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2022 Conference Speakers

Lowell Aplebaum

Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE, CPF is the CEO and Strategy Catalyst of Vista Cova - a company that partners with organizations on strategic visioning and planning, creating stronger stakeholder connections, and reimagining value and engagement. 

Lowell currently serves on the ASAE Research Committee and is a past Chair for the overseeing commission for the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. He chaired ASAE's Task Force on CEO Pathways, and previously served as Chair for the ASAE's Component Relations Council. He has authored several books on association management and serves as a mentor for ASAE's Diversity Executive Leadership Program.

Mr. Aplebaum lives in Maryland where his 9-year old son and twin 8-year old girls keep the house full of laughter.

Trevor Mitchell

Trevor Mitchell, MBA, CAE, CDP is the Executive Director/CEO of American Mensa, Ltd. and the Mensa Foundation. He’s focus is on helping leaders and association create a strategic vision for the future and working to achieve it. Trevor has been involved in association management for over 15 years and has contributed to the profession through speaking, writing, and volunteering. He is currently the chair of ASAE Diversity and Inclusion Committee and on the board for the Texas Society of Association Executives. 

Ken Parker

Ken Parker is Co-Founder & CEO of NextThought, an education media company based in Norman, OK. As a first-generation college graduate, Ken deeply values education. After career chapters in aerospace and Wall St technology, he helped co-found 2 startups: RiskMetrics (financial technology) and now NextThought. Ken is passionate about using media and technology to make education more effective and accessible. He loves Oklahoma and is a grateful member of Leadership Oklahoma Class 30.

He and Carole, his lovely wife of 39 years, live in a log home in Noble. Their three children and their spouses live in California and Norman. Best of all, they have 6 beautiful grandchildren.

Kin Thompson

Kin Thompson has been a Professor in the College of Business and Technology at Northeastern State University for 31 years. He currently serves as the Interim Department Chair for Management and Marketing and the Program Coordinator for the Hospitality and Tourism Management degree. Kin has spoken to groups across Oklahoma including the Oklahoma Main Street Association, Oklahoma Optometric Physicians Association, Oklahoma Tourism Industry Association, Northeastern Health System, and the Muskogee Success Expo.  He has facilitated board retreats for the Broken Arrow, Claremore, and Sayre Chambers of Commerce and for the city of Miami. He has provided professional development for schools, Universities, leadership classes and many other organizations. He’s past Chairman of the Green Country Marketing Association and past Chair of the Oklahoma Tourism Industry Association. Kin received the Lifetime Achievement award for Tourism in the State of Oklahoma. Kin and his wife, Anita, have two daughters – Meg (20) and McKinley (18).

Megan Williams

Megan Williams joined the Federal Reserve Bank in 2000 as an Analyst in the Retail Payments Support department.  In March of 2006, Megan assumed her current position as Associate Economist in the Regional Affairs department, where she is responsible for current monetary policy research, District economic surveys, and a variety of economic research projects.  She also serves as Secretary for the Oklahoma City Branch Board of Directors and is a former Board Chair of the Oklahoma Council on Economic Education.  Megan holds a BS degree in Finance from OklahomaStateUniversity and a MBA degree from the University of Oklahoma.  

Beth Ziesenis

Since her first Motorola RAZR flip phone, Beth has made a verb out of the word "nerd." She's here to
help you filter through thousands of apps, gadgets, widgets and doodads to find the perfect free
and bargain technology tools for work and home. Although the only real trophy she ever won was
for making perfect French fries at McDonald's in high school, Beth Z has been featured on Best
Speaker lists by several organizations that write best speaker lists. She has written a whole shelf of
books on apps and has spoken to more than 100 thousand audience members just like you. And if
you're puzzling over why she goes by "Beth Z"... it's because she only finds about three people a year
who can pronounce her last name.