Member Webinar | From Tradition to Innovation: How One Association is Challenging Their Event Structure Status Quo

Ask anyone who has worked in an association for more than a minute and they will tell you one of the hardest things to do is align the organization around change. But change management can be successful with a thoughtful and intentional process. Join us for a fireside chat with Lindsay O’Leary, the Managing Director, Grants & Business Development for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and learn how the ASCE team successfully navigated the process of bringing their organization together around a new vision. In an interview with Beth Surmont of 360 Live Media, Lindsay will share the challenges, strategies, and some key lessons learned along the way. Association professionals at all levels will walk away with practical insights on how to drive change within their own organizations.  

Attendees are eligible to receive 1 Certified Association Executive (CAE) and 1 Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credit.

Log in to CESSE Communities to Register

What You’ll Learn

1. Best practices in conducting thorough analysis and developing a persuasive business case 

2. Strategies for building consensus and obtaining buy-in from volunteers and board leadership 

3. Practical guidance on navigating potential roadblocks and resistance 

About the Speakers

Lindsay A. O’Leary, P.E., CAE, F.ASCE 

Lindsay O’Leary, aka LOL, is the Managing Director of Grants & Business Development for the American Society of Civil Engineers. In this role, she leads the teams responsible for Sales and Advertising, Conferences and Event Services, and the new Grants and Contracts office. She is devoted to the advancement of the civil engineering profession as well as delivering value to members. Prior to her role as Managing Director, Lindsay supported the Committee on Technical Advancement and worked as a Director in the Engineering Programs Department. 

Prior to joining #TeamASCE, Lindsay served as the Executive Director of ASCE Texas Section for five years. Her background also includes 10 years of providing a comprehensive range of civil and environmental engineering consulting services to private and public sector clients. Some of her favorite engineering projects while working at Geosyntec Consultants included the preparation of SWPPPs for industrial facilities, the development of groundwater monitoring plans for waste containment facilities, assisting graduate students with the collection of landfill data to evaluate the dynamic properties of municipal solid waste during a simulated earthquake, and collecting groundwater samples at various Superfund sites. 

Lindsay is a licensed Professional Engineer, a Certified Association Executive, and a Fellow member of ASCE. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Central Florida (go Knights!). 

Lindsay lives in Reston, VA after relocating from Austin, TX at the end of 2022. She enjoys cooking, practicing yoga, running, swimming, attending STEM outreach events, indoor gardening (cactus & succulents) and, when vacation time allows, snowboarding.  

Beth Surmont, FASAE, CMP-Fellow, CAE 

Beth Surmont is obsessed with events. With on-the-ground experience spanning more than 20 years in corporate and non-profit events and trade shows; and as the current Vice President of Event Strategy & Design at 360 Live Media; Beth is an influential designer in shaping what the next era of events will be. She frequently speaks at ASAE, PCMA, MPI and other industry events, and hosts a regular design series called the Event Innovators Xchange (EIX). 

Beth has been a finalist for the Event Designer of the Year and Groundbreaker awards from PCMA. She was also named to the inaugural class of CMP Fellows in 2022, and to the 2022 ASAE Fellows class. In 2021 she was listed as one of BizBash’s 500 Most Influential People in Events. And she was named one of the Top 25 Influencers in the Meetings Industry for 2020. Beth is a founding board member of SocialOffset, a nonprofit that encourages local donations instead of destination boycotts. She currently lives in New Jersey with her wife, dog, and cat.