Speaking Engagements

Upcoming events

April 17, 2025

United Way of Greater St. Louis

“Business Continuity Planning: 5 Steps to Build Resilience”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

April 22, 2025

NeighborWorks America

“Streamline and Simplify: How to Sort Quickly and Effectively When Time is of the Essence”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

May 1, 2025

United Way of Greater St. Louis

“Crisis Management and Crisis Communications”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

May 3, 2025

USA Archery

“Conflicts of Interest” and “Good Governance Practices”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

May 6, 2025

NeighborWorks America

“Bring a Fuzzy Future Into Focus: Practical Scenario Planning”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

May 8, 2025

NeighborWorks America

“Ready and Resilient: Disaster Preparedness for Nonprofits”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Rachel Sams

May 27, 2025

NeighborWorks America

“Continuity Planning: Prepare to Lead Through Any Disruption”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

June 9, 2025

Camp Dogwood Summer Academy

“Risk and Safety Camp Training”

Location: Graves Mill, VA

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

July 16, 2025

Southern Grants Forum

“Streamline and Simplify: How to Prioritize During Times of Crisis” and “Risk and Resilience: Building Mission-Fortifying Capabilities”

Location: New Orleans, LA

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

November 4, 2025

New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation

“Risk and Resilience: Building Mission Fortifying Capabilities, Part 1”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

November 19, 2025

New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation

“Risk and Resilience: Building Mission Fortifying Capabilities, Part 2”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

Past events

April 3, 2025

United Way of Greater St. Louis

“Streamline and Simplify: How to Prioritize During a Crisis”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

March 27, 2025

Elevate: 2025 Conversations Series

“Lessons from the Field: Leadership in Challenging Times”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

March 13, 2025

Direct Marketing Association of Washington (DMAW) and The Nonprofit Alliance (TNPA)

“The Risks Facing Charitable Nonprofits Today: What Leaders Need to Know”

Location: Washington, DC

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

March 6, 2025

Federal Grants Institute

“Fundamentals of Enterprise Risk Management,” and “Artificial Intelligence: Managing AI Risks”

Location: San Diego, CA

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

February 24, 2025

National Community Action Partnership

“Streamline and Simplify: How to Prioritize During Times of Crisis”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

February 20, 2025

It’s a New World: How to Be the Servant Leader Your Mission Needs

This session will be presented 2:00 PM EST, February 20, 2025 at the Time to Focus: People, Risk, and Mission Success virtual conference. Click here to register.

You took on nonprofit leadership because you wanted to support the growth and well-being of people and communities. But do your actions communicate that? Many leaders continue to put the emphasis in the wrong place, on increasing staff productivity. Join Melanie Herman for this thought-provoking closing conference session to learn about the counter-intuitive ways every leader can inspire and support meaningful contributions by direct reports. Find out how you can become the servant leader your mission requires.

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

February 20, 2025

How to Maximize the Benefits of Hybrid Work

This session will be presented 1:00 PM EST, February 20, 2025 at the Time to Focus: People, Risk, and Mission Success virtual conference. Click here to register.

For many nonprofits, a hybrid workplace, where some work happens in person and some remotely, is a great option. But leading hybrid work takes thought and care. Join NRMC Assistant Executive Director Elyzabeth Joy Holford to learn how to realize the benefits of hybrid work and navigate the challenges.

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Elyzabeth Joy Holford

February 19, 2025

Managing Difficult HR Situations

This session will be presented 1:00 PM EST, February 19, 2025 at the Time to Focus: People, Risk, and Mission Success virtual conference. Click here to register.

Conflict between teams. Performance management issues. Untimely, chaotic departures. The world of HR is full of thorny situations. Join NRMC Executive Director Melanie Lockwood Herman to unpack some challenging HR situations and learn a simple but effective framework to navigate HR risks this year.

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

February 19, 2025

Employee Well-Being

This session will be presented 2:00 PM EST, February 19, 2025 at the Time to Focus: People, Risk, and Mission Success virtual conference. Click here to register.

Create a workplace that will support your team members and help them meet challenges. Join NRMC Assistant Executive Director Elyzabeth Joy Holford to learn how to craft positive employee well-being practices at your nonprofit.

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Elyzabeth Joy Holford

February 18, 2025

Fearless HR: How to Reinvent Recruitment, Retention and Employee Engagement

This session will be presented 1:00 PM EST, February 18, 2025 at the Time to Focus: People, Risk, and Mission Success virtual conference. Click here to register.

What employees look for in a workplace has changed and continues to change. If you’re not evolving all aspects of your approach, you won’t be able to attract and retain the talented teams your mission requires. Join NRMC Executive Director Melanie Lockwood Herman to learn ways to reimagine and rethink staffing in a new era. Learn practical, low- or no-cost ways to enliven HR practices.

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

February 18, 2025

Level Up Your Management Skills (Wherever You Are on the Journey)

This session will be presented 2:00 PM EST, February 18, 2025 at the Time to Focus: People, Risk, and Mission Success virtual conference. Click here to register.

Research consistently shows that an employee’s relationship with their manager is one of the top predictors of job satisfaction. Join NRMC Lead Consultant and Editor Rachel Sams to learn skills and tips to become a more effective manager, whether you’ve been leading teams for three days or three decades.

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Rachel Sams

January 30, 2025

NeighborWorks America

“Build Your Nonprofit’s Cybersecurity Defenses”

Location:

Speaker: Rachel Sams

January 15, 2025

Head Start Fiscal Integrity Institute

“Fundamentals of Enterprise Risk Management” and “Risk and Internal Controls”

Location: Charleston, SC

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

January 10, 2025

NYC Bar Association – In House Counsel – Speaker Series

“ERM, Risk Assessment, and Risk Mitigation”

Location: Virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

November 20, 2024

New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation

“Risk and Resilience: Building Mission Fortifying Capabilities, Part 2”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

November 5, 2024

New York Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation

“Risk and Resilience: Building Mission-Fortifying Capabilities, Part 1”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

October 30, 2024

NeighborWorks America

“Risk and Resilience: Building Mission-Fortifying Capabilities, Part 2”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

October 29, 2024

NeighborWorks America

“Risk and Resilience: Building Mission-Fortifying Capabilities, Part 1”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

October 28, 2024

NeighborWorks America

“Reflections on Leadership: How to Turn Assumptions into Questions, Find the Wisdom in Conflict, and Get Comfortable with Uncertainty”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman

September 12, 2024

Recycled Materials Association

“Managing Difficult Situations”

Location: virtual

Speaker: Melanie Lockwood Herman