So many of us have sat around a leadership table — either as board members or staff — that it feels like we all know the rules of governance. But those rules, like everything else, must continue to evolve to stay current.
That is why I was so impressed with the willingness of the NTCA Board officers to attend ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership’s Exceptional Boards seminar with NTCA Executive Vice President Mike Romano and me last week. ASAE is the American Society of Association Executives (there really is an association for everything), and it’s where entities like NTCA turn to ensure we stay current in the trade association world.
The nearly two days of training and education with about 125 other association volunteers and staff were illuminating. They provided a fresh way to look at everything from developing meeting agendas to examining the different roles of CEOs and board members.
There was also a lively interaction around how associations can engage and attract next-generation leaders in ways that work for their life circumstances and appeal to their desire to be purpose-driven. We think about that a lot at NTCA, where young broadband consumers can help drive innovation in our member companies and the association itself. It's another reason why I am excited about the Rural Rumble esports tournament that kicked off last Sunday. While the event has been and will continue to be great fun, especially as it concludes with an enthusiastic fan base at RTIME, it's really a next-gen way for NTCA members to showcase their future-forward networks and open the door to developing their workforce. Thinking further about engaging this demographic and pulling them into volunteer leadership, recruiting them to run for board seats or seeking out trustee opportunities is very top of mind.
As an added bonus, it was great fun to watch the NTCA Board officers deepen their working relationships and levels of trust, which will also help serve as a guidepost in the challenging months ahead. My thanks to Chair Roxie Jorgenson, MTA Board of Directors Secretary (Palmer, Alaska), Vice Chair Ben Foster, president and CEO of ISG Technology and Twin Valley Telephone Inc. (Miltonvale, Kan.), and Secretary/Treasurer Ross Petrick, general manager/CEO of Alliance Communications Cooperative Inc. (Garretson, S.D.).
I also want to thank Dave Duncan, CEO of the Iowa Communications Alliance (West Des Moines, Iowa), who mentioned this training to me years ago. (I love to follow the statewide adage, "What would Dave Duncan do?") This was a great tip and well worth the investment in NTCA's future governance practices as we enter our 71st year of service to our members. It is indeed never too late to learn some new "tricks!"