117. Tip Tucker Kendall, ED of NGMA, on Managing Growth, Strategic Board Oversight, and CEO Exhaustion

When your membership is growing, how do you monitor and manage organizational priorities, staff responsibilities, and staff levels of stress and exhaustion?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Tip Tucker Kendall, Executive Director of the National Grants Management Association (NGMA). Tip discusses:How NGMA membership has tripled over the past few years to almost 6,000 members!How NGMA supports grant managers in navigating post-award compliance, ensuring proper spending of federal grants.How the profession often lacks a clear entry pathway, leading new professionals to rely on associations like NGMA for training and support.Her leadership journey, transitioning from roles in the travel industry to association management. She became the ED after serving as the Director of Operations and Interim ED.Her advice for first-time CEOs, highlighting the importance of risk management, policy development, and fostering trust.How CEOs must ensure the board feels empowered to lead and be involved in critical decisions, while trusting the staff to manage daily operations.How moving from a “hands-on” operational board to a strategic oversight board requires difficult conversations and trust-building.The importance of recognizing when staff is overwhelmed, reassessing priorities, and ensuring projects are managed by those with the passion and capacity to lead.The trend of exhaustion among small staff CEOs, and the intense demands of multitasking and limited resource delegation.How she maintains energy through a healthy work-life balance. This self-care leads to better work and a better state of mind.References:NGMA Website