When It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of Associations During the Pandemic
In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, host Colleen Gallagher welcomes back Joanna Pineda, CEO & Chief Troublemaker at Matrix Group International, on the eve of the launch of her new book, When It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of How Associations Protected Professions and Saved Industries During the Pandemic.
Joanna shares the remarkable stories she uncovered of associations working behind the scenes during the pandemic – and the lessons they offer association leaders navigating disruption today. From advocacy that kept industries operating to leaders making critical decisions in a matter of days, the conversation explores what associations accomplished, why so many of those stories remain untold and what we can learn from them now.
Key Highlights
The Stories We Never Heard: Joanna shares how one conversation with the School Nutrition Association led her to uncover dozens of stories about associations protecting their members, professions and communities during the pandemic.
Leadership When There Is No Playbook: Strong board relationships, trusted partnerships, organizational alignment and the ability to make decisions quickly helped associations respond when every day mattered.
The Lessons Still Matter: Today’s disruptions may look different, but Joanna argues that association leaders still need to recognize moments that demand urgency, adaptability and decisive leadership.
Tell the Story Behind the Work: Associations are often great at communicating what they do but less likely to tell the story of how they made it happen. Joanna explains why those stories matter—and why telling them isn’t bragging.
Taking Associations Beyond the Association World: Joanna hopes the book helps the broader public—and the next generation—better understand the role associations play in our professions, industries and everyday lives.
🎧 Tune in for a powerful conversation about leadership, storytelling and the extraordinary work associations can do when it matters most.
Resources
📘 Buy When It Mattered Most: The Untold Stories of How Associations Protected Professions and Saved Industries During the Pandemic:
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Coming Soon: Next week, we’re resuming our special fall series in partnership with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Colleen and Highland’s David Whited will sit down with association leaders to unpack real-world approaches, lessons learned and what’s working – before David returns to close out the series and connect those experiences back to Highland’s research.
