The Executive Learning Lab:
Analyze, Apply, Accelerate
Equip your team with the mindset and skills to embrace change, adopt AI with confidence, and turn learning into lasting impact.
May 7, 2025 | 10:00am – 4:00pm EST
The Tower Club, Tysons Corner
Empower Your Team for the Future
The pace of innovation isn’t slowing down and neither should your team. The real barrier to progress isn’t the tech itself, it’s getting people to confidently adopt it.
This interactive event is designed for leaders who want to foster a culture of continuous learning, helping their teams embrace AI and other emerging technologies to drive real efficiency and impact.
Through expert-led sessions and practical discussions, you’ll walk away with strategies to:
- Build a learning-first culture that helps teams adopt AI and other tools with confidence
- Close skill gaps that limit productivity and slow adoption
- Integrate training into daily workflows without disrupting operations
Don’t let underutilized technology slow you down. Equip your team with the mindset and skills to analyze, apply, and accelerate success.
Attendees are eligible to receive 5 CAE credits.
Executive Learning Lab Agenda and Session Details
10:00am - 10:20am: Opening Keynote Speaker Kerri McGovern, Senior Director, Membership at Association of Corporate Counsel
Opening Keynote Speaker – The Learning Curve: Knowing the Why Behind AI
Kerri McGovern, Senior Director, Membership at Association of Corporate Counsel
AI is no longer a future concept—it’s here, it’s evolving fast, and yes, it’s normal to feel uncertain. In this candid and insightful keynote, Kerri McGovern shares how ACC is approaching AI through a lens of intentional learning, transparency, and purpose-driven strategy.
Rather than pushing immediate adoption, their AI task force began with a critical question: What’s the “why” behind this technology? From addressing internal fear with open conversations to creating awareness-based training, Kerri will walk through how her team is helping staff and members alike understand AI before being expected to use it.
She’ll also share real-world wins—like leveraging the AI-powered translation tool DeepL to support global expansion—and how her team is exploring meaningful ways to equip their members with AI tools and training.
This keynote will inspire leaders to:
✅ Embrace AI as an opportunity for empowerment, not just efficiency
✅ Lead with empathy and transparency through the AI learning curve
✅ Identify the “why” before the “how” in their organization’s AI journey
✅ Start small, stay human, and focus on meaningful impact
AI doesn’t have to be all or nothing. It starts with understanding—and that’s exactly where this conversation begins.
10:20am - 10:40am: Featured Speaker Monica Pemberton, Vice President and CIO at the American Council on Education
Featured Speaker – The Tech Playground: Creating a Lab for Experimenting, Learning, and Innovating Together
Monica Pemberton, Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the American Council on Education
Join Monica for a fun and inspiring session where you’ll learn how to harness the power of play to drive real, sustainable change within your organization. It’s time to empower your teams to innovate, learn, and lead in the ever-evolving world of technology!
In a world where technology is advancing at lightning speed, the best way to keep up is by creating a space where experimentation and innovation are the norm. Monica Pemberton, CIO at ACE, will guide you through the process of building a collaborative “AI Playground”—a dynamic lab where your teams can explore, test, and learn new technologies in a hands-on, low-pressure environment.
This interactive session will show you how to foster a culture where technology is seen as a tool for growth, not a challenge to overcome. Monica will share strategies for introducing AI and emerging technologies to your teams in a way that encourages curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning—while minimizing the fear and resistance that often accompanies change.
Key takeaways include:
- How to create a safe, experimental space where teams can explore AI and new technologies without the pressure of immediate results
- Best practices for integrating change management into your “playground” approach, making the adoption of new tools feel like an exciting opportunity rather than a daunting task
- Practical strategies for turning experimentation into innovation, ensuring that lessons learned in the lab translate into real-world impact for your organization
10:40am - 11:30am: Session 1 - Preparing for AI: Overcoming the “Forgetting Curve” with Spaced Repetition and Customized Learning Pathways
Preparing for AI: Overcoming the “Forgetting Curve” with Spaced Repetition and Customized Learning Pathways
Scott Richards, designDATA’s Director of Training & Project Management Office
AI adoption isn’t just about having the right tools—it’s about ensuring employees have the skills and knowledge to use them effectively over time. But without reinforcement, up to 70% of newly learned information is forgotten within 24 hours (Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve). Without a structured learning approach, organizations risk underutilized technology, inefficiencies, and lost productivity.
To successfully integrate AI and other emerging technologies, leaders must bridge knowledge gaps, improve retention, and create a culture of continuous learning.
In this session, we’ll explore:
- How the Ebbinghaus “Forgetting Curve” impacts knowledge retention and what leaders can do about it.
- Why spaced repetition drastically improves learning outcomes and how to implement it in your organization.
- The power of customized learning pathways to align training with employee roles and organizational goals.
- The leader’s role in fostering ongoing learning and ensuring teams are equipped to embrace AI.
Discover how intentional learning strategies can help your workforce retain knowledge, maximize technology adoption, and drive long-term success in an AI-powered workplace.
11:30am – 12:30pm: Lunch
12:30pm - 1:30pm: Session 2 - Bridging the Skills Gap and Leading a Learning-First Culture – Executive Panel Discussion
Bridging the Skills Gap and Leading a Learning-First Culture
An Executive Panel Discussion with:
- Tina C. Yuille, Director of IT Operations at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
- Bob Corlett, President and Founder of Staffing Advisors
- Chip Flater, Director of IT at the National Science Teaching Association and
- Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
A leader’s most critical responsibility? Ensuring their teams are equipped to succeed.
Technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and AI is already reshaping industries, workflows, and opportunities. But here’s the reality—no technology will drive impact if teams aren’t prepared to use it effectively.
Training isn’t optional—it’s a leadership mandate.
This executive panel discussion will feature leaders who have embedded continuous learning into their organizations. They’ll share real-world insights on:
- The Leader’s Role: How fostering a culture of learning empowers teams to adapt, innovate, and stay competitive.
- The Cost of Underutilized Tools: Why neglected training leads to inefficiencies, lost productivity, and missed opportunities.
- How Learning-First Teams Win: Success stories (and hilarious fails!) from organizations that prioritize training and see measurable business results.
If you want your team to embrace AI, adopt new technologies, and work smarter, you can’t afford to leave training as an afterthought. This discussion will offer practical strategies to bridge skill gaps, strengthen learning cultures, and create AI-ready teams.
1:30pm - 2:30pm: Session 3 - From Hype to Hope to Help: The Leader’s Guide to Mission-Multiplying AI.
From Hype to Hope to Help: The Leader’s Guide to Mission-Multiplying AI.
Greg Starling, Doyon Technology Group’s Head of Emerging Technology
AI is transforming the way organizations operate—but the secret to real results isn’t expensive tools or massive teams. It’s practical, everyday use. In this session, Greg Starling cuts through the hype to show how small and mid-sized organizations can unlock immediate value from AI without overhauling their entire tech stack.
You’ll learn how to start small, using the tools you already have (like Microsoft 365), to automate repetitive tasks, personalize communication, and reduce admin overhead. Greg will also share how leaders can build a culture of experimentation and learning that helps their teams embrace AI in a way that’s authentic, safe, and aligned with their mission.
Key Takeaways:
- What AI can realistically do for small and mid-sized organizations—without enterprise-level budgets
- Why you should optimize existing tools before layering on AI
- Real examples of how nonprofits are using AI to boost efficiency and donor engagement
- A 3-phase roadmap to drive adoption and measurable outcomes—starting this week
AI isn’t about replacing people—it’s about freeing them to focus on what matters most. This session will show you how to get there.
2:30pm - 3:00pm: Closing Keynote from Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer at ASAE
Closing Keynote
Reggie Henry, Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
A nationally recognized leader in association technology, Reggie will challenge the way you think about innovation, leadership, and preparing your team for what’s next.”
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Networking
Event Speakers
Bob Corlett
President and Founder of Staffing Advisors
Chip Flater
Director of IT at the National Science Teaching Association
Reggie Henry
Chief Information and Performance Excellence Officer at ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership
Kerri McGovern
Senior Director of Membership for the Association of Corporate Counsel
Monica Pemberton
Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the American Council on Education (ACE)
Scott Richards
designDATA’s Director of Training & Project Management
Greg Starling
Doyon Technology Group’s Head of Emerging Technology
Tina C. Yuille
Director of IT Operations at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education
Address
The Tower Club Tysons Corner
8000 Towers Crescent Drive
#Suite 1700
Vienna, VA 22182 United States
Parking
There is a multi-level garage adjacent to the building, marked “Towers Crescent Parking.” A designDATA greeter will be in the Tower Club lobby to provide you with a parking voucher upon arrival.
Elevator Instructions
From the main lobby of the building, you will take two elevators to reach the club: Take the first elevator from the 1st to the 14th floor, exit, walk around the corner, and take the second elevator to the 17th floor. Signs will guide you, and the Tower Club concierge is available for assistance.