VMA Inspire Executive

Brain Based Approaches For Conflict Resolution And Generative Teambuilding

In this interactive online session, we’ll explore how conflict and collaboration are shaped—moment to moment—by the nervous system. Using a brain-based lens, we’ll map key brain states (survival/threat, social engagement, and restorative/creative) and practice spotting the cues that signal when a person or team is moving toward fight/flight, shutdown, or openness. Grounded in Polyvagal Theory, we’ll translate neuroception, co-regulation, and vagal “brakes” into practical, repeatable moves for shifting toward safety and connection. We’ll also explore how brain-state literacy supports equitable participation, reduces misattunement across difference, and strengthens repair.

The session blends concise didactic teaching with experiential learning. Participants will try brief regulation tools (breath, orienting, micro-movement, and attention shifts) and then apply participatory team practices—structured turn-taking, reflective listening, and real-time “state check” agreements—to increase psychological safety and group generativity. You’ll leave with a simple state-shift toolkit for de-escalating tension, repairing rupture, making clearer requests, and designing meetings that support trust, curiosity, and creative problem-solving—especially when the stakes are high.

Elizabeth B. Strand, PhD, LCSW

Elizabeth B. Strand, PhD, LCSW, is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), where she focuses on peacebuilding in One Health grand challenges and training for the transdisciplinary teamwork needed to address them. External to her university appointment, she is also an ordained interfaith minister and founder of One Health Chaplain LLC, providing interfaith support at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental wellbeing. Dr. Strand served as the founding director of Veterinary Social Work (VSW) at UT and was the inaugural All Creatures Great and Small Endowed Clinical Professor. An ACT practitioner and MBSR teacher, her work spans mediation-informed practice, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and collaborative approaches to complex problems, with research addressing antimicrobial stewardship, public trust in dairy, the psychological impact of mass depopulation events, suicide prevention in the veterinary community, and wellbeing benchmarking. She is pursuing a degree in conflict resolution and peacebuilding at George Mason University’s Carter School.

Insights Discovery – Sponsored by Elanco

Insights Discovery is a simple and accessible four-color model that helps us understand ourselves and others. Every person has all four-color energies with them; it is the combination of these energies which creates each unique personality. Our color energies refer to a set of characteristics that tend to be our most preferred or most natural way to be.

Heidi Hulon DVM, CCFP, CCCP, MHFA

Dr. Hulon is the Wellbeing Consulting Veterinarian for Elanco Animal Health. A native of Alabama, Dr. Hulon graduated from Auburn University with both her undergraduate degree and D.V.M. She has Certifications in Insights Discovery, Compassion Fatigue, Positive Psychology, Mental Health First Aid, QPR Suicide Training, Fear Free, the Human Animal Bond. Dr. Hulon is very involved in organized veterinary medicine. She’s a past president of the Kentucky VMA and currently serves on the Alabama VMA Wellbeing, Membership and Constitution/Bylaws committees.

Leadership Essentials for Veterinary Medical Association Executives

Great leadership creates great workplaces. Everyone is a leader in the workplace. What kind of an impact are you making? One framework to improve leadership is through the domains of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and empathy, and relationship management. Within these four domains are 12 specific skills that can be learned to increase your knowledge and proficiency in leadership. Additional skills that are essential for leadership success include: giving and receiving feedback, asking the right questions, and developing a leadership mindset.

Michelle Harcha, DVM, MA, BCC, ACC

Dr. Michelle Harcha received a BS and DVM from The Ohio State University. She completed a Master of Arts in Business Management from Antioch University Midwest and is a Board Certified Coach and an ICF Associate Certified Coach. Dr. Harcha practiced for 10 years in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her practice career included being an emergency veterinarian, a relief veterinarian, and an associate veterinarian. She worked for Hill’s Pet Nutrition holding a variety of positions. In 2007, she became the Director of Alumni Services and Professional Development Education at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine leading the Professional Development curriculum for veterinary students. She held this position until 2017 when she formed LeadYourShip, a coaching and consulting company that specializes in teaching leadership, communication, well-being, and emotional intelligence in the veterinary profession. She is a past president of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association and resides in Grove City, Ohio, with her yellow lab, “Colby.”

Veterinary Associations: A Rich and Complex Ecosystem

This session will provide a general overview of the ecosystem that makes up the rich and mysterious mix of veterinary associations in North America and beyond. If you wondered who are all those veterinary associations, where do they fit, how do they intersect, and what are all those acronyms, we hope to provide some answers. This session aims to demystify the complexity of organized veterinary medicine, which can baffle those new to this field (and some of us who have been around a while!).

Adrian Hochstadt, JD, CAE

Adrian Hochstadt is CEO of the Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE), an organization of executives who manage veterinary associations throughout the world and is dedicated to help its members create thriving organizations and provide effective leadership. Previously, Adrian served as Deputy CEO and Director of State Advocacy for the American Veterinary Medical Association, performing various leadership and management duties, including helping create and shape the AVMA’s state advocacy program, working closely with state and allied veterinary medical associations in advocating on behalf of veterinary medicine. In addition, Adrian has served in executive roles at the North American Veterinary Community, Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, and American Bar Association.

Adrian serves on the CATalyst Council Board of Directors and is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and Association Forum of Chicagoland. He has earned and maintained the credential of Certified Association Executive (CAE) from the ASAE.

Adrian has a law degree from Northern Illinois University and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Having raised their three adult children, Adrian and his wife Barb share their suburban Chicago home with Cleo, who is part miniature schnauzer, part terrier (to the best of their knowledge.) Adrian enjoys civic engagement, travel, gardening, and sports, especially playing basketball, pickleball, biking, and rooting for selected Chicago professional teams and his alma mater, the University of Illinois.

 Advancing Veterinary Medicine Through Strategic Advocacy and Unified Influence

An effective advocacy program doesn’t happen by accident – it is intentionally designed, strategically coordinated, and consistently executed. This session will provide attendees with a framework for building and sustaining a high-impact legislative and regulatory advocacy program, regardless of your organization’s size and resources. Participants will explore core components of an effective advocacy program, including bill monitoring, engaging with legislators, grassroots mobilization, and collaboration with AVMA and other strategic partners.

Angela Shuman

Angela Shuman is Director of the Division of State Advocacy at the American Veterinary Medical Association, joining the organization in June 2025. Prior to joining AVMA, Angela spent more than 20 years in state and federal advocacy roles at human healthcare associations, including the American Academy of Physician Associates, American College of Cardiology, and American Physical Therapy Association. Originally from rural Indiana, Angela is a graduate of Ball State University (BS in Political Science) and Georgia Southern University (Master of Public Administration). She currently shares a home in Washington, DC with her husband, dog, and 2 cats.

Current Economic Trends in Veterinary Medicine

Session description coming soon

Matthew Salois, PhD

Matt Salois, PhD, is the President of Veterinary Management Groups (VMG), where he leads initiatives to enhance the economic and cultural success of over 2,000 independent veterinary practices across the United States. With a mission-driven approach, Matt is dedicated to advancing the veterinary profession through collaboration and community.​

Prior to joining VMG, Matt served as the Chief Economist and Head of the Veterinary Economics Division at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) from 2018 to 2022. In that role, he championed the importance of economic literacy across the profession and developed tools, research, and policies to support veterinarians in both clinical and business decision-making. Earlier, he held the role of Senior Director of Global Scientific Affairs and Policy at Elanco Animal Health, where he engaged in international initiatives at the intersection of animal health, food security, and public policy.

Matt is also an adjunct professor of applied economics at the University of Florida, where he taught and advised students on topics ranging from international trade to econometrics. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Florida, as well as an M.A. in Economics and a B.S. in Health Services Administration from the University of Central Florida.​

He lives in the Chicagoland area with his wife and four children, along with their lively household of three cats and one dog.

Looking Forward®: The Issues Impacting Associations

Association Laboratory has been surveying the association landscape for the last 14 years, looking at the issues impacting associations’ members and what associations are doing about it. We will discuss two big issues that stood out in the 2025 Looking Forward Impact data—competition is coming from new places, which changes the way your members view your value proposition, and the changing nature of veterinary practice means that your members are not necessarily the one driving membership and purchasing decisions. Let’s work to create solutions to those issues.

Nikki Golden, CAE

Nikki Golden, CAE, is managing director of Association Laboratory, which helps associations make research-based business decisions—on everything from membership to strategic planning to educational programming/certification—using state-of-the-art research.

Nikki built her association career working in both marketing and membership, with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Roofing Contractors Association. She honed her leadership and governance skills as executive director of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. She has been recognized for her work in the association world, making the inaugural list of Association Forum of Chicagoland/USAE Forty Under 40 list. Nikki currently serves on the Board Association Forum of Chicagoland and is an active member of ASAE, earning her Certified Association Executive designation in 2013.

Journey for Teams: Why Conflict Finds Us All

Conflict doesn’t knock. It barges into our teams, workspace, and conversations. It’s bound to rear its head no matter what, through personality differences, communication breakdowns, or conflicting values. And it’s a master of disguise, hiding out in any space where people put their hearts and souls into their work. This is why learning to master conflict is not a nice-to-have in the veterinary field, but a must-have for wellbeing, team cohesion, and trust.

This interactive session is based on Journey for Teams and shows how conflict can shift from a point of disconnection to a moment of connection. Discover how the “hidden architecture” of conflict-needs, fears, and assumptions-drives our responses and how to use the Journey for Teams principles of self-awareness, perspective-taking, and shared accountability to navigate conflict and align teams. Join us in reframing conflict as a destination you can reach and a skillset you can grow. We’ll give you the tools you need to help your team move from reaction to reflection, from avoidance to action, and from discord to belonging.

Latonia Craig, EdD, MA, MEd

Dr. Latonia L. Craig is a nationally recognized leader in belonging, engagement, and workplace culture transformation. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (2004) and Master of Arts in Pan-African Studies (2006) from the University of Louisville, where she also distinguished herself as one of the top collegiate debate speakers in the country. She later earned her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Cincinnati (2010) and her Doctor of Education from Spalding University (2014).

Dr. Craig currently serves as the inaugural Chief Veterinary Engagement and Belonging Officer at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). In this role, she leads the national strategy to strengthen workplace culture and foster environments where veterinary professionals feel connected, valued, and supported in their daily work. She played a central role in developing and stewarding the growth of Journey for Teams, a profession-wide learning and engagement initiative that has reached more than 30,000 veterinary professionals across the United States.

Prior to joining AVMA, Dr. Craig served as Assistant Dean for Inclusive Excellence at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. There, she directed the nationally acclaimed Vet Up! program, which supported more than 150 aspiring veterinary students from underrepresented backgrounds in gaining admission to veterinary school. Under her leadership, Purdue became the first veterinary college in the nation to be recognized as a Diversity Champion by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

Dr. Craig’s leadership and impact have been widely recognized. She was named a Top Forty Under 40 honoree by Louisville Business First in 2016. In 2024, she was honored by the University of Louisville as its Wilson Wyatt Graduate School Alum of the Year and has also been featured on the cover of Today’s Woman magazine. Dr. Craig is a proud and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Governance Practices, Challenges & Emerging Trends

Board relations is among the most critical responsibilities of association CEOs. When properly executed, good governance results in association growth, better business outcomes, clarity on goals, organizational agility, and member engagement and trust. Suboptimal board performance, however, can result in dysfunction and an organization’s doom loop. This interactive session will focus on best practices, common challenges, and emerging trends. Among other topics, the session will explore board selection and development, the movement to smaller and competency-based boards, planning and executing board meetings, and new approaches to strategic planning in these turbulent times.

Strategic Thinking and Visionary Leadership for VMAs

This session is designed for executive directors of veterinary medical associations seeking to refine their approach to strategy and enhance their leadership skills. Participants will explore effective strategic planning processes, aligning aspirations with execution, developing effective teams, and fostering a culture of agility and accountability. The session will blend theoretical insights with practical application, including real-world case studies, interactive exercises, and tools to guide strategic decision-making. We will build off the strategy work of Lafley and Martin (Playing to Win) and the leadership work of Lencioni (The Advantage) and explore current challenges, including the impact of artificial intelligence, cultural shifts, the workforce, and a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Participants will leave with actionable steps to implement a rolling three to five-year strategic plan, align resources with priorities, and ensure their organization remains adaptive to emerging trends in veterinary medicine.

Paul Pomeranz

Paul served as the CEO of several health and medical associations before “retiring” at the end of 2023. His last full-time position was with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, a 55,000-member, $55 million association based in Chicago and Washington, D.C. While there, Paul led the organization through a turnaround and a period of growth and heightened influence.

Paul has been active in the professional association community having served as chair of ASAE Business Services, Inc, chair of the Association Forum, chair of the ASAE Foundation, and treasurer of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. Paul is the founding managing director of ASAE’s Association Governance Institute. He is a frequent writer and speaker on association leadership topics.

In 2024, Paul formed Pomerantz Consulting, which provides executive coaching to association executives and board leaders, and consultation in governance, conflict resolution, executive transition, and strategic planning. In addition, he currently serves as Interim Executive Vice President with the American Association of Physician Leadership.