GSAE members are sharing greetings, virtual tours, and so many more fun activities for when you need a mental break. Thank you to our GSAE Supplier Co-Chairs, Sheryl Ehlers and Maria Trammell, for developing this creative way to stay connected. View greetings and activities.

Have an activity to add? Just email us.

The COVID-19 resource page and our Pajama Brigade resource page are also available to our community.

Recordings of our recent virtual meetings are available on our GSAE1917 YouTube Channel through GSAEtv.

Any organization in Georgia that employs at least one GSAE member may apply. It is the responsibility of the organization to recruit a qualified student to fill the internship, but this may be done after the GSAE Foundation announces which applications will be funded.

Watch this video and visit GSAE Foundation online to learn more about the internship grant program. Consider making a donation to the GSAE Foundation to support this important endeavor.

While some associations have been embracing remote working for years, others have had to recently shift to work from home almost overnight. Read more in "The New Remote Work Reality," the cover story in our new issue of GSAE's connections magazine - available online now!

We also have features about what it's like to lead through this difficult time with COVID-19, how to evolve your digital non-dues revenue streams, and what nonprofits need to know about non-exempt employees. 

Read the issue here on any device in our new mobile-friendly format.

Gain access to the only 24/7/365 online compensation benchmarking tool designed exclusively for executives of professional, trade and service-centric associations/nonprofits.

• Compare your organization's key operational metrics to others across the industry
• Evaluate valuable KPI's, including salaries, benefits, positions/departments, and more!
• Generate customized reports to inform decisions and keep your organization competitive

GSAE has conducted a compensation and benefits survey biennially since 2013 through our partnership with Association Societies Alliance (ASA). Moving forward, this information will now be gathered through a 24/7/365 online platform, powered by Dynamic Benchmarking. The Real-Time Compensation Benchmarking tool is available to all GSAE members.

Entering data will always be free. For the first year (2020), generating customizable reports will also be free to all users. Effective January 1, 2021, users will be able to access reports through an annual subscription discounted for GSAE members. Get started now!

We're looking for SIG panelists for a program to help association executives who are moving their in-person meetings to virtual events. If you have hosted a virtual conference and you're willing to share your experience with your fellow members, please let GSAE know! 

As executive director of the Railway Tie Association since 1995, James Gauntt has spent more than 25 years working to ensure the industry remains safe, efficient and, in few words, the best it can be. With a career spanning more than 40 years, he has amassed a remarkable record of success, including publishing RTA’s Crossties magazine, conducting training sessions on tie grading, and hosting the RTA Annual Symposium and Technical Conference. Gauntt is also the published author of numerous articles, papers and publications on the subject of wood tie research and treated wood tie performance, and is a frequent speaker on wood preserving and tie industry subjects.

Congratulations to GSAE's own Beer Bros. Lowell (Low El) Aplebaum, CAE, CPF for being named a 2020 ASAE Fellow. The ASAE Fellows program is an honorary recognition bestowed upon less than 1% of ASAE's membership. It is also a call to continued service as authors, mentors, conference facilitators, and leaders within the association community.

Congratulations to Jeff Jowdy, Lighthouse Counsel, for being named to the Sorrell College of Business Executive Advisory Council. The Advisory Council is composed of select business and civic leaders who strongly support Troy University and the Sorrell College of Business. Learn more.

Congratulations to Julie Anderson, CAE, MBA for completing the Executive MBA program through the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business. Julie is the Director, Administration, Governance & Membership for the American College of Rheumatology.
 

Congratulations to Erica Powell Grier, CMP, MPA for earning her Masters of Public Administration from Clemson University. Erica serves as the Conferences and Events Manager at the Georgia Municipal Association.

The We Love Chattanooga Auction was launched by the Chattanooga Tourism Company and River City Company to assist local businesses that have been impacted by COVID-10 and recent tornadoes. Local companies are auctioning and/or selling goods and services and gift certificates. The auction is open through 6:00 PM EST on May 12, 2020, and anyone can bid or buy an item. Learn more and view items.

The Georgia World Congress Center converted an exhibit hall into a 200-bed alternate care facility to treat moderate illness levels and alleviate pressure on the hospitals and healthcare resources. Learn more.

May 13, 2020
2:00-3:00 PM
Sponsored by GSAE and hosted by the Association Societies Alliance (ASA)
Register today

In addition to its effects on association planned in-person meetings and conferences, the COVID-19 pandemic has also greatly impacted association governance.

From canceled membership meetings to virtual board meetings to online elections to an inability to meet governance requirements imposed by law, bylaws or policy, associations are struggling to find answers to a host of pressing governance questions.

As membership and board governance issues are so critical to the healthy functioning of an association – and as this is a very complex, nuanced area of the law, and one that varies from state to state – this is an important webinar that promises to offer real-time, practical advice and guidance, best practices, and suggestions for avoiding pitfalls. Speaker: Jeff Tenenbaum, Esq.

May 13, 2020
2:00-3:00 PM
Hosted by Naylor Association Solutions and presented by Laura Taylor & John Bacon, MBA
Register today

It's no secret that the COVID-19 crisis is impacting all industries and professions. Join us for this one-hour, CAE-eligible webinar as we walk through revenue generators that you can start using today to get back on track, and why your advertisers and sponsors are looking to you for opportunities to reach their audience.

We'll cover how to grow your non-dues revenue through:

• Expanding your digital communications strategy,
• Exploring new tools and channels,
• Opening more targeted opportunities for advertisers and sponsors,
• And helping your advertisers and sponsors temporarily shift their messaging.

Non-dues revenue is a driving force for your association. Let us help discover what seeds you can plant now to help grow your NDR now and in the future.

Can't make it to the live event? Don't worry! Register and we'll send you the recording.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming virtual SIG meetings:

• May 14, 4:30 PM - Suppler Council Happy Hour
• May 20, 2:00 PM - Meetings SIG - Retaining Sponsors and Adding Value
• May 20, 5:00 PM - Pajama Brigade Virtual Happy Hour
• May 21, 4:00 PM - Virtual Member Orientation
• May 28, 5:00 PM - Wine & Webinar SIG

These events are free and open to our community. Check out the GSAE calendar for all upcoming events.

• August 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency Savannah
• Up to 11 CAE hours with a pre-con workshop (9 without)
• Use this downloadable form to register multiple people from the same organization.
• Register today for new registrations (If you previously registered, your registration has been automatically transferred to the August dates.)
• Reserve your room at the Hyatt Regency Savannah (be sure to adjust your check-in and out dates accordingly)
• Sponsor & Exhibitor Rock Star Map, provided by Map Dynamics

Registration Pricing:

• Registration for GSAE association executive member or other state, local or regional SAE member - $399
• Registration for GSAE corporate supplier member - $659-$909
• Registration for additional attendee from same organization - $299

Live webinars are worth 1 CAE hour. Did you know? More than 94 CAE-qualifying recorded webinars are available 24/7 on our GSAE website.

In light of COVID-19, the CAE Commission has made a few adjustments for those renewing their CAE in 2020:

• The renewal deadline has been extended from December 31, 2020, to March 31, 2021.
• The cap on self-study has been lifted. All 40 credits needed for renewal may be taken through any amount of live and/or approved self-study courses.
• The early-renewal discount will be extended to completed renewals submitted through March 31, 2021. The discounted renewal fee is $275 for ASAE members and $425 for nonmembers.

These additional options apply only to the renewal cycle for those originally due to renew by December 2020. Learn more.

The 2020 Association Communications Benchmarking Study is now open, and we would like to invite our members to participate in this important study. In an effort to help associations understand how others in their community are navigating communications in the COVID-19 climate, specific questions about the impact of the coronavirus have been added.  

We also know people are hungry for information and, now more than ever, are in need of recommendations on strategies and tactics for their member communications, so we’ll be releasing the 2020 comprehensive report in June, two months earlier than usual. 

We hope that you will give us your input to help shape the report into an insightful and relevant study for the entire association community.

The survey will remain open through May 29. To get started, simply log in to your account, or if you’re new to the platform, please take a moment to sign up.

This year, for every respondent that takes at least 50% of the survey, Naylor will donate $10 to the World Central Kitchen’s #ChefsForAmerica COVID-19 program. For more information visit https://wck.org/chefsforamerica.

We greatly appreciate your time and participation. Please reach out to the Naylor team with any questions.

Association Laboratory, in partnership with GSAE, released The Strategic and Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the Association Sector on March 30, 2020. More than 1,000 association leaders across 20 industry and professional sectors participated in the study. Download your complimentary copy of The Strategic and Economic Impact of COVID-19 on the Association Sector today!

Why this study is important:

1. Risk Profile Assessment: The study outlines a risk profile of associations assessing how prepared the sector is to withstand the economic shock of COVID-19. Respondents were asked to identify their designated reserves, percentage of revenue from meetings and risk mitigation through insurance. The data shows that smaller associations in particular are at risk, while trade associations might not be impacted as severely.
2. Anticipated Strategies: The study identifies the anticipated strategy changes associations anticipate implementing to adjust to the economic disruption in 2020 and 2021. From cuts in discretionary spending to expanded investment in online and virtual events, respondents identified a wide range of responses to this unprecedented crisis.
3. Expert Advice: Three notable association experts provide advice on how to modify association strategy and mitigate legal and financial risk. There are a host of critical moves you can make as an association leader and this report gives you practical ideas you can implement now.

About Association Laboratory:
Association Laboratory provides research and business strategy to trade and professional associations and creates strategic education and sector analysis for association leaders. Learn more. 

Spearheaded by Michael Lennox, CEO & Founder of Electric Hospitality (Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, Golden Eagle, Muchacho), the #ATLFAMILYMEAL movement is focused on building a virtual dinner table for the community to gather, share ideas, leverage resources, feed, and provide support for hospitality workers experiencing distress. ATLFAMILYMEAL, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit that is in the process of seeking its 501(c)(3) designation, and is actively building a leadership team and raising funds to support their mission. Learn more.