Conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion and the role of racism and privilege in our society has been amplified in recent weeks following tragic events and protests in cities throughout the United States. This has prompted medical societies leaders to reexamine their actions, policies, culture, beliefs and biases. Join us for this critical conversation about the state of associations – where we are and where we can go. Discover key insights from a newly-released Association Forum/McKinley Advisors study on opportunities and obstacles associations and must overcome in order to be more inclusive and diverse.
Learn about the tactics and strategies more 5,000 association leaders identify as most necessary actions for membership organizations to implement going forward.
Michelle joined Association Forum as President and CEO in September 2014. She provides strategic leadership, fiscal responsibility, and successful delivery of member value.
Association Forum is the “association of associations” in Chicago. Founded in 1916. The association community in Chicagoland represents more than 1,700 associations, which in turn serves nearly 29 million individual members and spends an estimated $10.3 billion annually on meetings alone in the Chicagoland area. Next to Washington, DC, Chicago is the nation’s largest association headquarters city. Additionally, more healthcare associations are headquartered in Chicagoland than anywhere else.
Prior to Association Forum, Michelle served as a managing director at the American Society for Quality (ASQ). In this role, she concentrated on strategy, innovation, business development, membership development and engagement, advocacy, corporate social responsibility, and process improvement.
Prior to ASQ, Michelle served as vice president of strategic and future focused research programs for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in Washington, D.C., where she served as lead for the best selling publication, Seven Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don’t.
Michelle is a Certified Association Executive (CAE), Six Sigma Champion and Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA). She is an ASAE Fellow and an Aspen Institute Ideas Fellow. She is a graduate of the SmithBucklin Leadership Institute. Michelle served as an examiner with the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence. She has a BA, MBA and MS.
Michelle has strong board experience including, American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors, ABSI, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, and Visit Milwaukee. She was appointed by the Mayor of Milwaukee to serve as vice-chair of the City's Green Team. Michelle is currently a member of the Choose Chicago Board of Directors, Mentor for the Chicago Urban League, and Coach for One Million Degrees.
Michelle is a Chicago Business Journal Women of Influence Honoree 2019, Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Honoree 2019, and the CEO Update Professional Society CEO of the Year 2020. She also received the 2012 WSAE Association Leadership Award and was recognized by Associations Now as an “A Lister: Someone Who Makes Associations Work.”
Motivated by organizations’ missions and driven by results, Jon Hockman brings more than two decades of consulting experience with hundreds of associations in the U.S. and abroad to his leadership of McKinley Advisors’ Chicago office. A specialist in facilitating communication, Jon has aided clients in areas including strategic planning, team/group efficacy, change management, organizational culture/climate and leadership development.
Prior to joining McKinley, Jon founded the d3 Group, a successful consultancy focused on strengthening associations. He also served as a partner of KRW International, the CEO of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity and was a major gifts fundraiser for both the American University and the Children’s Defense Fund.
Jon is a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), an honor that is bestowed upon fewer than 1% of association professionals. He also holds the Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) credential from the International Association of Facilitators.
Jon holds an undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University. When he’s not immersed working within groups of people, Jon can be found going for runs along Lake Michigan where some of his best thinking occurs.