What to Do When Volunteer Management Gets Hard

When: October 16, 2025 | 8:00 am - 10:30 am ET

Where: The Tallison Hotel (10210 Pennsylvania Pkwy, Carmel, IN 46280)

Rates: $45 (ISAE Member) | $60 (Non-Member) | Breakfast is included

CAE Hours: 1

Facilitated by: 
Erica Shonkwiler, MBA, CMP (Senior Lecturer, Indiana University)

Register Now

About the Event

Volunteers can be your greatest asset or your biggest stressor. Whether it’s a challenging board member, an unfocused committee, or leaders who just don’t follow through, managing volunteers is rarely simple. Over breakfast, join fellow association professionals and suppliers for a candid conversation on how to turn common volunteer frustrations into opportunities for stronger relationships and better results. You’ll leave with new tools, fresh ideas, and renewed confidence to lead volunteers effectively.

Key Takeaways

This event will teach you to:

• Set clearer roles and expectations for volunteers
• Help committees stay focused and follow through
• Reduce conflict between volunteers and staff
• Communicate more effectively with volunteer leaders
• Keep volunteers engaged and avoid burnout
• Encourage follow-through and shared responsibility

Who Should Attend?

This session is for any association professional or supplier who manages volunteers, from boards to committees and task forces. We’ll talk about common problems and what actually works to fix them. Attendees will walk away with immediate action steps to strengthen volunteer relationships and make your work less stressful.

About the Facilitator 

Erica Shonkwiler, M.B.A., CMP, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management at Indiana University at the Indianapolis campus. She is the Lead Instructor of the event management track of courses within the undergraduate program.

Coupled with a B.S. in Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management from Indiana University and an M.B.A. from Butler University, Erica’s work experience spans a 20-year career with executive team leadership, strategy development, experience design, marketing, market research, non-profit management, venue management, and event management. She frequently presents at local, national, and international conferences on topics like event design and management, event marketing, and sustainable event design. She stays deeply connected and committed to industry by serving on boards and committees for a diverse group of organizations every year. She is a Past-President of the Meeting Professionals International Indiana Chapter and currently serving on the organization Communications Committee. Erica is also currently the Vice-Chair of the Professional Convention Management Association Faculty Council.

Erica is the faculty advisor to three campus student organizations, each affiliated with industry professional organizations - Professional Convention Management Association Student Chapter, Meeting Professionals International Student Chapter, and the International Live Events Association Student Chapter

Every year, Erica manages the IU Event Social Media Team which brings 20+ students out into the community to work on dozens of the city’s most celebrated events: Indy 500, 500 Festival Parade, Indy Mini Marathon, Jazz Fest, and many others. The students get invaluable resume experience, while the group provides community organizations social media management, customer service, website architecture/content evaluation, and data analysis for event and organizational improvement.

Thank you to our event sponsor!

ISAE's policies on program cancellations and refunds can be viewed on this page.