Next Wave Conference (Washington)

Angela Richardson, CAE 

Stop Selling Membership and Start Building Community

Angela Richardson, CAE, is an association executive and strategist with more than 20 years of experience building stronger organizations, communities, and member experiences.

Her career has spanned associations, nonprofits, and executive membership communities, where she has led organizations, worked with boards and volunteer leaders, managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, and built communities for senior executives at some of the world’s largest companies.

Angela is especially interested in what makes people stay, participate, contribute, and feel connected to an organization. She brings together experience in association leadership, governance, executive engagement, revenue, and community building to challenge organizations to think beyond membership as a transaction.

Angela is Director, Institute for Performance Excellence at Baldrige Foundation and holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential.

 Angela Strecker, Event Producer, Owner, Blue Wings Events 

 Don't Plan Events, Plan Experiences - How to Design Events That Increase Engagement, Connection, and Member Value

Angela is a Corporate Event Strategist and the Founder of Blue Wings Events. She is the powerhouse behind Blue Wings Events—a women-owned event planning company known for transforming corporate gatherings into unforgettable experiences across Washington, Oregon, California, and British Columbia.
With over 30 years of experience wrangling timelines, managing VIPs, and keeping her cool no matter what curveballs come her way, Angela brings more than just event know-how—she brings heart, humor, and a sixth sense for what makes people tick. 
Angela’s worked alongside associations, government agencies, and corporate clients of all sizes, building trusted relationships and planning events that spark connection, boost morale, and elevate brands. Her clients love her for her honesty, calm confidence, and can-do attitude and because she makes the whole process feel like a breeze.
Fun fact: When she’s not planning events, Angela takes the stage to share her passion for connecting people, literally. She’s a speaker on The Art of In-Person Networking, a talk that helps professionals shake the nerves and master the power of real, face-to-face connection. Long before LinkedIn and social media, Angela was building networks the old-fashioned way—with a smile, a handshake, and genuine curiosity.

Bridgette Lehrer, M.A., Assistant Director, Marketing and Outreach, Berkeley International Study Program, UC Berkeley

Marketing Smarter, Not Louder: Leveraging AI, Video, and Volunteer Power to Maximize Mission Impact

Bridgette Lehrer is the Assistant Director for Marketing and Outreach with the Berkeley International Study Program, a study abroad option at UC Berkeley for highly motivated visiting students. Since 2009, she has cultivated expertise in engagement, strategic marketing and outreach management with particular emphasis on international student recruitment and alumni relations. Prior to Berkeley, Bridgette worked in diverse industries including nonprofit fundraising, corporate marketing, and technology customer service. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Art History (Arizona State University), an M.A. in Museum Studies (San Francisco State University) and Certificates from Cornell University (Digital Marketing) and UC Davis-Coursera (AI-Powered Content Creation for Social Media Success).

 Carrie McIntyre, Principal, Navigate

 Non-Dues Revenue Sales Workshop: Practical Tactics Without the Ick

Carrie McIntyre founded Navigate, a sales and customer experience consultancy that helps associations reach their revenue destinations. She’s known for helping association staff feel confident wearing their sales hat and turning association industry partners into enthusiastic advocates through exceptional customer experiences. With a 30-year career that began in association membership and marketing, Carrie transitioned to sales and customer success roles at several for-profit companies serving associations before starting Navigate in 2023. She’s an active member and content contributor for ASAE, TSAE, and PAR.

Christina Lewellen, MBA, FASAE, CAE, Executive Director and CEO, National Society of Professional Engineers

Slow Down to Speed Up: How Smart Associations Build Capacity Before They Burn Out

Christina Lewellen, MBA, FASAE, CAE, is Executive Director and CEO of the National Society of Professional Engineers. A seasoned association executive known for her data-driven approach to strategy and organizational leadership, she holds an MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives.

Lewellen speaks nationally on leadership, ethics, and the future of professional communities and associations. She also serves as a trustee for Harmony, Incorporated and is an active volunteer within the association management profession. In 2025, she was named an ASAE Fellow, an honor held by fewer than one percent of ASAE members.

John Hooley, President, Steward Website Development

AI-Powered Strategic Planning: A Working Session on What Works (and What Doesn't) 

John Hooley is the president of Steward, an agency that provides web development for associations. He's a graduate of 10,000 Small Businesses, a certified Customer Acquisition Specialist, and a Zend Certified Engineer. He speaks and writes on connecting digital strategy to association goals. Outside of work he's an avid traveler, climber, diver, and a burgeoning sailor. He's also a USMC veteran and volunteers with Rotary and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Madeleine Bergeron-Edasi, CPA, CIA, Senior Manager, A&A, Clark Nuber PS

The GAAP Playbook for Associations: From Trial Balance to Financial Statements and the Form 990

Madeleine is a senior manager at Clark Nuber. She has a passion for serving not-for-profit clients in a variety of niches including associations, and works on many of the Firm’s largest association clients.

Mitch Hansen, Shareholder, A&A, Clark Nuber PS

The GAAP Playbook for Associations: From Trial Balance to Financial Statements and the Form 990

Mitch is a Shareholder at Clark Nuber. He works primarily with not-for-profit and governmental organizations assisting them with accounting and tax issues, internal control consulting, and improving operations with best practices. He has been a member and frequent speaker for WSAE for over 25 years, and heads up the Firm’s association practice.g him an excuse to travel more.

 Vanessa Dennison, CAE, CBAP,  Principal, Dennison & Associates

 AI-Powered Strategic Planning: A Working Session on What Works (and What Doesn't) 

Vanessa Dennison, owner of Dennison & Associates, is a Certified Association  Executive and Certified Business Analyst Professional. She has more than 20 years’ experience working with dozens of trade and professional associations and unions, both as a staff member and an industry vendor. She applies proven expertise, industry best practices, and a deep commitment to each client to deliver superior results. Vanessa leads a growing team of leading association consultants with a variety of skills.  Together, we share a singular focus on serving our clients and delivering value no matter your size, budget, or needs.

 Jim Anderson, CAE, President & CEO, Associations West 

 Association Leaders Situation Room: Solving Today’s Real-World Challenges

 Jim supports the Board and its committees in   developing and implementing the strategic plan,   organizational policies, and programs. He also directly staffs the Board of Directors as well as the DEI, Legislative, Audit, and Nominating committees. He is responsible for daily operations, including financial management & reporting, and staff supervision. Jim previously worked for the United Way California Capital Region for 16 years, and was its Executive Vice President when he left to join Associations West.

James Young, Founder + Chief Learning Officer, Product Community

Why Now is the Time to Change Your Pricing Strategy (and How To Do It)

James Young builds cultures of innovation by uniting diverse communities around exciting ideas. He specializes in product strategy, learning communities, story branding, and transformative growth for associations and nonprofits.

He served as Senior VP and Chief Learning at the American College of Chest Physicians and Chief Learning Officer at the Society of College and University Planning. He also served as Chief of Staff at Lehigh University, founding Chief Information Officer at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, and worked in learning communities for ten years at George Mason University. He earned degrees from George Mason University, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University.