GSAE Winter Luncheon
Wednesday, February 18
11:30 am–1:30 pm ET
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Featured Speaker, Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE
President & CEO
ASAE
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Schedule
10:30 am–11:30 am: GSAE Member Orientation – join GSAE leadership to learn about all things GSAE
11:30 am–12:00 pm: Networking Reception
12:00 pm–1:30 pm: Luncheon
1:35 pm: Host Property Tour
Cost
GSAE Member – $59 ($69 after Feb. 12)
Guests – $79 ($89 after Feb. 12)
Thank you to our Sponsor: available
Thank you to our Annual AV Sponsor: OAV (Orchestrated Audiovisual & Production Services)
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Congratulations to GSAE's 2025 Award Recipients
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Niel Dawson, MS Ed.
Executive Director, IEC Atlanta & Georgia Chapters
Member since 2004
Clifford M. Clarke Award
The Clifford M. Clarke Award is GSAE's highest honor and is presented to honor a member for an outstanding career of leadership and service to associations in Georgia. It is named for the late Cliff Clarke, president emeritus of the Arthritis Foundation and the first Georgian to serve as chief elected officer of ASAE.
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Shan Haugabrook, ACNP
Executive Director, Atlanta/Georgia Apartment Association
Member since 2013
Alan R. Johnson Servant Leadership Award
Established in 1994 and named in memory of a former Chair of the GSAE Foundation, this award is presented to honor a member who exhibits the ability to influence others by modeling positive behavior, gaining cooperation from others, and fostering creativity and innovative thinking.
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Owen Kavanagh
Events Coordinator, Atlanta Apartment Association
Member since 2021
Sharon Hunt Emerging Leader Award
This award is given to an association executive in Georgia based on three criteria: Impact in their own organization, involvement in GSAE, and service to the community other than through GSAE. Established in 2004, this award is presented to a member who has been in the association management profession for ten years or less.
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Anne Chen, TMP
Director of Convention Sales, Explore Gwinnett
Member since 2015
Peggy Seigler Corporate Member of the Year Award
Named in 2015, the award celebrates the many contributions of Peggy Seigler, MPA, CDME, a beloved and valued member of the community. The criterion for this award is continuous involvement and support of GSAE and the Foundation throughout her participation in GSAE.
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Katie Oxford, CAE
CEO, Association Services Group
Member since 2013
Skelton-Massey Award
The Skelton-Massey Award is presented to the person who recruits the most new individual members into GSAE during the year. The award recognizes the member who supports and sponsors the most new members, strengthening GSAE in size and effectiveness. |
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Julia Boyd, CAE
Executive Director, The Atlanta Press Club
Member since 2013
Chair’s Award
The Chair's Award is presented for going above and beyond the call of duty to help GSAE. |
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Amy Kane, CAE, MBA
Senior Vice President, Associated Builders & Contractors of Georgia
Member since 2010
Chair’s Award
The Chair's Award is presented for going above and beyond the call of duty to help GSAE. |
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Jacob Wilder, CAE
Senior Director of Operations and Communications, Building Owners and Managers Association of Georgia
Member since 2014
Chair’s Award
The Chair's Award is presented for going above and beyond the call of duty to help GSAE. |
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Lacy Harden, TMP
Vice President, Convention Sales, VisitColumbusGA
Member since 2024
Stephen Styron Award
The Stephen Styron Award is presented to an outstanding committee, Shared Interest Group, or task force chair. It is named in honor of one of GSAE's past presidents who was the first Georgian to earn the CAE designation.
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Lisa-Marie Haygood, MBA, CAE
Executive Director, Cherokee County Educational Foundation
Member since 2016
Stephen Styron Award
The Stephen Styron Award is presented to an outstanding committee, Shared Interest Group, or task force chair. It is named in honor of one of GSAE's past presidents who was the first Georgian to earn the CAE designation.
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Meet GSAE's 2026 Leadership
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We are pleased to introduce the 2026 Officers and GSAE Board of Directors, elected by proclamation during the 2025 GSAE Business Meeting, December 10.
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2026 GSAE Foundation Board of Trustees
- CHAIR – Damian Kavanagh, Ed.D., CAE
- CHAIR-ELECT – Kara Bastarache, CAE
- TREASURER – Lacey Facer
- PAST CHAIR – Kelly McLendon, CAE
- BOARD REPRESENTATIVE – Julia Boyd, CAE
- Learn more about the Foundation
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GSAE Member News
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Larry Montague, President & CEO, Tappi, will retire at the end of the year. Read more. |
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Lawton Roberts is President and CEO of TAPPI. |
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Tim Corey is Director of Sales & Marketing Hyatt Regency Atlanta Perimeter at Villa Christina. |
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Congratulations to Lisa-Marie Haygood, MBA, CAE, she has been elected to serve as the 2026-2027 President of the Rotary Club of Canton. |
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Congratulations to Mitch Savoie Hill, CPC, who will serve as Vice President, Membership on the 2026 MPI Georgia Board of Directors. |
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Congratulations to Treasure Wilson, who will serve as Vice President, Communications on the 2026 MPI Georgia Board of Directors. |
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Congratulations to Russ Webb, CAE on being inducted into the Florida Apartment Association Hall of Fame. |
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Jane Anne Sutphin is joining the Vista Cova Team. |
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John Ricco, MPA, CAE, is CEO of Florida Manufactured Housing Association. |
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Congratulations to Dr. Penny L. Elkins, past Abit Massey lecturer, recently elected as Mercer University’s 19th President. Read more. |
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Melissa Eardley is Manager, Global Accounts with the Southeast Team at HelmsBriscoe.
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Claire Lewin-Blair is Catering Sales Specialist at District Events & Catering. |
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Suzanne Altman, Director, Workforce Development, Georgia Poultry Federation, will retire at the end of the year.
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Silent Auction, ACFB Donation Drive, Wine Toss
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Atlanta Community Food Bank – Your gifts will help provide 2,541 meals. $845.00 plus raised.
GSAE's Silent Auction – Over $10,000 raised for GSAE’s educational programming.
Spirits of the Season Wine Toss – Raised over $790, thanks to our generous donors and ring toss-ers. |
2025 Fall GSAE Foundation Grant Recipients
Congratulations to the 2025 Fall GSAE Foundation Internship Grant Recipients! They were recognized at the GSAE Holiday Luncheon, Awards Show, Business Meeting, & Silent Auction.
GSAE Town Hall Recap & Executive Director Search from Board Chair, Jason Cline, CAE
Last month, we held three Town Hall listening sessions — for all members, our committee and SIG leaders, and our past board members — to gather input on GSAE’s future direction and strategic growth. Thank you to everyone who participated in these open and candid conversations. Your input is vital as we move forward with strategic planning and our executive search.
We heard several consistent and critical themes across all three sessions:
Our Core Strengths and Culture
First, the strength of GSAE lies in our welcoming culture and strong sense of community. Participants repeatedly highlighted that the value of networking opportunities and the quality of the relationships formed here are key strengths that would be difficult for competitors to replicate.
Elevating Member Value and Education
Second, we focused on how to enhance member value and position GSAE as a leader in association management. We heard a strong call for prioritizing high-quality, relevant education. Specifically, there is a recognized need to:
• Offer more advanced educational content targeted toward mid-career and senior association executives.
• Provide resources and education around emerging trends, such as the impact of AI on associations.
• Expand our geographic reach beyond the Atlanta area, ensuring GSAE represents the interests of all regions within Georgia.
Strategically, we must improve our external marketing and ensure greater internal clarity about GSAE’s specific offerings. We are also looking into updating and expanding the resources and templates available on the GSAE website.
Future Leadership
Finally, your feedback is crucial to our search for the next executive leader. You emphasized the need for a warm, charismatic leader who can effectively foster relationships and act as a "connector" for our community. Furthermore, we recognize the need to rebuild confidence in leadership following recent organizational changes.
Next Steps
We are committed to incorporating this feedback into our strategic decisions. Moving forward, we will be exploring ways to gather more formalized, ongoing member input, including through additional surveys, focus groups, or pulse surveys, especially after our new leader is hired.
Executive Director Search
Etherio spent November screening hundreds of applications, and through numerous conversations and interviews have narrowed the candidate pool to six finalists. Further interviewing and screening is being conducted and a slate of finalists will be provided to the board of directors for review and final interviews. With the holidays approaching, it is our hope to have an offer made and accepted soon after the new year, and we look forward to sharing the exciting news with you when everything is final!
Thank you again for your time and commitment to making GSAE such a special community and helping us ensure its future success.
MPI Georgia's 2025 Phoenix Award Winners
Congratulations to our GSAE members on their MPI Georgia 2025 Phoenix Award!
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Treasure Wilson, Senior Sales Manager, Discover Dunwoody, Chapter Leader of the Year. |
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Cartersville Museum City received the Sponsor Impact Award. |
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Grand Opening of Omni Fort Lauderdale
Omni Fort Lauderdale is celebrating their Grand Opening!
- 801 Guest Rooms
- 41 Meeting Rooms
- Over 120,000 square feet for meetings & events
- Valerie Peru is our contact
- Learn more
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ConventionSouth 2025 Readers' Choice Winners
Congratulations to GSAE members chosen as ConventionSouth 2025 Readers' Choice Award winners. Read more.
- ATL Airport District CVB
- Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Barnsley Resort
- Beach House Hilton Head Island
- Beau Rivage Resort & Casino
- Callaway Resort & Gardens
- Cloudland at McLemore Resort
- Cobb Travel & Tourism
- Explore Asheville
- Explore Charleston
- Francis Marion Hotel
- Grand Hotel Golf Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection
- Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism
- Hammock Beach Resort
- Hilton Head Island Visitor & Convention Bureau
- Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa
- Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Hyatt Regency Savannah
- Kiawah Island Golf Resort
- Lanier Islands Resort
- Louisville Tourism
- Marriott Savannah Riverfront
- Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
- Omni Amelia Island Resort
- Omni Grove Park Inn
- Perdido Beach Resort
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- Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa
- Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
- Savannah Convention Center
- Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
- St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau
- The Alida, Savannah, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
- The Classic Center
- The DeSoto Savannah
- The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel
- The Omni Homestead Resort
- The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island
- The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee
- The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa
- Think Tifton
- Trilith
- Visit Athens GA
- Visit Charlotte
- VisitColumbusGA
- Visit Jacksonville
- Visit Macon
- Visit Myrtle Beach
- Visit Panama City Beach
- Visit Savannah
- Visit Tampa Bay
- Westin Poinsett Greenville
- Wild Dunes Resort
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Build the Skills Every Leader Needs.
The AE-MBA is a 10-week learning and networking program built for current and emerging association leaders. Gain practical tools you can use right away, while connecting with peers nationwide.
Earn up to 10 CAE credits! Expect up to 3 hours of self-study per module / 6 hours around the live sessions, which cover 2 modules each.
Live webinars, 10:00–11:00 am EST/EDT.
- April 9 – Program Kickoff and Onboarding
- April 23 – Vision Goals & Planning Process
- May 7 – The Right Team & Right Customers
- May 21 – An Empowered System of Management
- June 4 – Demystifying the Financials
- June 18 – Applying the Financials & Graduation
Teams that learn together don’t just save—they align leadership and implement faster.
A limited-time offer through January 30th - Buy 2, Get 1 Free! Click here to take advantage of our best offer and save $995!
- $995 Solo Learner: Lifetime access to the live + self-paced experience.
- Pairs Pricing: Sign up as a pair of 2 and save $100 per person.
- Team Discounts: Enroll a pair or group of 5+ to save up to $200 per person.
QAS 2.0 - Qualified Association Specialist Training
Master the fundamentals for career advancement in Association Management and earn 13 CAE credits. This is a refreshed and modernized version of the original program, perfect for someone newer to associations or emerging professionals. With updated content and speakers. The QAS program is in partnership with the Florida Society of Association Executives. Registration is through their website and GSAE members have a code in the Member Offers tab of their profile. Learn more |
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GSAE 2026 Budget Numbers
We’ll add additional opportunities for connecting and learning throughout the year, but this is a great start!
- Shared Interest Group meetings are included in your membership.
- Association Executive dues are $325; additional association staff members are $150 a la carte.
- GSAE group memberships for Association Executives. View pricing
- Corporate Supplier dues are $350; additional staff from the same company are $250.
- Quarterly luncheons on February 18, April 15, July 22, and September 16, 2026, are $59 for GSAE members.
- Exclusive luncheon sponsorship available for $2,000.
- The Holiday Luncheon, Awards Show & Silent Auction on December 9, 2026, is $69 for GSAE members.
- Three sponsorships available for $2,000 each. (one sold)
- The 2026 GSAE Annual Meeting is in Athens, GA, May 27-May 29. Registration fee for the first association executive attendee – $429; corporate supplier exhibitor and sponsor packages range from $729-$3,599; additional attendees from the same organization – $389 each.
2026 GSAE Hosting Opportunities Available
- Quarterly Luncheons on April 15 and Dec. 9 – view luncheon RFP.
- Interested in hosting the 2026 GSAE Leadership Retreat? Contact Corrin at corrin "at" gsae.org.
**NEW** 2026 Inclusion Calendar Published
Welcome Mat. GSAE is committed to being a resource and model for members and organizations on effective practices that drive successful diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. GSAE believes in fostering a welcoming culture amongst our members that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable to all. We know our differences are what make us stronger. Through diverse perspectives, an inclusive culture, and equitable opportunities, we are connecting leaders, advancing associations. Access the 2026 Inclusion Calendar.
Scammers, Spammers & Phishing - Bleh
GSAE will never, ever ask you to buy gift cards or transfer money among our Board members, volunteers, or staff. We do not use third parties to sell our hotel room blocks or offer membership lists. Call us at (404) 577-7850 if you have a question about an email.
We also urge you to train your staff to do the same – call and confirm authenticity if you are not expecting a proposal from a property or other service provider. Every employee should also have two-factor authentication on every single log-in. We regularly receive the "was this you?" message. Nine times out of ten, it wasn't!
Have GSAE News to Share?
Please send job changes, member news, and press releases to Corrin at corrin "at" gsae.org by the second Monday of the month.
We understand your time is valuable, and we strive to make volunteer service convenient and rewarding. GSAE volunteers truly do the work of the organization. Please send an email to Corrin at corrin "at" gsae.org if you are interested in learning more about 2026 committee and SIG leadership opportunities.
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Certified Association Executive (CAE) Study Course
- GSAE members have a code in the Member Offers tab of their profile.
- CRAM course fees are based on current/previous attendance, so no discount code is needed.
Other CAE course options are available online.
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Explore GSAE's entirely FREE library of downloadable content, including white papers, guides, infographics, case studies, industry analysis, and so much more! Consider this your one-stop shop when looking for current topics you need to learn about that are influencing our entire industry.
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Did you know our Career Headquarters links to ASAE's national site? **And** if you buy a posting through us, GSAE gets a royalty payment to support the Society's programming. Check out the Careers section at the bottom of this e-newsletter for the latest Georgia postings.
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GSAE is seeking members interested in sharing effective practices, compelling case studies, and pilot programs. Have another story idea? Contact Corrin at corrin "at" gsae.org if you are interested in contributing to our community knowledge.
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Winter 2026 – Financial Health and Revenue Diversification
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Spring 2026 – AI, Data and Decision Making for Associations
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Summer 2026 – Next Gen Member Engagement Models
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Fall 2026 – The Future of Hybrid & Experiential Meetings
- Also seeking guest columnists – 700-1,200 words, anytime.
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As we wrap up this year and look ahead to 2026, one thing is clear: unpredictability and uncertainty have become the rule, not the exception. In times of rapid change and uncertainty, having trusted data and insights to help guide decisions becomes invaluable. As a member of GSAE's association community, you are invited to participate in Association Laboratory’s Looking Forward Impact 2026, the leading environmental scan of the association strategy environment. The data and insights collected from this survey are shared with the community as a guidepost for how to navigate these times.
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Want your members to stick around for the long haul? Member Retention 101 is your go-to guide for building a smart, strategic retention plan that actually works. From mapping the member journey to boosting engagement and renewals, this guide has everything you need to start strong and stay consistent.
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Are you or your member organizations worried about staying in compliance with the 50+ new workplace laws that will kick in on January 1 in more than half the states across the country? Fisher Phillips has a cheat sheet that can help. Contact Terri Stewart at FPatlanta@fisherphillips.com for a complimentary copy of your GSAE membership.
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Mark your calendars to join ASAE in person on Monday, March 23–Tuesday, March 24, in Washington, DC, for ASAE’s annual Legislative Fly-In.
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Webinars, Podcasts, & Blogs from Around the Web
GSAE compiles a compendium of podcasts, blogs, and resources from association land that we think will help you be better at your job.
Highlights this month include new issues from Association Brain Food (free education!), podcasts from our SAE colleagues, and a new Rogue Tulip's Radio Free 501c episode. Follow, listen, and learn!
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- Recordings of livestreamed and virtual meetings are available on our GSAE1917 YouTube Channel through GSAEtv.
- GSAE's Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) are complimentary, self-directed groups of GSAE members that focus on a particular area of interest. Learn more about Shared Interest Group (SIG) opportunities and join through your member profile or send an email to GSAE.
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Webinar: The Leader’s Playbook Building Your Mentor Suite for Limitless Impact | 1:30 pm
