Webinar Recap: Rhoni Rakos, Vice President of Strategy and Growth at Ellipsis Partners; Shaun Holloway, Director of Information Technology at the American Motorcyclist Association; and Kelsey Casselbury, Marketing Director for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, shared how to close the gap between having data and acting on it, and how to connect data to board priorities.
Data is key to driving informed decisions. But often, when it’s time to present data to board members or a leadership team, there’s a gap between having data and acting on it, and important decisions aren’t made.
In a recent panel, Jane Nassiri, Vice President of Customer Success at GrowthZone, led a discussion with technology leaders of associations on how to frame data to grab the attention of leadership, advance their organizations, and more.
During the panel, Nassiri covered the following topics:
- How to change the approach to data in decision-making conversations
- Closing the gap between having data and making decisions based on it
- How to get aligned on data
- How data has changed decisions in their organizations
- Readiness to use AI and what guardrails need to be in place to ensure responsible use
Below, we share key takeaways from the panel.
Strong Reasoning Is Key to Backing Up the Data
When presenting data, it can be easy to approach it from your own lens and perspective. For example, you may state that the data shows certain trends, but a leadership team may look at the same data and see a different reason for the trends. There are many different “whys” that you can create to align with what you want the data to show.
Coming to a meeting with strong reasoning to back up the data is key to a productive conversation, according to Rhoni Rakos, Vice President of Strategy and Growth at Ellipsis Partners. “I’ve found that has been the area where maybe everybody believes the data, but they’re coming at the why the data is presenting the way it is from their own lens and perspective,” she said. “So really kind of coming in with a strong reasoning for why I think it’s showing the way it is and having data to back up that path takes a lot of the back-and-forth and discussion and making it a more productive conversation.”
Kelsey Casselbury, Marketing Director for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, added, “I found that the question to ask when boards are stalled, or leadership is stalled, is what data point or piece of information would it take for you to become comfortable choosing a path forward? When they answer, it gives you a concrete task, and then it also is a sense of mutual agreement that once they have that information, they will make a final decision.”
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There’s a Gap Between Having Data and Actually Acting On It
It’s easy to overload board members or leadership with data. People who work with data tend to love data and explaining all that it shows, but those who aren’t at the same level of understanding can often feel overwhelmed. “Non-marketing, non-technology departments don’t know the difference between a click-through rate and click-to-open rate, or why that difference matters,” Casselbury said. “Frankly, they don’t even need the numbers; they need a translation of what the numbers mean because that’s when they can act on it.”
Shaun Holloway, Director of Information Technology at the American Motorcyclist Association, added, “Visualizing it really helps that. Most board members or even C-suite folks are going to need a visual, and they can usually capture a visual and all the innuendos associated with it pretty quickly…but translating that into specific outcomes related to [for example] how it impacts a KPI that they care about? Usually, that’s joining and renewing, or some level of attendance and engagement. Obviously, those are going to indirectly connect to revenue. So, if you’re not talking about those things, you’re not really speaking their language. So tying those together is really important.”
What creates this gap between having data and acting on it? According to Rakos, it’s fear and resources. “One reason the gap might open up is because of fear,” she said. “The storytelling element and the visualizations really help alleviate the fear, and you can do risk management around that. Resources are next. You might have total alignment, but the budget’s just not there this year, or there’s other priorities, and sometimes the reality is that action can’t follow right away.”
RELATED CONTENT: See how Holloway and the AMA used MemberSuite's tools to help increase their membership by 4,000 in 18 months.
A Champion Is Beneficial in Aligning Organizations on Shared Data Definitions
A champion doesn’t need to be a department head or someone with a higher role. It just has to be someone who has a relationship with every level where there’s data to be mined or evaluated, where they can aggregate the information and present the visuals.
“When you reach that alignment…communication becomes easier, so then you can start focusing on the real question at hand, or what is the thing we’re trying to test?” Holloway said. “It allows you to move through that process quicker once you are aligned with what data we are using, what terms we are using to describe whatever it is.”
Holloway provided the example of a member versus a converter: “What is a member? Are they a member in their first year, or [a] converter, because technically when they make a decision to move into a year two membership, that is a conscious decision to renew because they receive something of value, or they saw something of benefit during their first year. So having them come back a second year actually made them a little bit more sticky, but that would be a true member versus a first-year transaction. Once you get past those [conversations], you can actually move everything after that faster.”
Real Examples of Data Changing Decisions
Casselbury, Holloway, and Rakos are leaders in their associations who have found a way to close the gap between having data and making informed decisions with it. During the panel, they shared how they’ve used data to move the needle.
The American Motorcyclist Association is seasonal. The springtime is when the association starts ramping up because people are outdoors more, and it’s the ideal time to ride motorcycles. Holloway’s association starts looking at the data in November and December to prepare for when operations ramp up in the spring. “We created an early renewal program, and we tied an incentive to it, whether it was a multi-tool or a T-shirt,” he said. “We tested both of those incentives…We saw between 7 and 10% [early] renewal rate.”
By testing an early renewal program, the association was able to save money, increase loyalty, and receive money for the renewals earlier, which could be used for interest or investments.
AI Can Be Useful, But It Needs to Come with Guardrails
AI can help staff be more efficient with tasks they’re already doing and also be more cost-effective in the process. AI isn’t going to replace an entire job, but it can help reduce tedious, time-consuming tasks so employees can focus on more high-level work.
“Just think about what you’re doing and figure out if there is a prompt or question, or a function that I could use to help do this work faster,” Holloway said.
One of the most important ways to acclimate oneself to AI and how it can help with efficiency is to simply play around with it. “I think it’s critical that you give staff time to just play with AI and the data themselves,” Casselbury said. “It’s not only encouraging the staff to take the time to see how it works best for them, but then also actually giving them the time to do that.”
While AI can be helpful, it also needs guardrails for responsible use to ensure that it’s actually serving an association’s mission. How AI plays into data governance needs to be an entire organization's strategy and decision.
“These guardrails are not necessarily an IT department thing,” Casselbury said. “It’s a leadership priority.”
Rakos agreed. “You should have an AI use policy with your organization that says what you can and can’t do,” she said, adding that guardrails should emphasize the information that can be put into AI tools, such as first drafts of writing materials, and things that shouldn’t be put into AI tools, such as member data.
Rakos also sees value in ongoing AI training. During a one-time webinar, people aren’t going to instantly absorb the lesson. Rather, she suggested there should be training over time on how people should think about using AI, and organizations should always evolve their policies on the use of AI, and if something is a good use of it.
Data Fluency Is Worth Investing In
Now more than ever, data fluency is a skill worth investing in, especially for women in association technology roles. While people don’t have to be data scientists, they must be fluent.
Casselbury’s career was initially editorial, and then she worked her way into marketing roles, earning certifications and growing her career. She said these certifications changed her from being a trustworthy colleague due to her longevity to someone who exuded total confidence that she knew what she was talking about. “I had more instant authority than I had previously,” she said.
Data only becomes powerful when it’s clearly translated and delivered with logical reasoning. As Casselbury, Holloway, and Rakos emphasized, organizations that invest in data fluency, shared definitions, and thoughtful AI guardrails position themselves to make smarter decisions faster.
Whether you’re preparing for your next board presentation or building a culture that embraces data, the path forward starts with intentional communication. By grounding insights in strong reasoning and aligning them with leadership priorities, you can turn information into meaningful decisions.
The Association Women Technology Champions (AWTC) hosted this webinar May 19 in conjunction with GrowthZone. Discover what the AWTC can offer women in association technology.
