Committees
NSA has a tremendous number of dedicated volunteers and would not be the same organization without their service and contributions! This page lists basic information about the standing volunteer-led committees doing the work of the Association in support of the strategic plan and on behalf of the membership.
Each year the volunteer leadership changes with the presidential term and most appointments to these committees are made by the incoming President. All volunteers are selected based on their proven abilities, often shown in their home chapter, and their dedication to the mission and vision of NSA.
Academy for Professional Speaking Committee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: To provide guidance to staff for creating programming that leads Academy participants on a path to NSA membership.
2012-13 Chair: Gary Rifkin
Staff Liaison: Gemenie Babb -- Membership Specialist
Audit Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Financial
Purpose: As a sub group of the Finance Committee, the primary purpose of the Audit Subcommittee is to assist the NSA Board of Directors and the NSA Foundation Board of Trustees (the “Boards”) in fulfilling the oversight responsibilities by carrying out the activities enumerated under Key Responsibilities.
2012-13 Chair: Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP
Staff Liaison: William Peterson – Director of Finance and Administration
Board Nominating Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Organizational Administration
Purpose: As a sub group of the Nominating Committee, the primary purpose of the Board Nominating Subcommittee is to submit a slate of candidates to the membership for positions on the Board of Directors.
2012-13 Chair: Laura Stack, MBA, CSP – Immediate Past President
Staff Liaison: Stacy Tetschner, CAE, FASAE – Chief Executive Officer
Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) Committee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: To maintain the integrity of the CSP designation by monitoring and making adjustments to the criteria to obtain the designation.
2012-13 Chair: Darrell Andrews, CSP
Staff Liaisons: Director of Membership and Sarah Best -- Certification Specialist
Chapter Leadership Committee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: To support, educate and encourage current and future NSA chapter leaders; to represent chapter leadership issues and concerns to the Board; and, to provide chapter leadership support through encouraging use of chapter leadership resources. The NSA Chapter Leadership Committee also serves as a link between the chapters and NSA.
2012-13 Chair: Steve Iwersen
Staff Liaison: Karen Emery -- Chapter Relations Manager
Community Group Committee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: To connect members with similar interests and backgrounds and to provide networking opportunities to those groups.
2012-13 Chair: Jan Dwyer Bang, CSP, MBA
Staff Liaison: Carrie Morley – Community Specialist
Conference Committee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: To create a three-day, state-of-the-art, master level learning and networking event targeted to professional speakers who have been speaking full-time for at least five years and who make at least 35 fee-paid presentations per year.
2012-13 Chair: Terri Langhans, CSP
Staff Liaison: Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM -- Director of Professional Development
Convention Committee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: To create a 4-day, state-of-the-art, master-level learning and networking event targeted to professional speakers who have been speaking full-time for at least five (5) years and who make at least 35 fee-paid presentations per year.
2013 Chair: David Glickman, CSP
Staff Liaison: Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM -- Director of Professional Development
CPAE Leadership Committee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: To appoint the members of the CPAE Selection Committee, determine if and when to revoke the CPAE lifetime award for just cause and oversee the CPAE annual awards ceremony including verifying all participants in the ceremony (MCs, hosts, entertainment and introducers) are members of the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame.
2012-13 Chair: Bill Bachrach, CSP, CPAE
Staff Liaison: Director of Membership
CPAE Selection Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: As a sub-group of the CPAE Leadership Committee, the subcommittee evaluates and selects new CPAE recipients.
2012-13 Chair: David Yoho
Staff Liaison: Director of Membership
Ethics Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Organizational Administration
Purpose: Within the established ethics guidelines and procedures, to provide a means to investigate and make determinations on complaints alleging violations of the NSA Code of Professional Ethics and to recommend appropriate resolutions to complaints.
2012-13 Chair: Confidential
Staff Liaison: Stacy Tetschner, CAE, FASAE -- Chief Executive Officer
Executive Committee
Strategic Objective: Organizational Administration
Purpose: To serve as the interim governing body between meetings of the Board of Directors with authority vested by the Board.
2012-13 Chair: Ron Culberson, MSW, CSP
Staff Liaison: Stacy Tetschner, CAE, FASAE -- Chief Executive Officer
Finance Committee
Strategic Objective: Financial
Purpose: To review the annual budget prepared by the NSA staff and make recommendations to the Board of Directors for its adoption. Provide oversight by reviewing monthly financial statements to ensure that a sound fiscal posture is maintained.
2012-13 Chair: Edward Robinson, CSP - Treasurer
Staff Liaison: William Peterson -- Director of Finance and Administration
Investments Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Financial
Purpose: As a sub group of the Finance Committee, the primary purpose of the Investments Subcommittee is to manage the National Speakers Association’s (NSA) investment assets by establishing and adhering to policies that promote intelligent stewardship of the resources NSA has built over its history. The Investments Subcommittee will establish investment objectives, policies and guidelines that are both respectful of those who built the funds and responsive to current economic conditions. The Investments Subcommittee will also educate current and former Board of Directors members as to what results should be expected over time with a long-term investment strategy.
2012-13 Chair: Edward Robinson, CSP - Treasurer
Staff Liaisons: Stacy Tetschner, CAE, FASAE – Chief Executive Officer and William Peterson -- Director of Finance and Administration
Labs/Other Programs Committee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: To provide an in depth, hands-on learning experience around a specific competency of professional speaking and specific learning objectives.
2013 Chair: Brian Walter, CSP
Staff Liaison: Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM -- Director of Professional Development
Officer Nominating Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Organizational Administration
Purpose: As a sub group of the Nominating Committee, the primary purpose of the Officer Nominating Subcommittee is to submit a slate of candidates for the office of Vice President to the current Board of Directors.
2012-13 Chair: Laura Stack, MBA, CSP – Immediate Past President
Staff Liaison: Stacy Tetschner, CAE, FASAE – Chief Executive Officer
Online University Committee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: To provide an online learning environment for speakers and professionals to advance their skills. The Online University is available to NSA and non-NSA member participants to register for an upcoming webinar or teleseminar or purchase a recording of a past webinar or teleseminar.
2013 Chair: Simon Bailey, CSP
Staff Liaison: Cara Tracy, CMP, CMM -- Director of Professional Development
Professional Experts Groups Committee
Strategic Objective: Community
Purpose: To represent PEG member issues and concerns to the NSA Board of Directors with the purpose of facilitating effective networking opportunities for PEG members.
2012-13 Chair: Elaine Dumler
Staff Liaison: Carrie Morley – Community Specialist
Speaker Magazine Editorial Committee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: To coordinate relevant and compelling content, articles, and writers for three to four feature articles, nine columns, and the cover story for ten issues of Speaker Magazine. The readership of Speaker Magazine consists of working professional speakers looking for content that will help them speak or run their business more effectively.
2012-13 Chair: Stan Walters, CSP
Staff Liaison: Barbara Parus, Director of Publications
Strategic Planning Committee
Strategic Objective: Organizational Administration
Purpose: To monitor, analyze, and support the strategic plan's implementation on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Strategic Planning Committee also serves as strategy advisors to the President-Elect, Board of Directors, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and, as such, recommends updates and changes to National Speakers Association (NSA) Strategic Plan.
2012-13 Chair: Liz Weber, CMC, CSP
Staff Liaison: Stacy Tetschner, CAE, FASAE – Chief Executive Officer
Voices of Experience® Editorial Committee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: To create segments for a monthly audio magazine containing interview segments with speaking professionals who are knowledgeable in some aspect of running a speaking business.
2012-13 Chair: Theo Andros
Staff Liaison: Barbara Parus, Director of Publications
Youth Program Subcommittee
Strategic Objective: Education and Entrepreneurial Knowledge
Purpose: As a sub group of the Convention Committee, the primary purpose of the Youth Program Subcommittee is to provide guidance and program content providers/speakers of relevance to the youth program. The Youth Program Subcommittee plans, fills, and implements the program and activities of the annual convention youth program.
2012-13 Chair: Omekongo Dibinga
Staff Liaison: Nikki Harris, Meetings Manager