The mission of the ASA Emerging Leaders Division is to be the voice and advocate for the next generation of leaders in our industry, providing strategic insight to the association that supports the advancement of the industry’s next generation, as well as being an advocate for engaging the members through a strong professional network that advances the interest of the members. The role of this exciting division has taken on greater importance as seasoned industry leaders and their institutional knowledge are rapidly retiring.

The EL Leadership Council recently met at ASA headquarters in suburban Chicago to continue to map out the role and value the division offers members. Planning is underway to enhance next year’s programming in signature events such as EMERGE, along with the peer-to-peer networking and educational virtual sessions offered throughout the year.

To help facilitate this work, the division is expanding the Emerging Leaders Advisory Council by adding 7 new members to help drive programming, as well as recruiting new members to the division.

Nearly doubling the number of volunteers on this special interest division’s council isn’t the only the trend of growth the division is seeing. The past two EMERGE events set attendance records in New Orleans in 2022 and Savannah this past May. The Emerging Leaders division looks to carry that momentum straight into EMERGE2024 in Boston May 22-24, 2024.

Enter high profile speakers into the mix at EMERGE2024 in Boston, and the Emerging Leaders are leaving nothing on the table. Improving processes, profitability and success for attendees is the focus of the Emerging Leaders Advisory Council, the division, and the annual EMERGE event, and the speakers selected for this upcoming May 2024 event in Boston are nothing short of spectacular to help deliver those messages.

Ryan Leaf, former NFL quarterback, and the second overall pick in the NFL draft behind Peyton Manning, will join us in Boston, speaking about how asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. He’ll share his experiences and how to handle mental and behavioral health issues, as he is a strong advocate for the recovery community and military servicemen and women.

Boston Celtics VP of Player Development & Organizational Growth Allison Feaster, a former WNBA first-round draft choice and a veteran of 17 professional basketball seasons, will join the EMERGE2024 speaker roster as well, sharing her worldly understandings and how she became a trailblazer in the sports industry by utilizing her highly regarded leadership and teambuilding skills.

With those speakers and more, it’s evident why the Emerging Leaders are setting new standards, offering members increased, valuable skills and takeaways, and raising the bar for themselves every year.