Belonging Beyond Benefits: Building a Stronger Member Connection

In this episode of *The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd*, we continue our special fall series with Highland, exploring how associations can better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. Host Colleen Gallagher and special co-host David Whited, Principal of Research & Strategy at Highland, sit down with **Ryan Vanderbilt, Vice President of Membership, Marketing & Communications at the American Psychiatric Association (APA)**, to explore what it really means for members to feel they belong—and how associations can foster meaningful connections throughout their careers. From APA's new strategic plan to research-driven experiments with mentorship, micro-volunteering and member communities, Ryan shares how APA is moving beyond traditional benefits to become a more relevant and supportive professional home. **Key Highlights:** - **Belonging Beyond Benefits:** Why APA made belonging a strategic priority and what it means for members to feel understood, valued and connected to their profession. - **Learning From Residency:** How the close-knit relationships formed during training can inform new approaches to mentorship and career-long connections. - **Creating Community at Scale:** How APA is leveraging local networks and practice-specific roundtables to help members find meaningful connections without manufacturing community. - **Making Engagement More Accessible:** Why micro-volunteering, peer mentorship and shorter commitments can open new opportunities for younger professionals to contribute. - **Turning Research Into Action:** How listening beyond the most engaged members, personalizing experiences by practice setting and testing new ideas can strengthen member value. 🎧 Tune in for a practical conversation about creating the conditions for belonging—and building member relationships that last. **Resources:** 🌐 Learn more about Highland: www.highlandsolutions.com 📊 Take the Young Professional Membership Index: https://www.highlandsolutions.com/member-index/sign-up **Stay Connected:** Subscribe to *The Association Insights Podcast powered by OnWrd & UpWrd* on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube Podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. Follow us on LinkedIn at OnWrd & UpWrd for the latest in association trends and strategies. **Coming Soon:** We're wrapping up our special fall series with Highland! David Whited returns for a final conversation with Colleen to connect the lessons from our association leader interviews with Highland's research and explore what associations can do to better attract, engage and retain younger professionals. 🎧 This special series is brought to you by our friends at Highland, where strategy meets research meets action.