News & Press

Shared Values & Distinctives: Exploring Anabaptist and Quaker Faith Traditions  

At the conference The Gathering in March 2026, AQORD held its first member luncheon as a newly merged organization. This luncheon featured a thoughtful dialogue between David Jones, AQORD Board Member, and Myron Weaver, AQORD Board Member and President & CEO of OrrVilla Retirement Community; leaders representing AQORD’s two faith traditions, Quaker and Anabaptist. Drawing…

Developing Leadership that Lasts  

Leadership matters most where leaders have the greatest room to shape what happens next. Decades of research on chief executives point to what scholars call the CEO effect: the degree to which organizational performance can be traced to the person at the top. That effect grows when leaders have greater discretion; more freedom to set…

Why Your Best Board Members Stay Quiet

In recent years, I have sat at board tables in two seats: as a consultant facilitating strategic conversations, and as a board member myself. Both seats keep leading me to the same question: what is a board uniquely positioned to contribute that no one else can? Boards rarely answer that question out loud. But every…

AI Can Do a Lot— But Should It?

AI tools promise greater efficiency, relief from administrative tasks, stronger outputs, and more data-informed decisions. Those possibilities deserve our attention. But before diving fully into the deep end on what AI can do, we also need to ask what it should—and should not—do. As leaders, we are responsible not only for evaluating AI’s capabilities, but…

Compliance Oversight Starts with the Right Questions

Compliance oversight is more than reviewing policies or hearing routine reports. Boards, senior leaders, and program managers strengthen oversight when they ask clear and consistent questions about how compliance risks are found, reported, investigated, and corrected. A strong compliance program also requires clear roles. Leaders should understand how compliance, legal, audit, operations, and quality teams…

The AI Conversation Mission-Driven Leaders Need Now

New capabilities are being added to the AI tools around us at a rapid pace. Some organizations are already experimenting with AI agents, automations, and custom-built tools that can draft emails, summarize information, support workflows, or help manage routine tasks. But I suspect many of us are still asking a very practical question: Where do…

When Communication Becomes Governance

Healthy communication between the board and CEO is not simply a courtesy. It is a governance discipline. For mission-driven organizations, communication builds trust and protects role clarity. It also strengthens the organization’s ability to make wise decisions in moments that matter. When communication is timely and honest, with appropriate transparency, boards are better equipped to…

A Reflection on The Gathering

The week following The Gathering I was on a walk and found myself reflecting on the conference. I realized how much of what stayed with me centered around connection. There were certainly wonderful and important conversations about governance, well-being, engagement, and leadership (and who could forget the hope and calling keynote presentation that poured out of Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson?)  But beneath all of those topics was something even…

Doing the Right Thing: A Simple Guide to Compliance 

A strong compliance program is no longer a “nice to have,” it is a foundational element for organizations serving complex and vulnerable populations across senior living, foster care and adoption, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and behavioral health. Even in settings where a formal compliance program is not explicitly mandated, the expectations from regulators, payers, families, and…

The Quiet Risk of Waiting: AI Considerations for Mission-Driven Organizations

Over the past year, artificial intelligence has shifted from a topic of curiosity to a formidable leadership challenge. Not long ago, many of us were asking, “What exactly is AI?” Now, the better question may be, “How do we use it wisely and in ways that strengthen our mission?” For senior living communities, behavioral health…

Your Board’s Most Important Conversation Isn’t Happening

By Suzette Davis, Vice President of Consulting | AQORD Consulting Is your organization facing an executive transition? The answer is yes. You just don’t know when or under what circumstances. That is not a pessimistic statement. It is a governance reality. Every organization in our sector will face a leadership transition whether planned or unplanned,…

Not Just a Checkbox: Why CEO Evaluations Matter Now More Than Ever

Most boards don’t avoid CEO evaluations because they don’t care, they avoid them because they’re not quite sure how to do them well. And yet, few responsibilities carry more long-term impact. The relationship between the governing board and the chief executive sits at the center of an organization’s health. The board is responsible for setting…