Learning and leading beyond crisis: How to keep going and growing

Donté P. Shannon, FASAE, CAE, is the CEO of the Association for Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP), a national trade association, globally servicing heavy equipment managers through education, training, certification and industry standardization. He is also an Account Executive with AMPED Association Management. Prior to his current role, Donte served as Executive Director/CEO of the Specialty Advertising Association of California, a state-based trade association servicing promotional product professionals.  

Donté is a highly recognized influencer in the association community, having presented over 20 association management presentations, ranging in topics from strategic leadership and organization rebranding, to career development. Additionally, he has been featured in, and co-authored, numerous articles related to association management. A devoted professional, Donte recently served as Chair of the CAE Commission, the governing body of the CAE credential and contributes his expertise as a member of for-profit and nonprofit Boards and Councils. His career highlights include being selected as a 2020 digitalNow Leader of Distinction, a 2020 ASAE Fellow, and a 2011-2013 Diversity Education Leadership Program (DELP) Scholar.

Donte is a strong advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion and enjoys giving back to the various communities and industries he touches. Donte earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the College of Charleston in 2003 and received the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2015.

Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, is President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). Woods is responsible for leading the organization’s dedicated team of professionals, enhancing its value, visibility and growing relationships with its members, clients, public agencies and partners. She also leads efforts to expand NIBS programs and markets, while growing and strengthening its membership base. 

Prior to joining NIBS, Woods served as the Sr. VP & Chief Marketing Officer with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). There, Woods led a 27-member team responsible for all marketing and revenue-generating programs, including sponsorship sales and partnerships with major national companies. 

Woods currently serves on the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Board of Directors and began her term as Secretary/Treasurer on September 1, 2020. She recently was elected Vice Chair of the U.S. Green Building Council Board of Directors, where she previously served as Secretary/Treasurer. Woods also serves on the Advisory Board of Crosswalk and has spoken at numerous national and international industry events. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in College Park and lives with her husband and daughter in Howard County, Maryland.

Dr. Sheri Sesay-Tuffour joined the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board after serving as CEO of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Her leadership and management principles are based on a simple rule — do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Sheri is a results-driven healthcare executive with proven ability to direct financial and business operations and to shift the paradigm of a company to create desired results. As a hands-on leader, she transforms organizations by leading through vision setting, inspiring staff to take ownership and accountability in creating change, and by aligning programs with strategic goals to achieve measurable results. She has led health policy initiatives, revenue diversification and member development strategies, large-scale domestic and global project portfolios, inclusion programs, and cross-functional employee teams.

She has committed over 21 years to the association sector, primarily with healthcare related organizations including the American College of Nurse-Midwives as CEO; the Heart Rhythm Society as Vice President of Operations; and the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners as Executive Director. Sheri has active membership affiliation with several associations and healthcare-focused organizations. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors and the West Virginia State University Foundation Board. Sheri holds a doctorate degree in organizational leadership from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, an M.A. in science administration from Trinity Washington University, and a B.S. in communications from West Virginia State University.

Stefanie Reeves is the Executive Director of the Maryland Psychological Association (MPA) in Columbia, MD. In this role, she manages the day-to-day operations of a small staff association representing psychologists and other mental health professionals in the state of Maryland.

Stefanie has over 20 years of association management and government relations experience working for such organizations as the American Psychological Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association. She currently serves as Chair of the Council for Executive Directors of State and Provincial Psychological Associations (CESPPA).

Stefanie holds a BA in Psychology from The George Washington University and a MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University. In 2010, she earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

An active member of ASAE, Stefanie recently became a Fellow of the association, an honor bestowed upon less than 1% of ASAE’s membership. She serves on the ASAE Board of Directors and is a 2008-2009 Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) Scholar.

A native Washingtonian, Stefanie resides in Silver Spring, MD with her rescue dog Charmer.