From Connecting to Belonging: A CRG Conversation Series on Community, Leadership, and Inclusion
Article Coauthored by Damita Snow, CAE, ENV SP and Carlos Cardenas, CAE, AAiP
Belonging is not a trend or a buzzword. It is the result of consistent action, honest conversation, and the willingness to lead with intention. In the association space, where community is often the foundation for impact, belonging becomes even more essential.
That is what inspired the launch of a three-part webinar series, From Connecting to Belonging, created in partnership by ASAE’s Community Resource Groups (CRGs). Black Association Executives, Hispanic Association Executives/Association Latinos, Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Association Community, and LGBTQIA+ and Allies association colleagues came together to create a space for reflection, dialogue, and shared learning.
The series is grounded in one simple idea: we are stronger when we come together. Not just as individual communities, but across communities. It is easy and comfortable to stay in our silos. It takes intention to reach out, ask meaningful questions, share lessons, and build something together.
Over the course of three webinars, panelists explored what it means to belong, how leadership changes when it is rooted in community, and why inclusion must be tied to measurable impact. These were not surface-level conversations. They were shaped by lived experiences, cultural understanding, and a shared belief in the power of community to lead change.
Leaders from each CRG brought clarity, vulnerability, and perspective. Diana Dabdub, CAE, Silvia Quevedo, CAE, and Ericka Ochoa, MBA, CAE spoke from the experience of Hispanic and Latino professionals navigating leadership and representation. Kelli Baxter, Adrienne Bryant, CAE, and Rick Burt, CAE, offered insight into the Black association leadership experience and emphasized the importance of trust, cultural fluency, and visibility.
Wendy Toyama, MBA, FASAE, CAE, Karyn Nishimura Sneath, FASAE and Khánh Vũ represented the AANHPI community and helped root the conversation in intersectionality. They reminded us that identity is layered and that strong communities are built when we make space for that complexity. From the LGBTQIA+ and Allies community, Lee Wind, M.Ed., Neal Tucker, and Dr. Michael Tatonetti, CPP, CAE shared powerful examples of authenticity, allyship, and what it takes to lead when you are navigating multiple identities.
While each panelist brought a different lens, there were shared truths throughout the webinar series. Belonging is a leadership issue. It is a culture issue. Trust takes shape when it’s rooted in the systems, mission and values of an organization. It must be centered in how we build teams, lead organizations, and engage with our members.
The series also underscored the role of allies. Inclusion is not the work of one community. It is a shared responsibility that includes everyone, especially those with power and privilege. It means learning when to speak and when to listen with intent. It also means owning the times we have made mistakes and choosing to do better.
This webinar series was not presented as a solution. It was an invitation. An invitation to a space to ask better questions. A space to listen and learn. A space to reflect on where we are and how far we still need to go. A space to figure out how we can continue to work together.
The journey will continue at the Community Resource Group Summit at the ASAE Annual Meeting, hosted in collaboration with the ASAE Conscious Inclusion Committee. This will be an opportunity to connect in person, carry forward the conversations from the series, and begin turning insights into action.
What has become clear is this: connection is not enough. Belonging takes more effort. It takes consistency, accountability, and courage. It takes creating space where people can show up as they are and feel safe doing so.
We do not need to have it all figured out to begin. We only need to be willing to do the work, to show up for one another, and to not be afraid to get it wrong. We will learn together.
Whether you are part of a CRG, supporting one, or finding your way into this conversation for the first time, there is a seat for you at the table.
Belonging is not something we wait for. It is something we build. Together.
#Belonging #AssociationLeadership #CRGVoices #CommunityInAction #ASAE #CommunityResourceGroups #InclusionWithImpact
