Reimagining the Future of Healthcare Associations

Dean A West, FASAE Related Seminars and Products

President

Association Laboratory

Dean West is the founder and President of Association Laboratory Inc. He leads client engagements and is a frequent speaker and facilitator for national and global association leadership meetings.

Mr. West is a former association executive with experience as executive director, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer for both national and international membership organizations. He has been a consultant to the association community since 1992, and has provided services to hundreds of state, national, and international organizations.

Dean West is a nationally recognized expert in association management. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives. Mr. West authored the chapter on Membership Research for the ASAE book, Membership Essentials and the chapter on Marketing Professional Development Programs in the ASAE book, Core Competencies in Professional Development.

Mr. West is an experienced volunteer leader familiar with the demands of volunteer leadership. He is Past Chairman of ASAE’s Professional Development Council and has served on the ASAE Membership Council and the Editorial Board for the ASAE & the Center for Association Leadership Journal of Association Leadership. He is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Association Forum of Chicagoland.

Nikki Golden, CAE Related Seminars and Products

Association Laboratory

Nikki Golden, CAE, is a strategist with Association Laboratory, which helps associations make strategic business decisions—on everything from membership to strategic planning to educational programming/certification—using state-of-the-art research. Previous to this position, she was the executive director of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.

Nikki has been recognized for her work in the association world, making the inaugural list of Association Forum of Chicagoland/USAE Forty Under 40 list. Nikki is an active member of Association Forum of Chicagoland, where she has served on the Editorial Working Group and Content Planning Committee, chaired the CAE Working Group and Membership SIG. She also frequently facilitates for the Association Forum’s CAE Study Course and its Association 101 program, has presented at Forum Forward and has been a contributor to FORUM magazine.

Nikki built her association career working in both marketing and membership, with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry and the National Roofing Contractors Association.

Felicia Kenan, JM, MPA, CAE, CMP Related Seminars and Products

Strategist

Association Laboratory

Felicia D. Kenan, JM, MPA, CAE, CMP is an accomplished executive director and association management professional with experience spanning various leadership roles across multiple industries. She has experience in strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, education, and operations. Her educational foundation is robust, with a Juris Master (JM) in Health Care Law, Policy, and Regulation from Emory School of Law, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from South University, a Bachelor of Arts in English from North Carolina State University, and several other noteworthy certifications.

A dedicated member of the NCState Black Alumni Society and the American Society of Association Executives, Felicia’s commitment to excellence and continuous learning is evident in her ongoing pursuits and affiliations.