Schedule

2025 AMMC Cleveland Program Book

We hope your travel plans include some time to explore Cleveland.

2025 AMMC CLEVELAND KEYNOTES & GENERAL SESSIONS

Colleen Dilenschneider

Membership in the New Normal: A Time for Fierce Innovation

The world has changed in many ways since the pandemic first shut our doors in 2020. From elevated expectations surrounding digital connection to a desire for more personalized experiences, several conditions have altered how people think about engaging with museums. And inside museums, operational understandings have shifted as well, with the business imperative to grow audiences and secure revenue growing ever more critical. It’s a lot – but there are innovators leading museums forward into this new era of engagement: Museum membership professionals.

In this keynote address, Colleen Dilenschneider, Co-Founder of IMPACTS Experience and author of the data-informed resource Know Your Own Bone, will explore what’s changed with membership in the last five years and why it’s such a big deal. From the benefits members care about most to their shifted core beliefs and motivations surrounding membership to the trends leading membership into the future, Dilenschneider will share the data on our new era of museum membership and empower you to continue to lead the charge of innovation for your organization. Come ready to have your eyes opened to the importance of your work and leave with the data you need to charge confidently forward.

Colleen Dilenschneider is the Managing Partner of IMPACTS Experience and oversees audience engagement initiatives on behalf of clients in the cultural sectors. Colleen uses data to identify and predict emerging market opportunities, and helps nonprofit organizations maintain relevance and secure their long-term financial futures by building affinity with their onsite and virtual audiences. Colleen has worked with many of the most admired and successful entities in the nonprofit realm, and currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors at the National Aquarium. She is the author and publisher of the popular website Know Your Own Bone, a data-informed resource for cultural organizations, and has been frequently featured as an expert resource in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. Colleen earned her undergraduate degree from The University of Chicago and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Kevin Clayton

Leading from the Front: A Conversation with Kevin Clayton

Join us in conversation with Kevin Clayton, Executive Vice President, Chief Impact and Equity Officer of Rock Entertainment Group and Cleveland Cavaliers. Mindee Kashiwagi, Director of Membership at the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, and Mr. Clayton will explore themes that are core to his work representing one of the biggest influencers in the Cleveland area.

He will share insights that are directly relevant to our own efforts in museums and cultural organizations, including the importance of establishing connections with the broader community your organizations serve. Mr. Clayton will share why he believes inclusive practices are a business imperative and discuss how the Cavaliers strive to be relevant for all communities.

Throughout the conversation, he will provide actionable insights and discuss how these practices create opportunities for innovation, enhances creativity and drives measurable impact.

Kevin Clayton is EVP, Chief Impact & Equity Officer for Rock Entertainment Group which includes the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Arena, Cleveland Charge, and the Cleveland Monsters. He oversees the Cavaliers Community Foundation, Community Impact, Diversity-Equity-Inclusion, the Cavs Legends and Government Affairs. Clayton previously held executive level positions at Procter & Gamble, Bon Secours Mercy Health, the United States Tennis Association, Russell Athletic/Spalding, the American Cancer Society, as well as JumpBall LLC, an entity he founded in 2012. He is currently Chair of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland and a Board Member at United Way, Black Sports Professionals and the Cleveland City Club. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Clayton is an alum of North Carolina Central University and Wilmington College Ohio, where he was a member and captain of the basketball team.

Exploring Unconscious Bias Workshop

Unconscious biases are beliefs that influence our decisions every day, yet exist outside of our conscious awareness. Informed by social stereotypes and cultural norms, unconscious biases are as far-reaching as they are common—from biases based on physical appearance to education, shared interests, positions of authority, and more—and often result in negative outcomes that reinforce existing inequality. These biases can negatively impact our work as stewards of membership communities and as employees and employers. Join the AMMC Inclusion Committee to learn more about different types of unconscious bias, how to identify them at work, and how to address them in a constructive and clear way, through a presentation and small group discussions. This training utilizes the train-the-trainer model, giving participants a framework to take the workshop back to their own organizations.

Amri Covarrubias, The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Jose Elizade, Space Center Houston
John Settles, Miami Children’s Museum

Reflections from AMMC and Beyond

Drawing upon insights from this week’s conversations and their experiences as industry leaders, panelists will discuss trends they’re seeing in their diverse verticals; innovative approaches and strategies they’ve implemented or considered; and their thoughts on what membership professionals must consider to thrive in these changing times. Discussion will include a Q&A with panelists.

Moderated by Jennifer Jordan, Director of Membership, LACMA
Aidan Vega, VP of Individual Giving and Membership, Pennsylvania Horticulture Society
John Perell, Director of Strategy and Member Experience, Smithsonian
Louise Adler, Senior Director, Membership & Annual Fund, American Museum of Natural History
Mariely Lemagne, Director of Memberships + Annual Giving, Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP)

Review past program books