Leading with purpose: Practical tips for purpose-driven work

Board self-assessment is one of the most effective, and often overlooked, tools for strengthening governance. In this episode of Leading with Purpose, governance experts Barbara Paxton of BoardStrong and Steve Schroeder, former school board member and governance leader, explore how mission-driven boards can turn self-evaluation from a box-ticking exercise into a catalyst for continuous improvement...

Public sector organisations face mounting pressure to detect and prevent fraud, waste and abuse but traditional audit methods often fall short. In this episode of Leading with Purpose , Diligent experts Jason Venner and Katja Freeman, both former practitioners from federal and state government, explore how audit and finance teams can move from reactive investigations to proactive, technology-drive...

Sarah Merkle is an attorney and certified professional parliamentarian with nearly 25 years of experience helping organisations run fair, efficient and orderly business meetings. Through her work with boards across nonprofit and the public sector, Sarah is known for making parliamentary procedure practical, accessible and relevant for today’s governance challenges. In this episode, we explore why...

Liz Thompson is Executive Assistant to the President, Corporate Secretary, and Corporate Compliance Officer at Presbyterian Senior Care Network. Chandu Vemuri is Executive Assistant for the Board and Superintendent Leadership at Sun Prairie School District in Wisconsin. Together, Liz and Chandu bring deep, hands‑on experience supporting nonprofit and public‑facing boards as they welcome new member...

Andrea Messina is CEO of Florida School Boards Association and Kathy McFarland is Executive Director of COSSBA.   Together, Andrea and Kathy bring deep experience supporting school boards and school districts across the country. In our conversation, we explore why transparency is so critical for public-facing boards, where organizations sometimes fall short, and how open meetings, clear communicat...

Dominique Shelton‑Leipzig is CEO of Global Data Innovation and Dr. Andrea Bonime‑Blanc is founder and CEO of GEC Risk Advisory. In this episode, we explore why AI governance has become such a pressing priority for mission‑driven organizations, we look at where organizations tend to go wrong, and why trust, accuracy and continuous testing must sit at the heart of any AI program. We also talk about...

John Thomsen is Director of Engagement and Policy at NEOLA, working with school districts across multiple states to support legally compliant policies and governance frameworks that reflect community values. John unpacks the “why” behind policy for public sector boards — especially K‑12 school districts — and how leaders can navigate changing regulations without losing sight of student success. He...

Dale Waterman is a Solution Designer and regulatory expert at Diligent, with deep experience translating evolving mandates into practical governance requirements for organizations. In this episode, we look at how today’s shifting risk universe is reshaping the regulatory landscape for nonprofits and what boards need to do now to move from basic compliance to true resilience. We explore why divergi...

Kristy Grant-Hart is Vice President for Compliance Services at Diligent, advising organizations on how to build effective, modern compliance programs in an era of rapid regulatory change.  In this episode, Kristy shares a compliance expert’s view on AI, cyber risk and governance for public-facing boards — from school districts and education boards to municipalities and local councils.  We explore...

Kira Ciccarelli is Senior Research and Programs Manager at the Diligent Institute, where she leads research into how boards and governance professionals are navigating today’s rapidly evolving risk landscape. In this episode, we explore what nonprofit boards can learn from emerging trends in the corporate world — and how they can apply those insights to strengthen compliance, oversight and stakeho...

Dottie Schindlinger is Executive Director of the Diligent Institute and a founding member of BoardEffect and Nithya Das is General Manager of Diligent’s Governance Business Unit and Chief Legal Officer. Together, Dottie and Nithya bring deep expertise on how purpose-driven organizations can strategically harness technology and AI to transform their impact. We discussed why the urgency to modernize...

James Page is Chief Information Officer at the New York State School Boards Association, and Jay Worona is a partner at Jasper Schlesinger & Narendra and former Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel for NYSSBA. Together, they bring a wealth of experience in school board governance, legal policy and technology strategy. In this episode, James and Jay share their insights on how AI and d...

Nonie Dalton is Vice President of Product Management and Phil Lim is Director of Product Management at Diligent. Together, they bring deep expertise in how mission-driven organizations like nonprofits, school boards and local governments can harness emerging technologies such as AI while keeping ethical governance at the core of their mission. Nonie and Phil share their perspectives on how AI is t...

Darian Rodriguez Heyman, a speaker, consultant and best-selling author with deep expertise in fundraising, governance and AI. Darian has worked with mission-driven organizations around the world and recently released his latest book, “ AI for Nonprofits ”. In this episode, Darian shares practical insights on how AI is transforming nonprofit governance, from streamlining board recruitment and engag...

Scott Bridgen is the General Manager of the Audit and Risk Division at Diligent. Scott brings a wealth of experience and unique insights into the critical role of financial and risk oversight in the public sector. In this episode, we talked about how public sector boards can manage their financial resources responsibly and effectively identify, mitigate and monitor risks. Scott highlights the need...

Heather Rich is Executive Director of the American Board of Genetic Counseling , the national certifying body that sets and upholds professional standards for genetic counselors across the United States. Heather shares her insights on the critical role of the board in ensuring financial transparency, proactive management and strategic oversight. She also emphasizes the importance of a robust onboa...

Dr. Chad Bledsoe is President of Montgomery Community College in North Carolina. The College offers a wide range of educational opportunities including associate degrees, technical diplomas, certificates and continuing education programs. In this episode, we explore why financial and risk oversight is essential for effective governance and decision-making in community colleges. Dr. Bledsoe emphasi...

Dr. Froswa' Booker-Drew is the CEO of Soulstice Consultancy, an organization dedicated to helping leaders with executive coaching, community engagement and culture development, as well as assisting nonprofits with board governance and capacity building. Dr. Booker-Drew shares her insights on financial and risk oversight for nonprofit boards. From her perspective, this means being proactive rather...

Ben Niehaus is Director of Member Services for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards . He also worked as a school superintendent in Northern Wisconsin so brings lots of experience. Ben shares his expertise on several key areas that school board members need to stay informed about, as well as the importance of effective communication with stakeholders. He talks about the importance of continuo...

Cheretta A. Clerkley, is the Executive Director of the Association for Positive Behavior Support , a nonprofit based in New Jersey. APBS is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to promoting positive behavior support across various settings such as schools, families and communities. Cheretta and I discussed the critical role that continuous learning and development plays in enhancing the effe...

Dr. Audrey Young is a member of the Texas State Board of Education and the Chair of the Committee on Instruction for TSBE. Dr. Young represents District 8 and brings a wealth of experience and insight into the critical role of school board training and development, in fact she covered this in her dissertation for her PhD. In this episode, we explore why board training is essential for effective go...

Julie Castro Abrams is the CEO of How Women Lead , an organization dedicated to empowering women to take on leadership roles and she has also served on many nonprofit boards.   Julie shares her insights on how board training and development can transform organizations. For nonprofits, this means understanding the unique role of the board, from governance to strategic oversight, and how to ensure t...

From recruiting and onboarding members to fostering collaboration and navigating complex decision-making, this 4-part series covers critical aspects of building boards that can drive meaningful impact. Whether you're an experienced executive or an emerging leader, these episodes offer valuable takeaways for enhancing your organization’s governance practices. We hear from 4 experts who share their...