169. Leakhena Swett, President of ILTA, on M&A Disruption, Strategic Flexibility, and Building Community During Conferences

How do you keep members engaged when the industry is undergoing constant mergers and acquisitions? How can an association stay flexible, strategic, and still build a sense of community?In this episode of Associations Thrive, host Joanna Pineda interviews Leakhena Swett, President of the International Liquid Terminals Association (ILTA). Leakhena discusses:What liquid terminals are and how critical they are to the global supply chain, from fuels and chemicals to molasses and palm oil.The diverse membership of ILTA, including 70 terminal members and 300+ supplier members providing everything from drone tech to cleaning services.The constant M&A activity in the industry, and how ILTA mitigates the risk by staying in communication with members and focusing on value.How Leakhena’s background in technology and systems thinking has shaped her strategic approach to leading ILTA.A flexible strategic plan that allows ILTA to pivot quickly, given how fast the industry and regulatory environment are changing.How ILTA is responding to increased demand for in-person engagement by taking committee meetings to member locations.The big changes coming to ILTA’s 2026 annual conference, including CEU accreditation and shorter, more dynamic sessions with organic networking.An intentional move away from rigid session tracks to more inclusive, cross-functional learning.The expansion of roundtable discussions at the conference, supported by a mobile app for gamification and post-event engagement.Why ILTA relocated its HQ from Arlington, VA to downtown DC to better serve its advocacy mission and engage directly with federal agencies.References:ILTA Website