FAR upcoming events

FAR May Breakfast | The Strategic CFO/COO: Building Board Presentations that Advance The Mission (12 May 2026)

Tue, 12 May 2026 12:30:00 GMT

In today’s evolving financial landscape, CFOs are expected to do far more than report numbers—they must translate financial data into strategic insight that boards can act on. This fireside chat brings together two seasoned financial leaders who will explore what it truly takes to deliver a board presentation that informs, engages, and drives decision‑making.

Through real‑world examples and candid discussion, participants will learn how to structure a high‑impact financial presentation, choose the right dashboards and KPIs, and communicate forward‑looking indicators with clarity and confidence. The conversation will also highlight practical techniques for fostering productive board engagement—before, during, and after the presentation—to ensure financial information becomes a catalyst for strategic dialogue rather than a passive report-out.

By the end of the session, attendees will walk away with actionable strategies they can immediately apply to elevate their next board presentation and strengthen their role as strategic partners in organizational leadership.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Evaluate the essential components of an effective board financial presentation
Apply best practices for visualizing financial information, including the selection of dashboards, KPIs, and forward-looking indicators
Develop techniques for driving productive board engagement before, during, and after the presentation

Speakers

Carolyn Lanham, CAE

Carolyn is an association leader with over thirty years of association management experience. She served in various roles with the American College of Cardiology and the American Institute of Architects before joining the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 2012 as the Chief Operating Officer. Carolyn’s portfolio of activities includes finance, governance, operations, information technology, human resources, membership, meetings, publications, fundraising, and marketing.

Carolyn earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 2009 and is active an active member of the American Society of Association Executives. She previously served on both the ASAE Executive and the ASAE Finance & Business Operations Section Councils. Carolyn completed two terms serving on the FAR Board of Directors. She Chaired the FAR Non-Profit Member Program Committee and Co-Chaired the Membership Committee. Recently Carolyn co-led the development of the new FAR Strategic Plan and once again, currently serves on the Membership Committee. Carolyn holds membership in the national and local chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management and is a founding member of a self-forming network of Chief Operating Officers.

Carolyn received the 2017 Washington Executive Management Award Winner from SmartCEO Magazine.

When: Tuesday, May 12, 2026 | 8:30 am - 10:30 am

Networking 8:30 am
Lunch 9:00 am
Presentation 9:30 am - 10:30 am

Where: fusionSpan, 401 N. Washington St, Suite 400, Rockville, MD 20850

FAR members, please make sure to log in to the FAR website to receive FAR member registration options.

This program is approved for CPE and CAE credit.

FAR is a CAE Registered Provider. The program listed above meets the requirements for fulfilling the professional development requirements to earn or maintain the Certified Association Executive credential. Every program that we offer that has been approved for CAE credit will clearly identify the number of CAE credits granted for full participation. We will maintain records of your participation in accordance with CAE policies. For more information about the CAE credential or Registered Provider program, please visit www.asaecenter.org/cae.

As a CAE Registered Provider educational program related to the CAE exam content outline, this program may be applied for 1 credit toward your CAE application or renewal professional development requirements.

Note: Applicants may use any program that meets eligibility requirements in the specific timeframe towards the exam application or renewal. No specific individual courses are required as part of the applications – the selection of eligible education is up to the applicant based on his/her needs.

FAR is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org. It is Group-Live delivery method. Sponsor ID: 109395

FAR June Luncheon | Overcoming Your Team's Communication Dysfunction (10 Jun 2026)

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

How well does your team communicate? Do they discuss issues openly… or do they hoard information? Do they trust each other enough to admit mistakes… or do they politic, posture, and promote themselves? Do they debate issues passionately… or avoid conflict with artificial harmony? Do they commit to decisions they disagree with… or drag their feet and undermine? Do they focus on collective results … or put their own needs ahead of the organization’s? Imagine what you could accomplish with a cohesive executive team. Really, is there anything more important to your success?

Pulling from leading communications resources and researchers – such as Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Crucial Conversations, DiSC, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Carl Jung, Susan Scott’s Fierce Conversations, Kim Scott’s Radical Candor, Dale Carnegie, Gino Wickman, and, of course, the wisdom of other participants in the room – participants will take away practical strategies, exercises, and ways to build trust, master conflict, achieve commitment, embrace accountability, and focus on results.

Not only will you uncover your team's communication challenges, but you will improve your own communication, so you can better help your team listen, decide, prioritize, persuade, motivate, give feedback, trust, ask, focus on what matters, and inspire.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to…

Identify communication challenges within teams: Recognize common communication barriers and issues that affect team dynamics and organizational performance.
Apply behavioral science principles to improve team interactions: Utilize insights from leading behavioral models (e.g., DiSC, Crucial Conversations) to adapt communication styles and strategies for more effective team collaboration.
Build trust and foster accountability in teams: Develop actionable strategies to cultivate trust, master conflict, and ensure team members are accountable for their roles and responsibilities.
Navigate diverse communication styles effectively: Understand how to identify and respond to different communication preferences, ensuring clearer interactions and better results in both internal and customer-facing conversations.
Enhance team decision-making and conflict resolution: Learn techniques for facilitating constructive debate, improving decision-making processes, and resolving conflicts in a way that strengthens team cohesion and productivity.

Dan Kaplan
Founder & Lead Trainer
Confident Communicators, LLC

Dan Kaplan is driven by the belief that anything is possible if we can just learn to talk to each other. As a mountain-climbing expedition leader, Dan has guided many teams through difficult conversations and high-altitude danger. Combined with his nearly 30 years of communications leadership experience across the public, non-profit, and private sectors, his firm, Confident Communicators, LLC, helps leaders, managers, and teams communicate effectively. Dan is an Everything DiSC Ⓡ Authorized Provider and Certified Trainer. His clients include Google, The Gates Foundation, the State of Maryland, the US FDA, Chimes International, New York Health + Hospitals, and Vistage. His firm helps organizations build trust, master conflict, achieve commitment, embrace accountability, and focus on results through better communication.

When: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 | 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Networking 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Lunch 12:00 pm
Presentation 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Where: MOI, Inc | 1901 L St NW Suite 200, Washington, DC 20036

Parking: There are nearby parking garages as well as limited metered street parking.

Metro: Farragut West

FAR members, please make sure to log in to the FAR website to receive FAR member registration options.

This program is approved for CPE and CAE credit.