Cherokee, NC – July 2024 – The Association Executives of North Carolina (AENC) announced their 2024-2025 Board of Directors during their Annual Meeting at Harrah’s Cherokee. THM’s Melissa Klingberg, CAE, has been voted in again as part of the AENC Board of Directors in the role of Secretary/Treasurer for a one-year term.

Klingberg , through her career in association management, hopes to bring her experience to the position including her expertise in management and strategic planning to help AENC continue to serve their mission of supporting association professionals across North Carolina. "I am honored to join the AENC Board in this capacity," said Klingberg. "I look forward to contributing to the organization’s continued success and to working with such a dedicated group of professionals."

2024-2025 AENC Board of Directors at the 2024 Annual Meeting (Melissa Klingberg is fourth from the left)

“Melissa has been an invaluable asset to the AENC community, both as a dedicated member and a board member. It is with great pleasure that we welcome her to the AENC Executive Committee in the role of Secretary/Treasurer. We eagerly anticipate her insightful leadership as AENC embarks on its 70th year of operations,” says Rich Phaneuf, AENC CEO & ED.

As Treasurer, Klingberg will work with AENC staff to help oversee the financial operations of AENC, ensuring transparency and fiscal responsibility. Her appointment underscores AENC’s commitment to effective governance and financial stewardship.

About AENC
The Association Executives of North Carolina (AENC) is dedicated to supporting and advancing the interests of association professionals throughout North Carolina. Through professional development, networking opportunities, and advocacy, AENC provides valuable resources to its members

By Sandy Hower, Account Executive and Meeting Planner, THM

How to diversify panels and speaker line ups is not a new question for meeting and event organizers but is a question that should be prioritized more moving forward. Last September, award-winning inclusion strategist and keynote speaker, Ruchika Tulshyan, published an article in the Harvard Business Review addressing what it will take to improve diversity at conferences. In the article, Tulshyan wrote that “we need to fundamentally understand and accept how different perspectives and life experiences among speakers will bring a richer conversation to any conference, and as a result, encourage greater attendee participation from diverse and underestimated communities.” In addition, “we must also recognize and acknowledge the systematic barriers holding back people of color (especially) from being recognized as experts.” Tulshyan went on to give ideas about how to increase speaker diversity. A few of those ideas are below:

• Don't only look for experts by title. Look for speakers outside the traditional networks and look at their experience and points of view rather than their title.
• Set an (audacious) goal. Make ambitious diversity goals and quantify them. And don’t just add one “token” speaker from an underrepresented group.
• Ask for speaker recommendations from a diverse slate of people. Enlist the help of members or industry experts from a diverse group for speaker suggestions.
• Do not always enlist people of color to speak about diversity issues. Tulshyan advises to do your research on whether the speaker’s expertise is on the topic of diversity and identity and that an ideal conference is one that doesn’t need a diversity and inclusion track because speaker diversity is carefully curated in all the topic tracks.
• Pass the baton. If possible, try to recommend another speaker if you are frequently asked to speak and identify as white and male. Help create opportunities for speakers from an underrepresented community to take your place.

Read the full article here: https://hbr.org/2019/09/what-it-will-take-to-improve-diversity-at-conferences