Christopher Whited, CAE, Kappa Delta Pi’s Chief Experience Officer, was named the 2020 Association Professional of the Year at the 19th Annual Indiana Society of Association Executives Society’s Top Association Recognition (STAR) Awards. The STAR Awards celebrate the association management profession and the individuals who power success in their associations.
Christopher recognizes the need to serve and provide value to our members. A few key strategies he has implemented include: videos telling member stories and testimonials, an Onboarding email campaign, more integrated content (such as relevant resources to members across a variety of communications channels), as well as virtual learning, community building, and networking events for chapter leaders and members.
His efforts have paid off. In the month of September alone, KDP membership recruitment was up 98 percent as a result of efforts Christopher led. Despite declining enrollment in teacher preparation, Christopher’s team continues to open new chapters at institutions and build thriving local communities of teacher candidates (including with non-traditional programs), which allow us the opportunity to better achieve our mission of inspiring and equipping teachers to thrive.
In addition, Samantha Tarlton Procento, KDP’s Assistant Director of Advancement, has been selected as one of 11 women joining the Impact 100 Greater Indianapolis 2021 Impact Young Philanthropists program. This program offers women early in their non-profit careers membership in Impact 100, while enriching the grants process with fresh perspectives and technical expertise.