2026-27 Leadership Forum Schedule
TO BE UPDATED - SUGGEST AFTER 8/31 SO WE HAVE A FULL COHORT
Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 12:00 pm-1:00 pm PT / 1:00 pm-2:00 pm MT / 2:00 pm-3:00 pm CT / 3:00 pm-4:00 pm ET | VIRTUAL
Cohort Welcome Session
The first session in the series will introduce Leadership Forum co-chairs Mindee Kashiwagi, Director of Membership at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy; Aidan Vega, Vice President of Individual Giving and Membership at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; and Jennifer Garza, Chief Administrator of Membership and Guest Services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Our AMMC Board President, Tiffany Tessada, Director of Membership and Annual Giving at Seattle Art Museum, has also been an integral part of shaping the program and a key committee member.
Join us to meet your cohort of leaders in the membership-based fundraising field and gain insights into the program's structure, conference sessions, post-conference opportunities, and resources for connecting with fellow members.
This virtual session will also offer a chance to engage with other membership leaders and begin building valuable connections. Plus, attendees will receive an exclusive sneak peek of the AMMC strategic plan.
Monday, October 26, 2026 | 3:30 pm-4:30 pm ET | IN-PERSON at Omni Los Angeles
Leadership Forum Gathering
DESCRIPTION TO BE UPDATED FOR LA ... For those of you who are in town, join fellow Leadership Forum cohort members for an informal get together and a no-host drink at Maker, the hotel restaurant and lounge. Let’s raise a glass, deepen relationships and kick off the conversations!
Thursday, April 24, 2025 | 12:00 pm-1:00 pm PT / 1:00 pm-2:00 pm MT / 2:00 pm-3:00 pm CT / 3:00 pm-4:00 pm ET | VIRTUAL
Cohort Welcome Session
The first session in the series will introduce Leadership Forum co-chairs Mindee Kashiwagi, Director of Membership at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy; Aidan Vega, Vice President of Individual Giving and Membership at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; and Jennifer Garza, Chief Administrator of Membership and Guest Services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Our AMMC Board President, Tiffany Tessada, Director of Membership and Annual Giving at Seattle Art Museum, has also been an integral part of shaping the program and a key committee member.
Join us to meet your cohort of leaders in the membership-based fundraising field and gain insights into the program's structure, conference sessions, post-conference opportunities, and resources for connecting with fellow members.
This virtual session will also offer a chance to engage with other membership leaders and begin building valuable connections. Plus, attendees will receive an exclusive sneak peek of the AMMC strategic plan.
Monday, October 26, 2026 | 3:30 pm-4:30 pm ET | IN-PERSON at Omni Los Angeles
Leadership Forum Gathering
DESCRIPTION TO BE UPDATED FOR LA ... For those of you who are in town, join fellow Leadership Forum cohort members for an informal get together and a no-host drink at Maker, the hotel restaurant and lounge. Let’s raise a glass, deepen relationships and kick off the conversations!
Tuesday, October 27, 2026 | 12:15 pm-2:30 pm ET | IN-PERSON at Omni Los Angeles
Leadership Forum Lunch & Session
Enjoy lunch and networking with your fellow Leadership Forum colleagues before taking a deeper dive with Art Markman.
Leadership Forum Lunch & Session
Enjoy lunch and networking with your fellow Leadership Forum colleagues before taking a deeper dive with Art Markman.
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Digging into Relationships
Building upon Art Markman’s Tuesday morning session which explored the nature of the relationships among people and the ways that can influence (and be influenced by) engagement with museums. In this interactive session, explore the implications of these kinds of relationships for a variety of aspects of museum life including attendance, membership, fundraising, board membership, and public support for the mission of museums with your fellow Leadership Forum cohort members. |
Art Markman, PhD is the Chief Learning Officer of Minerva Project and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. Art spent nearly 35 years in higher education as a faculty member and researcher before his move to Minerva Project where he focuses on transforming the teaching mission of higher education. As a researcher, Art wrote over 150 papers on topics including reasoning, decision making, and motivation. He brings insights from cognitive science to a broader audience through his blogs at Psychology Today and Fast Company as well as his radio show/podcast Two Guys on Your Head. Art has written several books including Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Brain Briefs, and Bring Your Brain to Work.
October 16, 2025 | 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT / 2 pm CT / 3 pm ET [60 minutes] | VIRTUAL
How to Lead in a Changing Field
Join industry veterans Jennifer Garza, Chief Administrator for Membership and Guest Services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Erin Phillips, Founder of Pennington Gray, for this lively discussion on how to lead your program during this major time of transition for museum membership programs.
During this session, we’ll talk about overall industry trends. We’ll then drill down using the MFAH as a case study to learn how you can lead through ambiguity, staff changes, and institutional goals. We’ll talk through practical applications on how to prioritize; the evolving "client" and "agency" relationship; advancing your knowledge of what’s possible through your network; and, how you can best prepare your institution now for the future. Our time together will include a breakout session with your peers to explore how to apply these learnings.
This program was designed for live participation and as such will not be recorded.
How to Lead in a Changing Field
Join industry veterans Jennifer Garza, Chief Administrator for Membership and Guest Services at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Erin Phillips, Founder of Pennington Gray, for this lively discussion on how to lead your program during this major time of transition for museum membership programs.
During this session, we’ll talk about overall industry trends. We’ll then drill down using the MFAH as a case study to learn how you can lead through ambiguity, staff changes, and institutional goals. We’ll talk through practical applications on how to prioritize; the evolving "client" and "agency" relationship; advancing your knowledge of what’s possible through your network; and, how you can best prepare your institution now for the future. Our time together will include a breakout session with your peers to explore how to apply these learnings.
This program was designed for live participation and as such will not be recorded.
April 23, 2026 | 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT / 2 pm CT / 3 pm ET [60 minutes] | VIRTUAL
Virtual Roundtables: Thriving in the Face of Change
In the dynamic field of membership-based fundraising, change is inevitable. Whether you are facing organizational restructuring, evolving member expectations, staff transitions, personal career pivots, or all of the above, uncertainty can make it difficult to survive (much less thrive) as a senior leader.
This interactive program will bring you together with your Leadership Forum cohort to explore how challenges can become catalysts for growth — in our programs, our staff, and ourselves. Join a facilitated roundtable discussion led by your peers and walk away with practical strategies and renewed perspective on the leadership challenges we all face.
Choose your roundtable:
Plus, hear an update from AMMC Board President Tiffany Tessada about the AMMC 2026 Los Angeles program line-up!
This program was designed for live participation and as such will not be recorded.
Virtual Roundtables: Thriving in the Face of Change
In the dynamic field of membership-based fundraising, change is inevitable. Whether you are facing organizational restructuring, evolving member expectations, staff transitions, personal career pivots, or all of the above, uncertainty can make it difficult to survive (much less thrive) as a senior leader.
This interactive program will bring you together with your Leadership Forum cohort to explore how challenges can become catalysts for growth — in our programs, our staff, and ourselves. Join a facilitated roundtable discussion led by your peers and walk away with practical strategies and renewed perspective on the leadership challenges we all face.
Choose your roundtable:
- Organizational Changes — Staff restructuring, new responsibilities, and leadership transitions | Facilitated by Andrea Bateman, Director of Membership, National Corvette Museum
- Programmatic Innovation — Pricing, benefits, and member value propositions | Facilitated by Katie Cupp, Director of Membership, Friends of the NCMNS
- Staffing — Departmental changes, team expectations, and employee challenges | Facilitated by Jennifer Garza, Chief Administrator of Membership & Guest Services, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Personal Change & Professional Growth — Transitions, role changes, and other challenges | Facilitated by Jessica Proctor, Director of Development & Membership, Utah Historical Society and Mindee Kashiwagi, Director of Membership, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
- Technology Transitions — CRM, digital membership cards, marketing automation, and more | Facilitated by David Saunders, Director of Membership, National Museum of the American Indian
Plus, hear an update from AMMC Board President Tiffany Tessada about the AMMC 2026 Los Angeles program line-up!
This program was designed for live participation and as such will not be recorded.