Designing Professional Development That Actually Meets Member Needs
In this episode of The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd, recorded on the show floor at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in Indianapolis, host Colleen Gallagher sits down with Tanika Coates, Director of Professional Development at the American Society for Cell Biology, to explore how associations can create more meaningful professional development experiences for members at every stage of their careers.
Tanika shares how associations can move beyond one-size-fits-all programming by using data to better understand member needs, reimagining existing content and designing learning experiences with accessibility and inclusion built in from the start.
Key Highlights:
Move Beyond One-Size-Fits-All Learning: Members have different needs throughout their careers, and professional development should be designed as a journey rather than a single package of programs and resources.
Let Data Guide Your Investments: AI, analytics, surveys and program data can help associations identify what members actually use, what may no longer be sustainable and where resources could have greater impact.
Reimagine What You Already Have: Creating greater value doesn’t always mean creating something new. Tanika shares how associations can rethink existing publications, webinars and other content for new formats and audiences.
Design for Accessibility From the Start: Rather than relying on members to request accommodations, associations can build inclusion into their events, education, content and services from the beginning.
Rethink Value for the Next Generation: Younger professionals are looking for mentoring, networking, advocacy and opportunities to grow—not simply traditional benefits or discounts.
🎧 Tune in for practical ideas to help your association rethink professional development, make smarter use of its resources and create learning experiences that better support members throughout their careers.
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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.
