The Ohio Society of Association Professionals Industry Advocate - Fall 2023

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TheIndustryAdvocateis published quarterly by the Ohio Society of Association ProfessionalsĂ 1335 Dublin Rd., Ste. 224-A, Columbus, Ohio 43215

PHONE: (614) 824-4054

WEBSITE: www.ohiosap.org

EMAIL: osap@ohiosap.org

The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of OSAP.Ă The subscription rate for members is $12, which is included in the dues. Editorial contributions in any area of association management are welcome.

Articles accepted for publication are subject toĂ editing by OSAP. Advertising accepted on a spaceĂ availability basis. Contact OSAP for further advertising information.

STAFF:

JARROD A. CLABAUGH, CAE

President & CEO, OSAP, OSAP Foundation

JEANNE HOFFMAN, CAE

Director, Member Relations and Programming

DENNIS TRZECIAK, CPA Association Accountant

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS:

TONY VETTER, CDME

Chair, Downtown Bowling Green Special Improvement District & The Downtown Foundation

JON MELCHI

Vice Chair, Building Industry Association of Central Ohio

POSITION OPEN

Treasurer

MICHAEL O’TOOLE, CAE

Immediate Past Chair, Register of Professional Archeologists

OSAP DIRECTORS:

BRADIE BERRY

The Ohio Trucking Association

JENN BERRY

Saling Simms Associates

MICHAEL BOROWITZ, CPA, CAE Clark Schaefer Hackett

JAMES CHAKERES

Ohio Poultry Association

HEATHER COWLES, CAE

The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, ASNT Foundation

DENISE ISON-MILLER, CAE

The Ohio Society of CPAs

PATRICK JACOMET

Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association

LAUREN MANSON, CAE, RHIA

Ohio Health Information Management Association

EVAN NEWMAN, MBA

Snow & Ice Management Association

TRACY VANNEMAN, CAE

The Ohio Association of Physician Assistants

LANCE WOODWORTH

Destination Toledo

PUBLISHED BY: www.dancorsolutions.com

For advertising information, contact OSAP at (614) 824-4054 or email us at OSAP@ohiosap.org.

Advertisements and listings in this publication are provided as a public service to readers. OSAP and Dancor Solutions are not responsible for errors or omissions; inclusion does not constitute an endorsement or any recommendation.

All information is subject to change and is current as of Oct. 15, 2023.

How AI Will Impact the Human Resources Function

6

10

ESR Reporting

Utilize these tips from OSAP Mission Partner UHY Consulting to best understand how you can implement smart ESG practices.

14

Annual Conference Enhancements

Applying new techniques to tried-and-true events can improve the member experience and reduce staff stressors.

20

Ensure You Control Your Domain Name Associations must actively protect their online presences in order to safeguard their futures.

DEPARTMENTS

CHATTING WITH THE CHAIR

You Only Get Out What You Put In

BY OSAP CHAIR TONY VETTER, CDM

As the year comes to a close and OSAP’s volunteer leaders and staff look at how they intend to serve you in 2024, I would be remiss if I failed to note how proud I am of this organization and the work it does on behalf of Ohio’s association community. It isn’t always easy to be a nonprofit professional and to do the “hard work” that each of our jobs require of us, but each of you show up every day and do the hard work that your boards, your shareholders and your members require of you.

You are tasked with finding answers to growing challenges, to overcoming the communication hurdles that seem to disconnect us from those we serve and you often are asked to do more with less. How tired are you of hearing that “we need to do more of X” and that we need to “engage our members more in order to Y?”

I’ll tell you as I’ve served on OSAP’s executive committee and, prior to that, as a director on the board, I’ve witnessed this happen more and more in our industry and within our own organization.

We need to ensure that we are meeting our members’ primary needs and not dictating what we think those should be. As you’ve likely noticed, OSAP is doing more to reach out to us, its members, to ask if it can better serve our changing needs. Whether through the ongoing membership campaign that OSAP is conducting or through the small, focused surveys that different members have been receiving, OSAP is working to grow with and for you. As someone who called and emailed members of OSAP for the membership campaign’s focus groups, I learned a lot about our members and what’s keeping them up at night. I also learned that, for the most part, the majority of our members love what OSAP is doing for them. The no. 1 challenge I heard from people was, in fact, that they don’t have the time to do more.

When I was a kid, my parents were involved in everything and that was despite all the demands that their jobs and life on the farm put on their shoulders. I can remember my mom and dad both saying, “Don’t expect something for nothing.” Well, I have to say, I think the same can be said for engagement in OSAP.

I’ve said for years that you can’t blame the direction the bus is taking if you never volunteer to drive. It’s time for more of us to step up and help Jarrod and Jeanne. We all know the benefits of membership in OSAP, but it can’t stay the “best kept secret” that we’ve known it to be. What I’m asking for, as your outgoing chair, is that you step up your service to OSAP and tell your colleagues and peers about it. Attend an event and bring a friend. Share your thoughts with the staff on some educational need or service you need. Don’t be afraid to lend a hand at an event – you’ll only end up growing through the experience.

Personally, I know that OSAP has helped me serve my constituents better no matter what role I’ve held in the industry, and there have been a few. I hope you’ll take this as it’s intended: a message of hope and inspiration. Together, let’s work to make OSAP one of Ohio’s most powerful organizations. I have faith that we can do it, but there’s no way we can do it without your help!

VETTER

OSAP TITANIUM SPONSOR SALING SIMMS ASSOCIATES, INC.

Help Your Members Fulfill Their Charitable Giving Tendencies

BY JAMES A. SALING, CIMA®, CPWA®, AIF®, CPFA®

According to Giving USA and the IUPUI Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, philanthropic contributions totaled $499.33 billion last year. This was a decline of 3.4 percent in actual dollars but more than 10 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars over the prior year, where some were still fueled by COVID stimulus payments. More than 70 percent came from individuals (64 percent directly and 9 percent from bequests). While direct giving declined by 6.4 percent, bequests grew by 2.3 percent.

Many of those individuals are your members who have the closest view of what your foundation can do for the industry to which they have devoted their lives and from which they received their livelihoods. If you are in an industry where there are choices of foundations to receive those philanthropic tendencies, you are in direct competition for those dollars. If you do not have a well-thought-out planned giving program for your foundation, you are ignoring funding dollars for which the competition is stiff.

Charitable giving can play an important role in estate planning. Philanthropy can give your members great personal satisfaction, as well as a tax deduction, avoidance of capital gains tax and a reduction in the amount of taxes their estate may owe when they die. There are many ways to give to charity, including cash, other assets or through a trust. Members can name your foundation as a beneficiary in their will, retirement plan or life insurance policy. Or, if their gift is substantial, they can establish a private foundation, community foundation or donor-advised fund.

A properly designed planned giving program, augmented by a financial professional, can help your members see how they can do well by doing good. The financial professional can bring tax and investment expertise that you or your staff may lack, while helping you bring your special message of how your foundation may help members fulfill their desire for philanthropy.

Many of your benefactors may read on your website the various ways they can give but not fully understand the strategies until a professional explains it to them in clear terms. With help, some may realize that by accelerating their estate giving, they may be able to benefit from their gift while they are still alive and watch those contributions being put to work. You would be surprised how many may then become your greatest advocate. If you don’t show them how to do this, your competition will!

Don’t wait until they die and hope that you, rather than “that other association,” receive something. Contact Saling Simms Associates at james.saling@salingsimms.com to find out how we may be able to help you to attract and accelerate their giving, and to give you greater confidence that your foundation will receive something when a beloved member departs.

SALING

Administrative Guidance on Pregnancy Workers Fairness Act

CONSIDER THESE INSIGHTS FROM OSAP MISSION PARTNER FRANTZ WARD’S ANDREW CLEVES, ESQ.

On June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) went into effect. Modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the PWFA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees based upon known limitations relating to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. Just like the ADA, employers who receive pregnancy accommodation requests should follow the interactive process. Also like the ADA, employers are not required to grant an accommodation request if it imposes an undue hardship.

As with any new law, employers have had many questions about the PWFA. Thankfully, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently provided guidance through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Through it, the EEOC proposed rules which will apply to employers’ obligations under the PWFA. Although we do not expect the rule to be finalized until later this year, it provides significant insights for employers.

WITH THE PROPOSED RULE’S FULL TEXT AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH THE FEDERAL REGISTER, THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES THE RULE’S ANSWERS TO SOME OF EMPLOYERS’ MOST PRESSING QUESTIONS:

What is a “known limitation?”

A limitation is known to the employer if the employee or her representative has communicated it to them. A limitation is a physical or mental condition related to, affected by or arising out of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. In contrast to the ADA, the limitation does not need to rise to the level of a disability to trigger the employer’s duty to provide an accommodation. Instead, a limitation can be a “modest, minor and/or episodic impediment or problem."

What are “related medical conditions?”

The proposed rule lists several potential issues that could be considered “related medical conditions.” Those include, for example: 1) termination of pregnancy (miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion); 2)infertility/fertility treatments; 3) anxiety, depression, psychosis or postpartum depression; 4) menstrual cycles; 5) use of birth control; and 6)and lactation. This list is not allencompassing, and the proposed rule describes additional potential “related medical conditions.”

Can the employer request medical documentation during the interactive process?

The EEOC suggests that documentation should not commonly be needed from an employee seeking an accommodation because the accommodation requests should be “simple and straightforward.” An employer may request medical documentation if it has “reasonable concerns” about: whether the employee’s limitation is caused by pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition; and/or whether the accommodation is necessary. Ultimately, requesting medical documentation should be the exception, not the rule.

What is a reasonable accommodation under the PWFA?

In the proposed rule, the EEOC lists accommodations that it has determined are presumptively reasonable and provides other examples of potential accommodations. Presumptively reasonable accommodations include allowing an employee:

➊ to carry and drink water during the workday;

➋ additional restroom breaks; ➌ breaks to eat and drink; and ➎ to sit or stand when necessary.

The EEOC concluded these accommodations will not cause an undue hardship in virtually all situations.

The rule further describes the following additional potential reasonable accommodations:

➊ light-duty assignments;

➋ providing an employee with different equipment, uniforms or devices;

➌ closer parking;

➍ schedule changes/flexible hours;

➎ temporarily suspending one or more of the employee’s essential job functions; and 6) teleworking. Another potential reasonable accommodation is providing the employee with a leave of absence (paid or unpaid). However, a leave of absence should only be offered if there are no other available reasonable accommodations.

The attorneys at Frantz Ward will continue to monitor the proposed rule and PWFA developments. Should you have questions or want additional guidance, please do not hesitate to reach out to Andrew Cleves or another member of Frantz Ward’s Labor and Employment Group. OSAP Mission Partner Frantz Ward is a proud supporter of the organization and Ohio’s association community. Find out more about the company at www.frantzward.com.

What if an employee is unable to perform her essential job functions due to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition?

In contrast to the ADA, the EEOC suggests that temporarily excusing an employee from performing her essential job functions may be a reasonable accommodation. Employers only need to excuse an employee from performing an essential job function if the employee’s inability to perform the duty is 1) temporary, 2) the essential function can be performed “in the near future,” and 3) the inability to perform the essential function cannot otherwise be reasonably accommodated. “In the near future” generally means 40 weeks.

Although the rule has not been finalized, employers should begin implementing policies and procedures in line with the proposed rule. As the EEOC noted, voluntary compliance with the proposed rule and communication between employers and employees are key to the PWFA’s success.

How AI Will Impact the Human Resources Function

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked debate about its effect on a wide variety of industries and job roles—and the Human Resources function is one of them! Many have wondered if AI’s impact on HR will lead to a significant reduction or complete elimination of HR professionals. Surely, it’s not possible to take the “human” element out of “human resources.”

At Strategic HR, it’s our belief that while AI has the potential to streamline HR processes and provide more information to enhance decision-making, organizations will continue to need HR professionals who have a nuanced understanding of people to lead and manage their HR function. In fact, AI’s continued evolution actually provides HR leaders with a unique position to make a significant organizational impact in a few ways: by understanding, utilizing and providing guidance within their organization.

HOW AI CAN IMPACT HR AND RECRUITING FUNCTIONS

In a world of labor shortages and an increased need for efficiency, many organizations are consistently looking for ways to do more with less. One way that AI can impact the HR function (or better yet, streamline the HR function) would be in the recruiting process. For example, advanced algorithms can swiftly analyze vast amounts of data and eliminate human bias in the initial stages of reviewing resumes. We’ve seen advances in areas such as writing job descriptions, suggesting interview questions, screening resumes and analyzing hiring criteria. Some AI bots are even conducting initial screening interviews with candidates.

Because of AI’s ability to process and analyze large volumes of data rapidly, HR professionals can leverage AI-powered analytics tools to gain valuable insights into other HR areas such as employee engagement, performance and overall organizational culture. By identifying patterns and trends, AI can assist HR professionals in making data-driven decisions that optimize recruitment strategies, training programs and performance evaluations.

Whether AI is handling simple or complex tasks, the key in any HR situation is to empower HR professionals to utilize AI in ways that allow them to focus on more complex or nuanced issues, rather than taking the “human” element away.

CHATBOTS AND CHATGPT HAVE CHANGED THE GAME

AI chatbots are the latest game-changer to impact HR in the evolution of AI technology innovation. For example, some companies use AI chatbots to provide 24/7 support to employees, answering frequently asked questions and freeing HR professionals to focus on more strategic and interpersonal aspects of their roles.

While there are several versions of Chatbots available, the most recent emergence of ChatGPT, an open AI platform that interacts with users in a conversational way, has been highly notable. In addition to synthesizing content like a search engine, this technology also learns relationships between data elements and can reassemble responses in a meaningful way based on the prompt question. The output is as fast as doing an online search, yet the resulting data far exceeds the robustness and usefulness compared to many internet queries. This tool has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of HR professionals and employees alike by gathering and synthesizing meaningful data.

FOSTER

CONSIDER THESE ACTIONS LEADERS CAN TAKE TO HELP FRAME HR DISCUSSIONS AND DRIVE DECISIONS

According to the MicrosoftWorkTrendIndexAnnual Report, far more employees (70 percent) would choose to maximize the use of AI to lighten their workloads compared to 49 percent of people who are concerned about losing their jobs to AI. As the world of work moves forward with an increased focus on workplace efficiencies, some use of AI may be inevitable. Perhaps one thing that HR professionals can do to allay employees’ concerns is to identify the skills needed to manage and augment the AI and provide the training, development and growth opportunities to help employees succeed in the technology transition.

ETHICAL, LEGAL AND SECURITY CONCERNS

While it has great potential, there are still limitations, risks and lingering questions about the use of AI. It’s important to recognize that many times AI lacks a nuanced ability in analyzing data. A human being who can consider various contextual factors, use intuition and integrate empathy as needed before making final decisions. There are also ethical implications, legal considerations and security concerns that must all be addressed before companies can fully take advantage of the technology. We’re not quite ready to let AI replace human judgment.

Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer of artificial intelligence, quit his position at Google so he could talk more openly about the risks and dangers of AI technology. According to Reuters, Hinton states his primary concern is that the technology could become too smart sooner than experts expected and create convincing false images and texts which would result in not being able to discern what is true. While this may sound like a risk far into the future, there are additional immediate concerns that need to be considered including:

 ChatGPT is currently based on internet information through 2021, so some recent happenings and facts are not reflected.

 The answers are based on internet information, so they are only as accurate as the data on the internet. The AI-technology does not have the ability to know what is true.

 AI systems use historical data, which raises concerns about potential biases. If AI were to take over HR departments entirely, the risk of perpetuating systemic biases could increase.

 There is the possibility of giving proprietary or personal information that the system may “learn” and repeat in another answer which could cause security and liability risks.

HOW HR LEADERS CAN GUIDE AI ADOPTION

Proactive HR leaders can provide guidance to their organization that can add clarity and peace of mind during a tumultuous time of change. Consider the following actions leaders can take to help frame the discussions and drive decisions in organizations:

 Understand where the organization is considering and/ or could benefit from AI technology.

 Create a roadmap to define business uses and outcomes for AI technology with guardrails to limit risk.

 Identify the technology skills and resource gaps that need to be filled to effectively harness the AI options.

 Develop strategic principles and policies (considering security and accuracy) to aid in the evaluation of how/ when to utilize different AI options.

HR Leaders can support and perform these types of activities rather than allow the technology to be introduced without intentional consideration. Helping organizational leaders to consider both the impact and risk of utilizing a framework and strategic actions will lead to more informed decisions.

It is clear AI technology has the potential to revolutionize HR practices by automating and streamlining processes; however, it is our firm belief that it is highly unlikely for AI to entirely take over the HR department. The human element in HR—empathy, emotional intelligence and nuanced judgment—remains indispensable for managing a diverse workforce. HR leaders who can maintain a balance between AI and human expertise will make the most significant impact. And those organizations with leaders that prepare, provide guidance and make sound decisions will gain a competitive edge and thrive in the AI-enabled future.

About the author:

Becky Foster is a senior HR business strategist with Strategic HR Business Advisors. She is passionate about assisting clients in tailoring their human resource approach to align with their organizational strategy and creating personalized experiences for individual employees. With more than 20 years of HR leadership experience, Foster can lead strategically, manage operationally and execute tactically to effectively handle anything a client may need. Foster has experience as both an internal HR business partner and external HR consultant managing processes and advancing initiatives that support organizational goals. If you have questions for Foster or would like to contact her directly, email her at BAFoster@strategichrinc.com.

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Environmental, Social and Governance Reporting

HOW TO MEET THE NEEDS OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has emerged as one of the top priorities for businesses worldwide as customers’, internal stakeholders’ and regulators’ demands continue to climb. “Doing the right thing” is no longer simply a reputation booster for businesses. Instead, having a robust set of ESG objectives and goals, alongside a scientific and evidence-based way to measure progress towards them, is becoming a fundamental expectation among the entire business community.

ESG reporting is at a watershed moment. With the SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules set to make their long-awaited debut amidst a growing international regulatory landscape – headlined by guidance from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) –the ESG demands that are being placed on businesses have never been higher. This is particularly true for middle market companies that have not faced nearly the amount of ESG regulatory scrutiny that larger companies have.

With that, many middle market companies are asking the same question: How do we put an ESG reporting infrastructure in place to meet all these new expectations? Fortunately, the middle market can begin doing this through two fundamental steps: identifying all their organization’s key stakeholders and then designing a governance and reporting structure to meet the needs of each.

Determining stakeholders and materiality

ESG is likely a major challenge for business leaders; in the simplest terms, ESG is simply a framework for measuring and reporting an organization’s risks, opportunities and governance practices in relation to sustainable business performance.

Thus, to drive ESG reporting success, businesses need to begin by understanding exactly which stakeholders are demanding information –both financial and non-financial – on ESG factors. These stakeholders will likely include a mixture of:

Each of these stakeholders will likely be looking for ESG information for their own specific set of reasons. For example, ESG-related data may be useful for an investor who wants to analyze a company’s data around its energy management practices to forecast costs and assess risk in order to build a DCF (discounted cash flow) model.

In addition, that same company may have a customer that is demanding similar data to comply with its own energy management/supply chain reporting requirements that are mandated by its internal policies or external international regulation.

Picking a framework

After identifying its key stakeholders and determining materiality, the organization can establish its ESG reporting framework and the key performance indicators it should disclose. How will the organization choose to report its ESG activities? This can seem like an impossible task, with different standards to choose from, as well as the evolving domestic and international regulations. However, having already laid the groundwork in identifying target audiences, defining materiality and building a strong ESG governance structure makes establishing a reporting framework achievable.

CONTINUED on page 12...

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❧ BOARDS OF DIRECTORS

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Key to this decision is understanding the difference between financial materiality and double materiality. The various sustainability reporting standards and frameworks apply different measures of materiality; some use financial materiality, whereas others utilize double materiality. Therefore, an organization’s key stakeholders will drive what reporting standard, or combination of reporting standards, the organization should use:

❧ Financialmateriality

This is a familiar concept that businesses use in the context of reporting financial information. As it relates to sustainability reporting, financial materiality refers to sustainability-related matters that could present financial risks or opportunities to an organization. This concept of materiality has been adopted by the ISSB (and SASB) and the SEC in its proposed climate risk disclosure rule.

❧ Doublemateriality

The CSRD describes double materiality as the requirement to “report both on the impacts of the activities of the organization on people and the environment [impact materiality], and on how sustainability matters affect an organization [financial materiality].” This concept of materiality has been adopted by the CSRD and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), a widely accepted voluntary disclosure framework.

Double materiality covers both financial materiality and “impact materiality;” thereby expanding the scope of information beyond that necessary to satisfy users concerned with financial risks to information required to understand a company’s broader impact on people or the environment. Double materiality includes a broader group of stakeholders or users of sustainability information.

Monitor materiality

Once an entity defines its stakeholders and materiality, it can determine which sustainability reporting framework(s) to use. Middle market managers must also realize that materiality is dynamic; that is, materiality changes as a company’s operations, strategies, risks and external environment change. Therefore, it is equally important for organizations to implement a process to monitor materiality on an ongoing basis.

IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT A PROCESS TO MONITOR MATERIALITY ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

Ohio Craft Brewers Association to Raise a Glass in the Glass City, Hosting Their Annual Conference in Toledo

THE EVENT WILL OCCUR JAN. 16-18, 2024

Destination Toledo recently announce that Toledo has been selected to host the 2024 Ohio Craft Brewers Association’s ninth annual Ohio Craft Brewers Conference. The yearly event, bringing 700 brewers and brewery adjacent professionals to the Glass City Center Jan. 16-18, 2024, will feature educational seminars, speakers, industry vendors and networking opportunities focused on the growing craft beer industry in Ohio.

“We are honored to be hosting OCBA’s largest annual event,” said Lance Woodworth, president and CEO of Destination Toledo. "In 2022, Ohio’s craft brewing industry generated an estimated $1.27 billion of economic activity and supported more than 12,000 jobs in the state. The OCBA conference provides a great opportunity for leaders in the brewing community to enjoy great local beer and venues while also collaborating to create new and exciting ways to continue to grow beer tourism in our state.”

The Ohio Craft Brewers Association (OCBA) was founded as a not-for-profit organization in 2008 to unify the Ohio brewing community, market Ohio manufactured beers throughout the state and beyond, and monitor and promote a strong beer industry in Ohio. The OCBA also organizes statewide events that showcase the rich brewing industry and stellar beers being produced in Ohio.

“Industry professionals from around the state gather at the Ohio Craft Brewers Conference to learn about various aspects of the business of brewing beer,” said Mary MacDonald, OCBA’s executive director. “One of our primary criteria for selecting a venue is the number of breweries in proximity to our site for attendees to visit and support. We are delighted that the growth of the Toledo craft beer scene and the renovation of the Glass City Center have coincided to bring our event to Toledo.”

www.pictureamerica.net

Annual Conference Enhancements: Don’t Be Afraid to Implement New Policies

Are you tired of the old-fashioned time-consuming way of creating badges for conferences? Do you have registration lines to pick up badges? The Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO) staff leveraged technology to implement a slick, fast checkin/printing badge process. We conceptually wanted our members to scan a QR code and their badge would print at the conference. No more excuses of: “I forgot to bring my badge,” or “my badge is lost in the mail.”

Our process kicked off last October with our April 2023 conference in mind. Although I oversee the conference registration process, I knew I needed the event and communication staff to join in the process. You quickly realize that buying or renting a scanner and printer is the least of your worries.

As you watch the badge printing vendor demos, you think this is a piece of cake. No, it is not so easy as “plug and play.” There are many decision points you need to maneuver. How technology savvy are your members? I had one member that I kept in mind during the entire process. If he could understand and accomplish the task, I knew everyone else would follow through. How much integration are you willing to pay for and what are you willing to do on-sight? We opted to upload our conference registrations out of our association management system into the badge software. While this sounds easy, you need to determine all the appropriate fields necessary for your badge printing.

The Expo worker badges were another consideration. Our AMS did not have individual workers in the system, only the company name. Instead of customizing our AMS, we choose to “register” these workers with the badge software. Educating the expo vendors about the new process was part of the coordination of our staff and the badge software provider.

Branding is important for the badge process, and this is a great opportunity to rethink your badge layout. We always have a theme for our conference so it was important that we used a designer that could collaborate with the badge vendor. Deciding on the quantity of badge stock, the number of colors used and lanyards were all part of the expense.

NO MORE EXCUSES OF:

“Iforgottobringmybadge,”

or

“mybadgeislostinthemail.”

I encourage you to ask your badge vendors to send you samples of badges and show you registration desk layouts. Along with the other decisions we made, we modified the conference registration layout to accommodate the new flow and equipment. Other logistics needed to be addressed. Consider if you need a hardwired connection for the kiosks at your conference. Should you run into tech issues at the show, consider if your badge vendor will have staff on-site to address any issues.

TRZECIAK

WHAT ONE OSAP MEMBER ORGANIZATION LEARNED AT ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE

By March, our communication director had coordinated messaging with the badge vendor and tweaked our conference registrations to announce our new system. We were nervous but confident that first conference day. You always breathe a sigh of relief when the badge company shows up on time and all the equipment works.

During the conference, we were monitoring how many of our registrants had checked in via the badge software program. This reporting is valuable to see peak times to manage the number of computers you have available and helps you plan for volunteer staffing in the future.

After the conference, we received feedback from our members via a survey. The new process was a success. More than 900 badges were printed once, and only four people came back wanting a reprint. This was a huge improvement over the previous year when we had more than 200 badge reprints.

When it was “show time,” our members either brought printed QR code provided in an email or typed in their last name to check-in and trigger the badge print. We repeatedly kept hearing “that was easy.” Staff and volunteers were impressed by how fast the badge printed and how much time we saved checking in individuals. We didn’t have lines. In fact, we were motioning people to open kiosks to get them to check-in. Yes, we had a printer fail us, but our badge company had brought an extra printer just in case.

Our final process was to debrief the positives and negatives of the entire process with the badge company staff. We plan on tweaking the process next year. I would be happy to answer any questions from OSAP members. We all need to share new processes with one another to learn and improve what we do. I am a firm believer of not recreating the wheel. I prefer to customize it.

About our author:

Deborah Trzeciak, CPA, CAE is the chief financial officer at the Ohio Association of School Business Officials (OASBO), and she also served as the chair of OSAP in 2020 and was an integral participant in the organization’s rebranding efforts. She can be contacted via email at deborah@oasbo-ohio.org.

Tips for Boosting Interdepartmental Collaboration in the Workplace

AN ARTICLE FROM DEAN BURGESS, AN OSAP CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR

Most organizations have multiple departments, overseeing everything from finance to marketing, sales, membership services and more. Although each department may be its own unique entity, it's helpful if these groups can communicate and collaborate. Good teamwork helps address bottlenecks and improve efficiency and creates a more pleasant working environment for all involved.

Try these tips from the Ohio Society of Association Professionals to improve interdepartmental collaboration in your workplace.

Use Tech to Enhance Collaboration and Communication

The right tools can make it easier to join forces across departments. For example, you want to ensure seamless communication between teams, even if they aren't sitting in the same space. Online communication tools make it easier. Examples include Workmates, Wrike, Workvivo and Troop Messenger. Make sure to clarify a central mode of communication and ensure everyone has access to the same tools.

A comprehensive project management software is another technology that can streamline interdepartmental communication. With a single tool, you can track assignments and deadlines, seeing exactly who is responsible for what tasks by when. Many project management tools also have built-in chat functionality. Hive has a list of project management tools worth exploring from Trello to Asana.

You can also use project scope management to improve collaboration. Project scope management involves defining, documenting and controlling the boundaries and deliverables of a project to ensure that it is completed on time, within budget and to the satisfaction of stakeholders. It should include objectives, budgets, tasks, outputs and deadlines. When you’re looking for a robust project scope management solution, consider Adobe’s Project Scope Management blog. It can also be helpful to decide on a central tool for storing, managing and sharing documents. First, pick one format for all your documents, like PDF. A PDF file has benefits like being able to create a passwordprotected, secure version. Plus, PDFs let you preserve a document's original formatting more easily. You can edit your PDF online using a free editor. Just upload the file, make changes like adding text, highlights and sticky notes, and then download it to share it.

Set Strategies for Teamwork Across Departments

Good interdepartmental collaboration requires more than having the right technology. You need to make sure there are clear rules on how to implement these tools. Create a communication guidebook for your employees to consult. HR Cloud offers a guide for creating an employee communication strategy, covering everything from how to assess your current methods to how to implement new ones.

You also should consider your business communication processes. A business process management (BPM) framework can be one way to optimize workflows, analyzing systems and people and the way they interact to find optimal collaboration solutions. By streamlining tedious tasks, you can help everyone work together more efficiently.

Finally, whatever tools and strategies you use, make sure your teams have the knowledge needed to implement them effectively. For example, offering team leaders the training needed to become effective, agile leaders and supporting good team communication can be helpful.

Tackle Weak Spots that Hinder Cross-Team Collaboration

There are many hurdles that can interfere with effective communication. ZoHo outlines some common issues and it provides suggestions on how to tackle them. For example, unclear messaging can result in confusion. Providing workers with a framework on what to share and how—for example, by covering the "who, what, when, where and why" points.

If there has been excessive or prolonged frustration between employees, then you may need to address those issues first. The problem may be anger that needs to be resolved. One way to help everyone calm down and focus on their personal and organizational well-being is to offer meditation sessions or wellness training. Because when your team members are not feeling centered or supported, it will be even harder for them to offer patients and grace to other team members.

In a globalized workforce, language differences can be another barrier. Make sure you designate a shared workplace language and that employees who struggle with it get the support they need. For example, if you designate English as your office language, you might offer in-house English classes for your employees for free, so they can keep up.For some organizations, small budgets can also be a problem.

If you don't have a lot of money to invest in tools like chat software and project management technology, you might be at a disadvantage. If this applies to you, look for ways to save on the tech you need. For example, you might buy items on Cyber Monday, which is known for tech deals. Other options include using cloud solutions and getting refurbished items.

Check in with Your Employees

Employee satisfaction surveys are a valuable tool for measuring the effectiveness of collaboration initiatives. However, by incentivizing these surveys, organizations can increase response rates and gather more accurate data. Providing rewards for completing surveys not only encourages participation, it also shows that the organization values employee feedback.

Help Improve Your Team’s Collaboration Efforts

Effective interdepartmental communication offers many benefits, from helping teams communicate better to eliminating process bottlenecks. However, effective communication does not happen on its own. By taking steps like implementing tech tools, managing project scope and standardizing your document formatting, you can ensure success.

SAVE THE DATE: ASAE 2024 AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS DAY

SAVE THESE DATES

FOR FUTURE OSAP EVENTS:

The OSAPF Holiday Luncheon & Silent Auction

Dec. 1

Hyatt Columbus-Downtown

The OSAP Annual Conference

June 26-28, 2024

Sharonville Convention Center

AS ALWAYS, THE ORGANIZATION HOSTS MONTHLY EVENTS SO CHECK OUT THE OSAP EVENTS PAGE TO STAY UP-TO-DATE ON WHAT OSAP IS DOING FOR YOU! OSAP WILL BE ANNOUNCING OUR 2024 DATES SHORTLY. KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THE DATES YOU’LL NEED TO BLOCK OFF ON YOUR CALENDAR.

Mark your calendars to join ASAE in-person on March 5-6, 2024 in Washington, D.C. for its annual legislative fly-in. Registration includes two days of policy education, advocacy and networking. The fly-in is also a terrific opportunity to network with peers from around the country.

THE OSAP, MPI OHIO JOINT INDUSTRY EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER OHIO’S MEETING PLANNERS AND THOUGHT LEADERS

Once again, MPI Ohio and OSAP held their Joint Industry Event in September. The event, which occurred at the Hilton Columbus Easton, featured a panel of presenters discussing changing behaviors and trends in the meetings industry. Panelists represented commercial planners, property directors, an AMC representative and OSAP’s own Jarrod A. Clabaugh, CAE served as the panel’s facilitator. Following the panel, attendees gained valuable perspectives on artificial intelligence (AI) from Ray Waite, Lighthouse Force, who is an expert on AI practices and deployment strategies.

TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT, PLEASE VISIT: HTTPS://BIT.LY/3QPBB5D.

OVMA

NAMES

CHRIS

HENNEY, CAE AS ITS NEXT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) recently announce the appointment of its next executive director, Christopher Henney, CAE. Henney brings 25 years of experience in association management, strategic planning, leadership development and advocacy to the role. Henney will be replacing Jack Advent, who is retiring from OVMA following more than 25 years of service. Both Henney and Advent have served in various leadership positions with OSAP, including as board chairs. Henney’s first day at OVMA is Dec. 1, 2023.

SHORES & ISLANDS OHIO'S MISSION PARTNERSHIP REFLECTS ONGOING COMMITMENT TO OHIO’S NONPROFIT INDUSTRY

For the sixth year in a row, OSAP has re-engaged with Shores & Islands Ohio on a very important partnership: The OSAP Mission Partnership program. Whether through sponsoring a luncheon meeting, investing in educational opportunities or offering expanding networking events, OSAP Mission Partners care about enriching the overall benefits and experiences the organization’s members receive. Shores & Islands Ohio was the first CVB to develop a mission partner relationship with OSAP.

"Shores & Islands Ohio relationship with OSAP is truly invaluable,” said OSAP Member Tiffany Frisch, Shores & Islands Ohio's assistant director of group sales. “Our membership has allowed us to foster professional relationships with industry associates while also giving us the opportunity for professional growth."

Mission partners understand the relationships that our association professionals have with those in the industry partner and CVB categories of our organization," said OSAP President Jarrod A. Clabaugh, CAE. "They not only recognize the benefit of investing in OSAP's annual conference, they also want to help the organization meet members' needs throughout the year in a variety of ways. Working with Shores & Islands has been wonderful, and we hope this relationship continues to prosper and strengthen.

THE OSAP FOUNDATION HOLIDAY LUNCHEON & SILENT AUCTION WILL BE DEC. 1, 2023

This year, the OSAP Foundation Holiday Luncheon & Silent Auction, an event whose proceeds go to “paying it forward” in Ohio’s association community, is being held at the Hyatt Regency Columbus on Dec. 1, 2023. If you would like to attend, you can register on OSAP’s website; if you’re feeling extra charitable, you can also donate an item for the event’s silent auction. We hope to see you there!

WELCOME

NEW MEMBERS

ASSOCIATION PROFESSIONAL

Andrea Ashley

Associated General Contractors

Cheryl Cook

Association of LD School

Adam Herman

Ohio Association of County Boards of DD

Kristin Jackson

PACA, Inc

Amy Nicol OACDL

Shellie Silcott

Feeding America National Organization

Dee Smith

Ohio ACTE

Beth Yoke

Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

INDUSTRY PARTNER

Lisa Birck

AC Hotel by Marriott-Cincinnati

West Chester

Ricky Chilcott

Mission Met

Jennifer Fay

Renaissance Columbus Downtown

Jennifer Grunwald

Marriott at the University of Dayton

Lindsey Jett

The Summit Hotel

Mark Jones

D2L

Adam Kowaleski

Hotel LeVeque Columbus

Kimberly Lancaster

Marcum Hotel & Conference Center

Catherine Mihalko

Metropolitan at The 9

Kathy Redmond

Sedgwick TPA

Eric Ryan

Mission Met

Anthony Sharrock

Sedgwick TPA

HENNEY

Ensure You Control Your Domain Name

Your website Domain Name – www.YourAssociationName.org – is the most important part of your web presence, and if you lose it, your website and email will be gone.

Domain Snatching. Over the past few years, we've had several associations contact us when they've noticed that, for some strange reason, their domain name isn't connected to their website anymore – simply because they failed to renew their domain name on time.

There are definitely 'snatchers' out there that will jump at the first opportunity to buy your expired domain name and exploit your website traffic within a matter of days.

Following are some essential tips to prevent this from happening to you:

Keep your Domain Name Registration Details Up-to-date.

Your domain name and details are stored at an Internet registrar. It is critical that you keep your contact information up-to-date because they send renewal notices via email (only) to the administrative contact on record. If the administrative contact email is listed as someone who is no longer with your organization, you will not receive the renewal reminders. Along those lines, it's also a good idea to keep your domain name registry login and password handy, but in a safe place - so you can quickly access or modify the necessary information.

Renew promptly and Make Sure Your Credit Card is Correct.

The domain name registrars send out renewal emails well in advance of the domain expiration. Take the time to renew promptly to avoid missing the payment deadline. Note that if you renew for more than one year, the price per year decreases (sometimes by as much as 40-50 percent), and you won't have to remember to renew each year.

IF YOU ARE NOT SURE WHO YOUR DOMAIN NAME REGISTRAR IS, YOU CAN FIND IT BY USING THE WHOIS LOOKUP (AT ANY OF THE ABOVE REGISTRARS) AT HTTP://NETWORKSOLUTIONS.COM/WHOIS/INDEX.JSP.

At TCS Software, we will never put a domain name under our control - although we do appreciate being listed as the “technical contact.” And, even though we may help you initially register your new domain name, we always make sure the REGISTRANT is in the name of the organization. Once your domain name comes up for renewal, we will give you all the information (account login/password) from there on out. YOU get to assume full responsibility for your domain name.

Know Your Domain Registrar and Renewal Cycle.

When you log in to view your domain information, you can see what month and year it expires. You might want to put a note on your calendar to remind you when to renew it. You will receive renewal notices via email from the registrar, typically 90-6030 days in advance. But keep in mind that there are registrar resellers who might also contact you, trying to get you to switch to their company instead. Be sure you know the true name of your domain name registrar and your renewal cycle. We typically use GoDaddy and NetworkSolutions.

Here are some of the top domain name hosting companies:

www.NetworkSolutions.com

www.GoDaddy.com

www.domain.com

www.register.com

Need Assistance?

As always, TCS Software is here to help. If there's something with which you're unfamiliar, just give us a call at (614) 451-5010. We hope you found these tips helpful to make sure you stay in control of your website and your domain name.

Your Domain Name is -YourProperty and Should Be Under -Your- Control.

It is rare when a new client comes to us to create a website, and they actually have control of their existing domain name (a login and password or all of their contact information correct with their domain name registrar). For the most part, any credible web development company will give you control of your domain name if you plan to move your hosting services to another provider -- BUT they don’t have to play nice. Even if you paid them to secure your domain name, and they registered the domain name under their company or personal information and have the login and password to it, you actually have no rights to the domain name whatsoever. We have come across several instances where other web companies have registered the domain name under their company name, rather than the organization name. When the client decides to part ways, they demand thousands of dollars (tens of thousands in one case) for you to get what you think is 'rightfully' yours.

A

Compilation of Knowledge and Perspectives

TYPICALLY, OUR MAGAZINE FOCUSES ON ONE TOPIC – SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO STRAY FROM THE “NORM”

By Jarrod A. Clabaugh, CAE President & CEO, OSAP & OSAP Foundation

This edition of the magazine is a little bit different than what you typically come to expect in your mailboxes. Why? The reason is actually pretty simple. Throughout the year, OSAP members, contributing authors and industry leaders send us articles that we want to publish and share with our members. Often, we find a home for these articles on the website, but we know that our members value the content in the magazine, and we wanted to use this edition as a way of sharing some of the great insights we’ve received this year that didn’t quite fit into an assigned category.

Let’s be honest: When do association professionals have a day that is just focused on one thing? Maybe we’re allowed to have days like that during our annual conferences or when we’re lucky enough to attend a conference for ourselves, but that’s pretty rare. This is why it made sense to me to utilize the many pieces we’ve received during the year in this edition of the IndustryAdvocate

Whether it is legal insights from someone like Jeff Tenenbaum on how the decision by SCOTUS on Title IX impacts businesses and organizations or our own Debbie Trzeciak’s knowledge related to utilizing on-site badging at OASBO’s annual conference, this information is valuable and it can impact how we conduct our operations.

I will tell you one thing: This edition is a first in the nearly eight years that I’ve been at the helm of OSAP, and I’m excited to try something new. Since March 2020, trying something new has felt like a nearly weekly occurrence. But it’s nice to actually try something that I know will only bring our members more knowledge and expand their perspectives on the issues impacting Ohio’s nonprofit community.

It’s hard to believe that 2023 is nearly at a close, but I hope the information shared within this magazine helps you prepare for 2024 and whatever new and exciting opportunities may be before us. Together, I know we’ll do better and respond more effectively through the shared experiences we have and the support we provide one another. I hope you’ve found a nugget or two of valuable information within these pages, and I look forward to learning from you for years to come. Thanks for engaging, educating and networking with OSAP – your organization for association excellence.

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT 2023 IS NEARLY AT A CLOSE, BUT I HOPE THE INFORMATION SHARED WITHIN THIS MAGAZINE HELPS YOU PREPARE FOR 2024 AND WHATEVER NEW AND EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES MAY BE BEFORE US

CLABAUGH