--- title: "Secrets of Agile Associations" id: "61190" type: "post" slug: "secrets-of-agile-associations" published_at: "2026-03-13T18:48:00+00:00" modified_at: "2026-07-11T18:05:39+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/secrets-of-agile-associations/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/secrets-of-agile-associations.md" excerpt: "Quick-thinking associations streamline to respond to the current moment. But they also take the long view." taxonomy_category: - "Organizational Strategy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Associations Now" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Secrets of Agile Associations Part of the Deep Dive[The Association Imperative](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-association-imperative/) Preet Bassi, CAE, CEO of the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), jokingly says she has a precise technical term for association members’ current environment: “nutso.” “The political tenor of discussion, the rejection of expertise, has trickled down from federal government to local government,” she says. “There’s so much more scrutiny on our members. Many members, their departments are seeing leadership transitions that are entirely political.” Like a lot of associations that are facing disruptions due to federal agency changes, CPSE is under pressure to respond to immediate crises while still taking the long view. Board meetings that used to occur every six to eight weeks are now monthly. But more important than the frequency of conversations, Bassi says, is their focus on risk: which disruptions the organization will have to absorb, and which it may choose to initiate to predict its long-term stability. In terms of the former, CPSE’s board has had to accept that one longtime federal-government customer has not been as reliably involved with the association as in the past. “They have had stops and starts in their engagement with us, and the board has said to effectively segment out that part of our budget,” she says. “We have to plan for it not to exist.” But getting ahead of disruptions—and compensating for potential losses—means establishing faster-moving revenue drivers. In 2024 CPSE launched a subsidiary, the CPSE Center for Innovation, which provides research, training, and expert connections. In 2025, as departments within the Department of Homeland Security were reshuffled, the center almost unintentionally filled the gap by providing reliable data and technology guidance. “We now have to step into this data and technology leadership role, not just for our customers, but perhaps for our industry and allied industries, and we have a group of subject matter experts that are like right there that we can pull into this,” she says. “The parent organization has to work more on a marathon basis, but the subsidiary is able to sprint.” Jeanne Sheehy, CMO of the association management company Bostrom, notes that many clients are considering similar approaches—looking at more near-term strategic planning with a stronger emphasis on data. “A lot of our strategic plans are really business models,” she says. “We start with the value proposition, look at our key targets, have the board vote on the programs they want to prioritize. It’s a very focused one-year plan. And what’s great about it is that they find out sooner what resonates well and what doesn’t.” ## Leaner and Faster The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has tried to avoid the board-meeting-every-month approach to responding to current challenges. But it has worked in recent years to streamline its governance so that it can more nimbly address member needs. In 2021 it eliminated a cumbersome house of delegates, reframing it as an advisory group and better empowering the nine-person board. [Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/) Tags: [#Associations Now](https://associationsnow.com/tag/associations-now/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## More in this Deep Dive - [Risk, Resilience, and How to Find Opportunity in Upheaval](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/risk-resilience-and-how-to-find-opportunity-in-upheaval/) - [When Careers Break, Associations Matter More Than Ever](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/13/when-careers-break-associations-matter-more-than-ever/) - [Can You Hear Me Now?](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/16/can-you-hear-me-now/) - [Why Messaging Should Be a Part of Your Core Brand Strategy](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/16/why-messaging-should-be-a-part-of-your-core-brand-strategy/) - [What Satisfying Member Needs Means Now](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/16/what-satisfying-member-needs-means-now/) [View the full Deep Dive →](https://associationsnow.com/deep-dives/the-association-imperative/) ## You Might Like - [VideoChallenge Legacy Mindsets at MMC+TechApril 17, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/04/17/challenge-legacy-mindsets-at-mmctech/) - [Video2026 Summit Awards DinnerOctober 2, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/10/02/2026-summit-awards-dinner/) - [VideoAmerican Geophysical Union: Standing Up for Science: AGU’s Year of Action for Scientists and SocietySeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-geophysical-union-standing-up-for-science-agus-year-of-action-for-scientists-and-society/) - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2026%2F03%2F13%2Fsecrets-of-agile-associations%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !