Chapter Leadership Symposium

Days
Hours
Minutes

CLS 2024

For more than 20 years, SMPS HQ has hosted an annual symposium for incoming chapter presidents. This premier program focuses on developing the leadership skills of chapter leaders and ensuring an awareness of the services and programs available to all SMPS chapters by SMPS HQ.

Event Details

Dates: April 17-19, 2024
Price: $299/night
Hotel: Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009, US

**Every attendee may submit for a stipend ($600 max) from SMPS HQ after CLS to help defray hotel/travel costs of attending. 

Schedule At A Glance

CLS 2024 Committee

CLS COMMITTEE CHAIR

Keelin Cox, CPSM, ENV SP
Owner
Adiuvo Marketing

CLS COMMITTEE CHAIR

Valerie Puchades, CPSM Marketing Specialist CVG
SMPS PRESIDENT-ELECT, BOARD REPRESENTATIVE

Dr. Paula Stamp, MBA, FSMPS, CPSM
Vice President, Economic Development
CLAYCO

SMPS HQ Staff

Tina Myers, CAE
Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Devin Stubbs
Manager, Digital Marketing

Marci thompson headshot

Marci D. Thompson, DES
Interim Chief Executive Officer/CSO

Kai Wright
Associate Director, Volunteer Relations

“Attending CLS 2022 was one of the best experiences in my professional career to date. Representing a newer chapter, I wanted to absorb as much as possible to be a resource when I returned home for the rest of our board and membership. In a short time frame, I learned many valuable resources from experts in their fields and met amazing future chapter leaders from across the country to make an immediate network of fellow presidents-elect! My chapter and my firm will benefit for years to come because of my opportunity to attend CLS as a result of the diverse information shared. I can’t thank the SMPS HQ team and volunteers enough for providing this experience and hope all incoming presidents can have the same experience as I did!” –Duncan Robertson, SMPS Idaho president-elect, Business Development & Marketing Manager, Tamarack Grove

“I left Chapter Leadership Symposium (CLS) energized and confident that the SMPS Board of Directors, SMPS Headquarters Staff, past presidents, and other volunteers are committed to and rooting for my Chapter’s success. I met other presidents-elect and heard from several experts that I can now call on for support and guidance. I am excited to begin my board year and only wish I could attend CLS every year!” — Erika Booker, SMPS Central Florida president-elect, Marketing and Communications Director, Barge Design Solutions, Inc.

Questions? Contact Kai Wright, SMPS HQ Associate Director, Volunteer Relations at kai@smps.org.

Newsletter

Sign up for the Marketer QuickLook Newsletter
Scroll to Top

APRIL 18 | HARMONIZING LEADERSHIP: THE MELODY OF SUCCESS IN TEAM DYNAMICS


As individuals poised to step into SMPS chapter leadership, the ability to orchestrate a high-performing team is an important skill. Join us for an engaging talk that explores the parallels between leadership in teams and the art of musical harmony. Drawing inspiration from the world of music, this session will uncover valuable insights into fostering collaboration, communication, and synergy within your team.

In this dynamic presentation, we will delve into the key components of musical harmony – melody, rhythm, dynamics, and collaboration – and demonstrate how these elements mirror the essential aspects of effective team leadership. Attendees will gain a fresh perspective on leadership dynamics through the lens of music, discovering how to strike the right chord in their teams.

About Maisha Christian
Maisha Christian is the owner and head coach at Beauty & the Boss, a professional development and career coaching service for women in male-dominated industries. Since starting her coaching practice in 2018 she has helped hundreds of women/people through individualized coaching, public talks, workshops and digital content. Prior to starting Beauty & the Boss, Maisha was a marketing professional in the A/E/C (architecture, engineering and construction) industry, serving as Marketing Director and executive leadership team member. In addition to creating and facilitating mentorship programs for the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS), she’s also taught at her alma mater Arizona State University, where she received a Bachelors in Marketing.

Maisha has a passion for people, a mind for business and a gift to teach and has leveraged those strengths into teaching, mentoring, coaching and public speaking opportunities. Clients and partners include City of Phoenix, City of Chandler, Arizona State University, Junior League of Arizona, Kimley Horn Consultant Engineers, Mortenson and McCarthy Builders

APRIL 19 | MANAGING CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS


Successful chapter leaders must be able to lead and facilitate meetings and conversations that result in shared priorities, goals, and group synergy. Building this kind of broad consensus can be a difficult proposition as chapter volunteers and members often embody a plethora of competing opinions, perspectives, agendas, and personalities. Managing these critical conversations requires specific facilitation and communication skills and techniques.

In this session, professional facilitator, Mary Abbajay will share expert tools and techniques to help chapter leaders conduct critical conversations with confidence and competence.

This session explores how chapter leaders can:

  • Help resolve disputes and discuss “hot” topics
  • Create agendas that work
  • Manage disruptive behaviors
  • Remain calm and centered while leading meetings

About Mary Abbajay

Mary Abbajay, author of the award-winning, best-selling Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss is the president of Careerstone Group, LLC, a full service organizational and leadership development consultancy that delivers leading-edge talent and organizational development solutions to business and government.

As a sought-after author, speaker, consultant, and facilitator, Mary helps clients develop the strategies, skills and sensibilities needed for success in the21st century. Her expertise lies in helping clients create dynamic and productive workplaces that foster professional and personal excellence and growth.

Mary is a frequent expert contributor for television, radio, and print publications where she provides practical leadership and career advice. In addition to her role as a Forbes.com contributor, her work and advice have appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Money Magazine, Monster, CNN, CNBC, LinkedIn Learning, and the BBC.

Mary is the cohost of the Cubicle Confidential podcast where she provides weekly career and leadership advice.

Contract Information
Careerstone Group, LLC
2304 Tunlaw Road, NW | Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-210-7806 | Email: mary@careerstonegroup.com

APRIL 18 | COMPASSIONATE LEADERSHIP

Craig S. Galati, FAIA, FSMPS, CPSM
Whether you lead a Fortune 500 company, a small non-profit, or a volunteer organization, compassionate leadership can help you grow the organization, get the most from your staff or volunteers, and create a culture that will allow those within the organization to rise to their potential. Bringing real examples from his 20+ years leading a highly successful and progressive architecture firm, Craig Galati will discuss the concepts of learning to lead with love. This interactive presentation will make the point of how important it is to leverage compassion to real tangible results.

Individuals will be able to assess their ability to lead with compassion, understand the game changing strategy in the workplace, and learn how to create an empowered culture that allows individual and group performance to soar.

About Craig S. Galati, FAIA, FSMPS, CPSM
Combining his passion for both marketing and architecture led Craig Galati to build a purpose-centered practice focused on creating life-giving solutions for the community. As a champion for marketing’s powerful role in practice, Craig has immersed himself in SMPS, assuming a number of leadership roles including President of the Las Vegas chapter and Society President, where he helped develop the powerful vision statement, Business Transformed Through Marketing Leadership. Through community engagement and in his role of Principal at LGA Architecture, he consistently demonstrates the critical role marketing holds in a successful A/E/C firm while empowering professionals to become confident and strategic leaders. A Fellow recognized by both SMPS and the AIA, Craig is an accomplished speaker and author, widely sought after for topics ranging from leadership to innovative marketing practices.  He is the 2023 recipient of the SMPS Weld Coxe Marketing Achievement Award.