VMAE Inspire Executive

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.

Note: This session runs 10 am – 1:00 pm PT/1 pm – 4:00 pm ET.

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 Staff

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 the current President of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association and resides in Grove City, Ohio, with her yellow lab, “Colby.”

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 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.

Paul Pomeranz

Paul served as 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, DC. 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. He is a frequent writer and speaker on association leadership topics.

In 2024, Paul received his certification in Leadership Coaching in Organizational Performance and formed Pomerantz Consulting. In his consulting practice, Paul works with executives on professional development and boards on team building and mediation. He also currently works with ASAE as Managing Director of the new Association Governance Institute.

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Strategic Thinking and Visionary Leadership for Veterinary Medical Associations

This session is designed for executive directors of veterinary medical associations who are seeking to refine their strategic thinking skills and enhance their leadership vision. Through a structured framework, participants will explore effective strategic planning processes, alignment of vision with execution, and fostering a culture of innovation. The session will blend theoretical insights with practical application, including real-world case studies, interactive exercises, and tools to guide strategic decision-making. Participants will leave with actionable steps to implement a rolling five-year strategic plan, align resources with priorities, and ensure their organization remains adaptive to emerging trends in veterinary medicine.

Debbie Trueblood, MSW, FASAE, IOM, CAE

Debbie is the Lead Consultant with Association Management Center (AMC). She has been in the association community for 24 years. She served as an Executive Director from 2002 until 2021. As a consultant, she has worked with over 100 associations, supporting them with governance, strategic planning, DEI, and ethics. She serves on the board for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and serves as the 2024-2026 Chair of the National Association of Park Foundations (NAPF). She became a Fellow of ASAE (FASAE) in 2022 and earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) in 2008. She is on faculty for the ASAE Exceptional Boards program. She was the 2018-2019 Chair of the ASAE Ethics Committee. She is a past chair of the Association Forum’s Welcoming Environment Committee. Debbie received her former association’sDiversity Icon Award in 2019 and Association Forum’s “Forty Under 40” award in 2014.

Stress Better: Developing Skills to Meet the Moment and Support Sustainable Wellness

This session is about reframing and having a growth mindset around ‘stress’ and ‘stressors’ while learning about how to more skillfully navigate and complete the emotion and stress cycles that may occur with life challenges.

The Transformative Power of Intentional Communication and Active Listening

This session is about the opportunity to build trust and partnership with our colleagues, VMA members, and volunteers within your organization through effective, relationship-building communication techniques. Fostering a culture of decision-making partnership and building rapport with those that we work with and support enhances professional satisfaction and holistic wellness.

Sonja A Olson, DVM, C-MMT, CFE

Dr. Sonja Olson is a compassionate, informed catalyst supporting transformative thriving for veterinary professionals. With over 25 years of experience as an emergency clinician and 10 years as a veterinary wellness educator, speaker, writer, her professional passion is integrating clinical experience, neuroscience, and mindfulness into the creation of practical strategies for managing stress, achieving balance, and fostering emotional well-being for individuals and team. She’s the author of “Creating Wellbeing and Building Resilience in the Veterinary Profession: A Call to Life,” which one reviewer states offers a “lifeline to struggling veterinarians and anybody in the profession, with real stories and practical advice for building resilience.”

The What, So What, and Now What of DEI

Research supports what we know intuitively: inclusion matters and inclusion is good for business. During this session we will initially focus on the what and so what of DEI as we align on terminology and acknowledge the current state of affairs. We will then work together and get comfortable being uncomfortable (GCBU) in order to intentionally create environments that welcome tough conversations that lead to positive change. Now what? Well that is up to you! A variety of tools and resources that support individual and organizational growth will be shared so that participants can commit to next steps that align with their personal journey and goals.

Dr. Kemba Marshall

Dr. Kemba Marshall earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine.  After a one-year internship she completed a residency in Avian and Exotic Animal Medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine.  Dr. Marshall earned her Master’s in Public Health degree from the University of Iowa.

Kemba spent five years in private, emergency and lab animal medicine after completing her residency.  Dr. Marshall has also held roles at the PetSmart’s Corporate Office as Director of Pet Quality and Education and the Land O’ Lakes Purina Animal Nutrition Center as Director of Veterinary Services.

She has authored peer-review journal articles and served as Guest Editor for publications including the Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, 5 Minute Veterinary Clinics and the Veterinary Clinics of North America. Dr. Kemba Marshall is editor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion available now from Wiley Publishing.

In 2020 Kemba founded Marshall Recruiting Consortium to address the lack of diversity in agriculture and animal health sciences. Today Kemba splits her time between working in general practice and providing continuing education to practitioners to build thriving teams that drive businesses forward.

Dr. Mia Cary

Dr. Mia Cary (she, hers), a 1999 UF College of Veterinary Medicine graduate (Go Gators!), has a personal and professional purpose of activating others to thrive. She activates her purpose through speaking, meeting facilitation, association leadership, coaching, and customized consulting projects. Her professional experience includes executive leadership and education roles at the AVMA, NAVC, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Novartis Animal Health. She currently serves as CEO and Change Agent for Cary Consulting, CEO for the Pride Veterinary Medical Community (PrideVMC), serves on the board of advisors for Dean Ruby Perry at the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine, is a Past President of the American Association of Industry Veterinarians (AAIV), and is a certified QPR Gatekeeper Training Instructor.  She resides with the Cary Crew in Greensboro, NC and recognizes the Eno, Sappony, and Shakori nations on whose land she lives and works.

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.

Making a Difference with Veterinary Medicine Advocacy

This session will cover core aspects of an effective legislative and regulatory advocacy program, including grassroots, PACs, lobbyists, government relations committees, coalitions, bill tracking, legislative events, regulatory agencies, and leveraging AVMA support. We’ll focus on state advocacy, a core function of many of the organizations represented in VMAE but also touch upon federal and local advocacy as well.

Ashley S. Morgan, DVM, CAE

Dr. Ashley Morgan serves as the Director of Equine Welfare and Advocacy at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). In this role, she leads advocacy and outreach efforts on key industry issues, including scope of practice, equine welfare, social license to operate, and strengthening AAEP’s influence within breed and discipline organizations.

Before joining AAEP, Ashley was the Director of State Advocacy at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), where she oversaw the association’s state-level legislative and regulatory efforts. Prior to that, she spent eight years in AVMA’s Government Relations Division, advocating before Congress and federal agencies on pharmaceutical policy and veterinary-related legislation. She also gained valuable experience in public policy through an AVMA Congressional Science Fellowship, during which she worked on public health initiatives in the U.S. Senate.

Ashley earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and began her career practicing equine medicine in southern Virginia. She is also a Certified Association Executive (CAE), reflecting her expertise in leadership and organizational management within the veterinary profession.

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.

Dean West, FASAE

Dean West is the founder and President of Association Laboratory Inc. He leads client engagements and is a frequent speaker and facilitator for national and global association leadership meetings. Mr. West is a former association executive with experience as executive director, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer for both national and international membership organizations. He has been a consultant to the association community since 1992, and has provided services to hundreds of state, national, and international organizations.

Dean West is a nationally recognized expert in association management. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives. Mr. West authored the chapter on Membership Research for the ASAE book, Membership Essentials and the chapter on Marketing Professional Development Programs in the ASAE book, Core Competencies in Professional Development.

Mr. West is an experienced volunteer leader familiar with the demands of volunteer leadership. He is Past Chairman of ASAE’s Professional Development Council and has served on the ASAE Membership Council and the Editorial Board for the ASAE & the Center for Association Leadership Journal of Association Leadership. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Association Forum of Chicagoland.

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