Andy is a frequent thought leader and keynote speaker at conferences and events, traveling the globe to educate professionals about the importance of collaborative software, the cloud and the impact technology makes on the community it serves. At Higher Logic, his guidance helps clients experience these profound impacts.

Prior to co-founding Higher Logic, Andy owned and built a profitable software business whose primary focus was on member-to-member collaboration technologies. It was this software, when combined with complementary software which his business partner, Rob Wenger had built, became the heart of the Higher Logic platform.

Before starting his software company, Andy spent ten years serving as the Chief Information Officer at the Risk & Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) where he headed their technology and social strategy initiatives. From 1986–1996, Andy served in the Royal Navy, which allowed him to travel internationally around most of the world including the Arctic and Antarctic. He returned from a three-year tour in Hong Kong to study Computing in Business at Brunel University in London.

Liz leads the PEAK Grantmaking Learning Program Department and is focused on creating learning opportunities and environments that will empower and inspire you to make a lasting impact on your organization and profession.

Liz is a seasoned education professional with expertise in the planning and implementation of online and in-person training programs. She is responsible for all education programs and content for PEAK Grantmaking conferences, workshops and online resources.

She has over 20 years of experience in higher learning and not-for-profit association management. She brings experience in strategic learning design, technology development, association governance and membership recruitment and retention. Liz earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bay Path College and a Master of Arts in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University.

Rich founded CommPartners as a provider of online learning services and events in 1994. His vision was to create a culture where people could learn, advance their careers and have fun. He has a passion for helping clients connect with their communities through education. Rich graduated from the University of Maryland and did his graduate work at Marymount University in instructional design. He now lives in Columbia, Md., with his wife of over 35 years. He has two grown children. Rich enjoys marathon running, biking, tennis and rooting for Baltimore sports teams.

Marci Thompson is an experienced member-education strategist within the association community. She is familiar with all aspects of continuing education curriculum development, member outreach and running successful synchronous and asynchronous learning events. Currently, Marci is the Vice President of Knowledge and Professional Development for the Society for Marketing Professional Services – leading the charge to develop strategy for the future of SMPS training and development. She oversees all educational programming, including: the Society’s annual conference, classroom and individual instruction, and distance/online learning program development.

Molly Mazuk is a director of professional development at the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). Since starting at ASAM in 2013, she has worked on nearly every aspect of providing continuing medical education, from finding funding, managing conference apps, analyzing attendee outcomes, and planning new content. Her primary focus is on leading ASAM’s Annual Conference (in-person or virtual) and ASAM’s learning management system. Molly is known for her creativity and innovation and was named one of Association Forum’s 40 under Forty in 2021.

Molly is a graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. When not at work, Molly can be found at a TexMex restaurant or reading a good book.

Rich founded CommPartners as a provider of online learning services and events in 1994. His vision was to create a culture where people could learn, advance their careers and have fun. He has a passion for helping clients connect with their communities through education. Rich graduated from the University of Maryland and did his graduate work at Marymount University in instructional design. He now lives in Columbia, Md., with his wife of over 35 years. He has two grown children. Rich enjoys marathon running, biking, tennis and rooting for Baltimore sports teams.

Tracy King, MA, CAE

She / They

As Chief Learning Strategist & CEO of InspirEd, Tracy King leverages more than 20 years in workforce development consulting with organizations on education strategy and learning design. Tracy is the author of the award-winning book Competitive Advantage, and they advise on how to grow reliably profitable and sustainable continuing education programs that transform learners. Tracy specializes in the intersection of learning science and technology. They are a thought leader, master learning designer and DELP Scholar. Their work has been featured on NBC, ABC, FOX, USA Today, Forbes, The Star Tribune and hundreds of nationally syndicated television, newspaper, and magazine outlets. Tracy is featured as a chapter author in the award-winning Routledge text, Microlearning in the Digital Age: The Design and Delivery of Learning in Snippets.

Rich founded CommPartners as a provider of online learning services and events in 1994. His vision was to create a culture where people could learn, advance their careers and have fun. He has a passion for helping clients connect with their communities through education. Rich graduated from the University of Maryland and did his graduate work at Marymount University in instructional design. He now lives in Columbia, Md., with his wife of over 35 years. He has two grown children. Rich enjoys marathon running, biking, tennis and rooting for Baltimore sports teams.

Chris is co-founder / CEO at WebMechanix, a performance marketing firm that is one of the largest & most respected pure-play digital firms in the mid-atlantic. Chris knows a thing or two about SEO/SEM, search marketing, analytics, copywriting, UX, conversion rate optimization, email marketing, marketing automation, growth / funnel "hacking", CRM, and attribution.

Chris spearheaded the launch of WebMechanix Academy, a training & certification program that rapidly prepares aspiring marketers for meaningful careers in the field.

WebMechanix has won all kinds of awards, been a mainstay on the INC 5000 & Chris is a regular on the speaking agenda for conferences & universities all across the country. He was also recently named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist.

Chris graduated with honors from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at University of Maryland College Park.

Aubrey is the Marketing Manager at CommPartners and is responsible for all things digital. Aubrey is a seasoned marketing professional who has a passion for building strong brands. Aubrey has an MBA from Loyola University and a BS in Business/Marketing from Towson University.