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Couldn't attend the first session of Strategy Academy? No problem! Register today using code SA100 to receive $100 off!

Strategy Academy is ISAE’s flagship cohort program with content designed to challenge participants to become more strategic in their position, career, and the way they approach challenges. Topics covered throughout this program are customizable based on the needs of those who register, in combination with the facilitator's leadership expertise and connections within the association community.

This year's Strategy Academy will feature a unified track suitable for all levels of association professionals, including those in executive roles, emerging leaders, and industry suppliers. 

Participants in Strategy Academy can earn up to 20 CAE hours in 2024! 

Quarterly In-Person Meetings:
Each track will meet in-person four times in 2024. These sessions count for 3.5 CAE hours each and will feature a networking breakfast.

Virtual "Lunch & Learn" Discussions:
In the months between quarterly sessions (Mar, Apr, Jun, Jul, Sept, Oct), ISAE will offer a virtual one-hour “Lunch & Learn" discussion for each track. These will include follow-up discussions based on content from the previous quarterly session, current trending issues, additional opportunities to brainstorm solutions to immediate challenges, etc. Lunch & Learn discussions will count for 1 CAE hour each.

Event Dates:

In-Person Quarterly Sessions (8:00 am - 12:00 pm ET): 

• February 13 | April 25 | August 20 | November 19

• March 14 | May 16 | June 13 | July 11 | September 12 | October 10

This year's sponsor is Hamilton County Tourism! All sessions will be held at event venues throughout Hamilton County. Location information will be sent to attendees in advance of the sessions.

Registration Cost:

ISAE Members: $495
Non-Members: $595

Pricing is inclusive of all in-person and Lunch & Learn sessions.

About the Facilitator:

Tara Puckey, MBA, CAE, founder and CEO of GrayRails Consulting Co. 

Tara Puckey, MBA, CAE, is the founder and CEO of GrayRails Consulting Co, an organization dedicated to fostering bold innovation through the power of people. She’s also the Executive Director of the Radio Television Digital News Association and Foundation (RTDNA/RTDNF). Throughout her career, Tara has trained more than 1,300 professionals, organizational staff and board members in effective leadership, business operations and technology, and worked with countless associations and organizations to build strategic plans for a successful future.

In 2018, she was named to Association Forum’s Forty Under 40 for her work with a variety of associations and involvement in state and national association organizations, and in 2020, received the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation, the marker of a committed association professional who has demonstrated the wide range of knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment. She has a journalism degree from Indiana University, as well as an MBA, and resides in Indianapolis with her husband and two daughters. Aside from associations, businesses and journalism, she loves craft beer, really good pens and true crime podcasts.

Strategy Academy Testimonials:

• “As CEO of a national association, I found Strategy Academy to be inspiring and encouraging as I learned best practices, received support from peers, and gained insights from Mitch’s excellent facilitation and focus topics. The time was well spent and helped me build a stronger, more successful association by turning obstacles into opportunities. Looking forward to starting my second year in the Academy!”
  Tonja Eagan, MPA, CAE, CFRE, Chief Executive Officer, KDP

• "Nearly every State Bar staff member has gone through Strategy Academy over the years. It’s been instrumental in helping them understand their role and it’s created buy-in for the things we have changed over the years. Staff involvement in this program allowed us to evolve at a pace much faster than if I tried to teach these foundational lessons to staff by myself."
  Joe Skeel, CAE, Executive Director, Indiana State Bar Association

• “Solving problems is a part of each one of our  profession. As I am attending the Strategy Academy, I look at my desk and bring those problems to the session. Professional insights, collaboration and information at sessions “stir my creative juices” and give me great ideas to go back and apply. It is my best investment in improving my performance."
  Jay Dziwlik, MBA, CAE, Assistant Executive Director, Indiana Dental Association

• “Strategy Academy was invaluable because it offered me the opportunity to learn from peers and to build new relationships outside of my organization. I appreciated being able to share challenges, have strategic discussions, and leave a session with actionable steps for solutions.”
  Wendy King, Executive Director & CEO, Order of the Golden Rule

• “The ISAE Strategy Academy has given me the opportunity to get out of the day to day and focus on the future of my organization. The tools provided by the facilitators along with the insights from my peers has been so valuable in helping me innovate and grow as I began my role as Executive Director.”
  Rachel Daeger, CAE, IOM, Executive Director, Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior

• “Participating in Strategy Academy has allowed me to expand my association management skills and knowledge. The first year I participated, I honestly felt lost as many of discussions were foreign to me and I questioned if I was in the right position. However, I continued to participate and after the third year I decided to go for my CAE, which I earned in 2019. For me, the best part of Strategy Academy is the comradery with other association professionals in the room. I have built a network of colleagues that are willing to share ideas and offer advice which has allowed me to better serve my associations.”
  Marcy Watson, CAE, Executive Director, The Mattison Corporation

THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSOR