Coordinated by FEA and FFE

fraternal industry

Chief Staff Officer-Board Chair Symposium

The Fraternity Executives Association (FEA) and Foundation for Fraternal Excellence (FFE) are partnering to host an executive leadership and governance-focused symposium this August in Indianapolis. This event will connect leaders from the fraternity, foundation and housing arms in one space with a focus on partnership and best practices with programming provided by the Association Management Center (AMC).

  • Who: Chief staff officers and board chairs of fraternity/sorority membership organizations, foundations and/or national housing corporations
  • When: Sunday, August 30, 2026
  • Where: Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown
  • Registration: $300 per person for the first two organization representatives; $175 for each subsequent organization representative*; working lunch included
    • For example: Fraternity Chief Staff Officer $300, Fraternity Board Chair $300; Fraternity Housing Chief Staff Officer $175; Fraternity Housing Board Chair $175
  • How to Register: Log in to FS Central and complete the 2026 FFE-FEA CSO-Board Chair Symposium form under the Events tab
  • Registration Deadline: August 14

*Any representative under the enterprise umbrella (membership/foundation/housing) counts towards the multiple attendee discount structure. For expanded information see the FAQs.

To register three or more organization representatives, please register the first two through FS Central, then contact FFE Executive Director Will Foran to register additional representatives.

Programming

With 50 years of experience managing associations and working with boards and executives, Association Management Center (AMC) is well known in the association community for its governance expertise. Through published articles in industry publications and presentations at association events, their experts are frequent contributors to thought leadership related to high-performing Boards and effective nonprofit leadership.

The CSO-Board Chair Symposium will provide an opportunity for executives and their board chairs to collaborate on annual priorities and determine how to work best together in the coming year. Participants will gain insight into challenges facing contemporary association leaders; understand the value of informed policy and strategy as primary tools of the leadership team; and learn how to foster effective governance through best practices related to board organization, structure and operations. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in cohort discussion with peers in similar roles to build relationships and collaborate on industry trends and challenges.

Facilitators

Erin Volland, MPA, CAE
Jonathan Adams, CAE, AAIP

Learning Outcomes

  • Best practices for staff/board partnership 
  • Best practices for entity partnership  
  • Greater understanding of board chair role in executive’s success 
  • Governance best practices  
  • Peer networking/relationship building by cohort  

Facilitators

Erin Volland, MPA, CAE

Erin Volland, MPA, CAE is the Director of Consulting at Association Management Center (AMC) focused primarily on AMC’s governance work.  Erin has spent her career working in associations. She is a certified association executive and is a recipient of the Forty Under 40 Award. She has led member engagement as well as driven component relations strategy by developing healthy and viable state and specialty societies, sharing leading practices and assessing component performance against leading practices, and implementing leading practice resources. She has also served as a staff partner to advisory bodies, committees, task forces, workgroups, and boards.

She is a frequent writer and volunteer in the association community, including currently serving as a member of the American Society of Association Executive’s (ASAE) CAE Item Writing Committee and Association Forum’s Nominating Committee. Erin has also served on ASAE’s Component Relations Committee, and Association Forum’s CAE Working Group. She has published thought leadership pieces through ASAE, Association Forum, and the AMC blog. She is currently researching committee leading practices.

 

Jonathan Adams, CAE, AAIP

Jonathan Adams has joined Association Management Center as a Senior Consultant. He brings a strategic, people-centered approach to helping boards and executive teams reimagine what is possible while delivering practical, sustainable results.

Jonathan brings more than a decade of association leadership experience, most recently serving as VP of Innovation at the Water Quality Association. There, he led enterprise-level initiatives across strategy, digital modernization, brand evolution, and sponsor-supported initiatives, strengthening organizational alignment and expanding member value. His work contributed to a 29 percent increase in non-dues revenue and positioned the organization for long-term adaptability and growth. Jonathan is particularly skilled at reframing complex, constrained challenges and helping organizations identify paths forward that may not be immediately apparent, moving beyond false trade-offs and stalled thinking.

Jonathan holds an MBA with a concentration in data analytics from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University. He is a Certified Association Executive and an Association AI Professional.  Jonathan is an alumni of ASAE’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP), and has been recognized as an Association Forum Forty Under 40 honoree. He is actively engaged in the association community through leadership and volunteer roles with both Association Forum and ASAE.

Outside of AMC, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, discovering great food, and staying connected to peers across the association profession.

 

Location & Lodging

Hotel Information

Join us in Indianapolis for executive leadership, collaborative education and crucial peer networking.

  • Block room rate: $189 per night
  • Address: Indianapolis Marriott Downtown, 350 W. Maryland St., Indianapolis, IN 46225 (Map)
  • Parking: $75 per day in the Marriott self-park garage or valet. Additional options available nearby.

DEADLINE

Hotel room block closes August 17.

BOOK HOTEL STAY

Additional programming opportunities

You're Invited

You’re invited to join us for more fraternal programming. The opportunities below will take place at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown following the CSO-Board Chair Symposium:

    • NIC Annual Meeting of Members: Monday, August 31 | Learn more
    • FFE Seminar: August 31 – September 2 | Learn more

If you are interested in bringing multiple attendees from your organization to the CSO-Board Chair Symposium, the NIC Meeting of Members and/or FFE Seminar, email Gretchen Foran for information on bundle pricing

 

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m an executive of one or more of our organization’s entities. Am only I invited or can I bring others from my team?

There is no limit to the number of staff your organization can bring, but it is up to each organization to make this decision based on what’s right for its leadership. Organizers encourage attendance from each/all chief staff officers who lead the respective entities. Registration deadline for all attendees is August 14.

For example: ABC organization may bring their Sorority CEO, Foundation Executive Director and Director of Properties, while XYZ organization may choose to only bring their Sorority CEO.

Can only my board chair attend?

It’s up to each organization to make this decision based on what’s right for its leadership and success planning. Organizers encourage attendance from board officers who lead the respective entities. If a board chair is unavailable, but the chair-elect or other officer would like to attend in their place or in addition that is acceptable. Registration deadline for all attendees is August 14.

For example: ABC organization may bring their Sorority Board President, Foundation Board President and Housing Board President, while XYZ organization may choose to only bring their Sorority President.

Who is considered an organization representative for the registration discount to apply?

Any representative under the enterprise umbrella counts towards the multiple attendee discount structure. For example: ABC Fraternity Chief Staff Officer $300, ABC Fraternity Board Chair $300; ABC Fraternity Housing Chief Staff Officer $175; ABC Fraternity Housing Board Chair $175.

I don't plan to attend the NIC Annual Meeting of Members or FFE Seminar, can I still come to the CSO-Board Chair Symposium?

Yes, we'd love to have you join us for this day of interfraternal programming.

Who is FEA?

The Fraternity Executives Association is the professional association of men’s and women’s fraternity executives. FEA provides for the professional development of its members while promoting the values and success of the fraternal movement. Learn more at fea-inc.org.

Who is FFE?

Foundation for Fraternal Excellence’s membership consists of more than 65 fraternity and sorority foundations, including their professionals and volunteers. FFE offers critical and pointed services to the representatives of our member foundations and the industry. Learn more at foundationfe.org.

I’m a vendor/partner. Can I attend the event?

This event is only open to fraternal organization chief staff officers and board members.

For additional questions or help, your contacts are:

For help with registration, contact FFE Data Project Manager Gretchen Foran.
For questions related to the hotel, contact FFE Assitant Executive Director Desiree Paulhamus.
For questions about curriculum, contact FFE Executive Director Will Foran.