Banner
Event Calendar
Prev MonthPrev Month Next MonthNext Month
Project and Volunteer Management for Associations
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 10:00 AM to Thursday, March 19, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT
Category: Training
CESSE PVM Course Graphic

A Project and Volunteer Management Course for Association Professionals

If you manage projects or work with volunteers in an association or nonprofit organization, you know the challenges: balancing timelines with mission-driven priorities, coordinating diverse stakeholders, and ensuring projects deliver real impact.

This course is the only program tailored to the unique association context, combining project management fundamentals with strategies for engaging volunteers effectively. Unlike generic project management training, CESSE’s program addresses the realities of nonprofit governance, volunteer leadership, and collaborative decision-making.

Through a mix of direct instruction, breakout groups, and applied activities, this course combines foundational principles with hands-on strategies for real-world challenges.

 

Registration for our March session is now closed. If you would like to join the waitlist, please contact Member Services. You may also sign up for our email list, and we will notify you when registration opens for the next session.

Sign Up for Email Updates

 

Pricing Information

  • CESSE Members: $295
  • Nonmembers: $395

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the fundamental principles of project management
  • Gain skills for effective people management, including volunteer groups
  • Identify tools and techniques to improve communication and collaboration
  • Learn to develop and manage project plans and timelines
  • Develop strategies to address common challenges in nonprofit project management

Program Details

  • Two interactive 4.5-hour Zoom sessions
  • Breakout rooms and real-world scenarios
  • Workbook for applied learning
  • Participants will earn 8 CAE credits, and CESSE is also a CMP Preferred Provider.

CAE CreditsCAE Logo

This program is approved for (8) CAE hours toward the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE's) Certified Association Executive (CAE) certification. CESSE is also a CMP Preferred Provider.

 

March Session Instructors

 Joanna ColbourneJoanna Colbourne, CAE

Deputy Executive Director, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Joanna Colbourne is a senior association executive with more than a decade of experience leading complex, mission-driven programs and initiatives. She joined the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) in 2011, where she oversees strategic marketing, communications, public outreach, and professional education programs and currently serves as Deputy Executive Director. Her work focuses on building scalable programs, aligning initiatives with organizational strategy, and driving measurable impact through disciplined project planning and execution.

Prior to NFID, Joanna served as a project manager at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC), where she led state-funded and sponsored education initiatives and managed cross-functional teams, timelines, and budgets. Her career spans the full project lifecycle — from concept development and stakeholder alignment to implementation, evaluation, and optimization. Joanna brings a practical, real-world approach to project management grounded in association/non-profit operations, governance, and resource stewardship.

 

Erik Hankin HeadshotErik Hankin, PMP

Assistant Director, Career & Student Programs, American Geophysical Union

Erik has over a decade of professional experience planning and executing scientific programs and advancing strategies for Earth and space science talent pool development. As the Assistant Director for Career and Student Programs at the American Geophysical Union (AGU), Erik is responsible for the oversight and strategic planning of AGU’s membership professional development programs with a focus on testing and developing scalable, revenue-building programs rooted in member value. Previously, he served as the Executive Program Manager for AGU’s Centennial Strategic Initiative, where he launched and managed the suite of programming for the initiative, including the Centennial Grants Program, which was awarded the ASAE “Power of A” Summit Award in 2020. Before working with AGU, he worked at the National Science Foundation and for the White House’s Ocean Science and Technology Interagency Policy Committee.

Erik is an active CESSE volunteer co-chairing the 2026 ACCESSE Program Committee and serving on the 2024 and 2025 committees as well as the previous co-chair of the Education and Training Shared Interest Group. He is a certified Project Management Professional from the Project Management Institute.