Community
Colleagues and Friends,
Sharing this State of the Association Address (SOAA) is bittersweet, as it’s my last posting as IAEM-USA President. After a 17-month tenure, I am honored to share a summary of the association’s accomplishments and the results achieved between July 1, 2024, and November 2025. Through these regular postings, my goal was to offer transparency to our members and partners by sharing how IAEM operates, the strategic initiatives its groups work on, and our progress and growth as an organization.
This SOAA highlights our successes on several fronts. In keeping with tradition, the first portion of the SOAA will focus on the health and well-being of IAEM-USA, covering membership numbers and financials, followed by a summary of the results achieved in other areas of our work between 2024 and 2025.
In this quarter’s address, I’d like to provide you with an update on the following items:
Membership – Since the first SOAA last fall, IAEM-USA’s membership has grown by 71 members, reflecting our collective commitment to delivering value and fostering community. As of October 1, 2025, IAEM had a total of 6,185 members, including 662 international members from our global councils and 449 students worldwide. While many factors can contribute to an increase in membership, we do know that an increase was observed early in 2025, following IAEM-USA's offer of a one-year complimentary membership to our federal emergency management colleagues who may have been affected by changes at the national level.
Certification – Mirroring the success of overall membership numbers, we’ve also seen a steady increase in the number of individuals achieving and renewing their Certified Emergency ManagerSM (CEM®) and Associate Emergency ManagerSM (AEM®) certifications. The association currently has 2,521 CEMs and 379 AEMs, representing 55 states and territories, as well as 28 countries. This remarkable accomplishment wouldn’t have been possible without the members of the Certification Commission. I would like to thank each one of them for their time and dedication in making this possible, and in particular, the Commission's leadership team, Jon Fessler and Michelle Oblinsky.
Financial Transparency – Throughout my term, I received inquiries from members requesting transparency and understanding of IAEM-USA's budget. While our financial information is made available to members in their Member Dashboard, we’ve taken this feedback to heart and enhanced budget transparency by creating a visual representation of how membership dues are allocated. The chart below will be prominently displayed at the IAEM 2025 Annual Conference.
In addition to offering transparency, I reported earlier this year on yet another significant financial decision made by the Board at its spring retreat. As shared in the Spring SOAA, the IAEM-USA Board conducted an analysis of the priority initiatives that were implemented throughout 2025, relative to IAEM-USA’s income streams and expenditures. Based on the results, the Board decided to gradually reduce our IAEM-Global contribution over three years. By the end of this period, our contribution to Global will not exceed $25,000 annually and will remain more closely aligned with the contributions of other councils thereafter. This financial decision was imperative as IAEM-USA continues to examine other initiatives and member benefits for investment.
Certification Management System – IAEM is in the process of completing a successful update of the AEM/CEM certification management system (CMS), improving both efficiency and the user experience for our certification candidates, commissioners, and program administrators. Along with a streamlined application process, the system will provide an online credential directory and digital badging for credential holders.
IAEM2Go Mobile Application – In addition to a new CMS, in late 2024, the IAEM-USA board recognized the need for mobility and on-demand access to association information. As such, over the summer, IAEM-USA launched the IAEM2Go App, putting the association’s resources, events, and updates at your fingertips. IAEM2Go provides members with year-round access to their membership and connects them with the IAEM Annual Conference as well, making IAEM2Go the app for all IAEM engagement needs. To download the app, check out this link.
Association Management System – Perhaps one of our most transformative initiatives that the board approved for action was the selection of GrowthZone’s MemberSuite platform as IAEM’s new Association Management System (AMS). Earlier this year, I shared with members that the board selected three strategic projects for investment. One of those projects was to update the IAEM website through the acquisition of a new AMS.
Our new platform and website will deliver a modern, integrated experience for our members, including:
The build-out of the new AMS will continue into 2026, with an expected launch timeframe of early spring. Once finished, IAEM-USA’s annual technology costs are projected to decrease by nearly $90,000.
Communication Transparency – The State of the Association Address, modernized social media content, and frequent member emails are just a few of the newly refreshed and innovative ways we’ve improved our communication capabilities this year. The intent behind each initiative was to ensure members felt more informed about association events, and that our communication mechanisms meet you where you’re at, with a modern, fresh appeal. As always, we welcome feedback from members on the best way to reach you.
Member Engagement through Groups – In line with the theme of member engagement, we rolled out our first mid-year IAEM Group Showcase in June, where each committee and caucus had the opportunity to highlight their work via IAEM’s social media presence. Many of these posts included creative videos and summaries of the groups’ mission, purpose, and the initiatives they’re working on. This effort was implemented after receiving member requests to share more information about each group’s mission, as well as the initiatives and work that are accomplished by the groups throughout the year.
IAEM-USA Communications Strategy – One of the larger communications initiatives this year was accomplished in collaboration with a new association partner, the Emergency Management External Affairs Association (EMEAA). Throughout the spring and early summer of 2025, IAEM-USA and the communications experts at EMEAA worked to develop and launch an association-wide Strategic Communications Plan. The goal of this effort was to ensure consistent, clear, and impactful messaging across all platforms—many of which have already been implemented in various formats as opportunities arise. Starting in 2026, the IAEM-USA Board will continue to implement the strategy throughout all our efforts. On behalf of the association, I would like to thank Dan Stoneking, Bob Jensen, and the subject matter experts of EMEAA for providing guidance and counsel to IAEM-USA over the last year. To learn more about EMEAA, check out its website.
I think it’s safe to say that advocacy and government affairs were a primary focus of 2025 for IAEM-USA. While National Emergency Management Awareness Month was in the works long before January 2025, changes at the national level required IAEM to be steadfast and focused on advocacy more than usual. For a complete listing of all of our advocacy and government affairs activities, please visit this site. The list of activities is long, but indicative of the busy year we’ve had in the industry, and I’m grateful to many leaders within IAEM-USA who made this happen.
Capitol Hill Fieldtrips – For the first time in many years, IAEM-USA convened members on Capitol Hill for two advocacy events to champion emergency management priorities and FEMA reform. In each endeavor, our focus was to engage and educate elected leaders on the following:
Congressional Testimony – Additionally, on March 4, I had the honor and privilege of representing IAEM-USA as a witness for the House Homeland Security Committee’s Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee hearing on the future of FEMA. The hearing aimed to share insights from the emergency management community regarding FEMA reform, with other witnesses including two former FEMA Deputy Administrators, Dan Kaniewski and Tim Manning, as well as the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, Jeff Smitherman.
FEMA Review Council Listening Session Participation – During August and September, IAEM-USA members—Mary Jo Flynn-Nevins, CEM, Zach Stanford, Josh Morton, CEM, Wike Graham, CEM, and Doug Bryson, CEM—represented IAEM-USA at two separate FEMA Review Council listening sessions. Our presence and dialogue further elevated IAEM’s influence in federal policy discussions, and our presence reinforced IAEM’s leadership voice in shaping FEMA reform.
What would my final SOAA be without a section dedicated to National Emergency Management Awareness Month?
National Emergency Management Awareness Month was a resounding success, generating widespread engagement and strengthening public understanding of the importance of preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery. Through coordinated campaigns across social media, webinars, and community outreach initiatives, the effort reached thousands of individuals nationwide.
In total, emergency managers executed 102 events and engaged more than 6,500 participants nationwide. Highlights of the month included:
Additionally, the month raised the awareness of IAEM-USA and our message. IAEM’s digital platforms served as the foundation for the month’s success. Across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, IAEM and its partners achieved substantial growth in visibility and engagement:
Additionally, as part of Awareness Month (and my favorite accomplishment), we created and distributed two commercial-grade Public Service Announcement videos showcasing the work of emergency managers, wherever we work. These videos will remain available to members and other emergency managers for use in their daily work. Links to each video can be found here.
Everyone in emergency management knows that partnership is at the center of what we do. This year, we doubled down on renewing and expanding partnerships with key organizations, including:
We also began exploring the concept of member benefit sponsorships. While details and a special announcement will be made at the Annual Conference, I am thrilled that IAEM-USA is working on an agreement to pilot a new member benefit sponsorship with EM1, the first AI-powered assistant specifically for emergency management.
As we reflect on our achievements, it is apparent that IAEM-USA has experienced remarkable growth and innovation between 2024 and 2025—expanding member resources, enhancing member engagement and digital experiences, and advancing our global influence as the voice of emergency management. These successes would not be possible without the unwavering dedication, expertise, and passion of our members, the board of directors, and staff.
Your service to the profession, your commitment, and your support of IAEM strengthen our collective ability to build resilient communities and shape the future of emergency management. Our association stands strong, resilient, and forward-thinking because of you.
Together, we have laid the foundation for a stronger, more connected IAEM-USA that champions excellence in emergency management. Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me to serve as your IAEM-USA President, your dedication and commitment to emergency management, and your service to your communities and organizations.
In Service,
Carrie Speranza, CEM
IAEM-USA President, 2024-2025