dynamic review of the program learning objectives for participants to connect ideas and build larger conceptual understandings. Celebrate success.