Gardian
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At Event Garde, our Gardians of the Month are leaders, experts, and innovators within our network who share the tools and resources that help them work smarter, lead better, and stay inspired. Throughout 2025, they highlighted the apps, platforms, books, and approaches that made a real difference in their work—whether it was streamlining meetings, boosting creativity, or staying on top of tasks.
From tech solutions to thought-provoking reads, here’s a look at the go-to tools and resources that powered 2025—and a few ideas you can borrow for your own work.
January 2025 – Bonnifer Ballard, Chief Executive Officer for the Michigan Veterinary Medical Association
Resource: Her professional network
Bonnifer relies on her network—colleagues, discussion threads, podcasts—to get answers, spark ideas, and work through challenges. She draws on these connections not just for information, but for perspective and inspiration. Whether it’s a quick question or new approach, her network helps her think through challenges and stay on track with her work.
February 2025 – Michael Hoffman, CEO for Gather Voices
Resources: Seven-Day Video Challenge & CliffNotes.AI
Michael emphasizes the power of video for engagement. The Seven-Day Video Challenge helps participants build confidence by creating one video each day, while CliffNotes.AI keeps him on top of the fast-moving world of AI tools for email, newsletters, and websites. Together, these resources help him communicate more effectively and embrace new technology in practical ways.
March 2025 – Judy Spanogle, Business Operations Coordinator for Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI)
Resource: Canva
Judy uses Canva to bring creativity to her work. From social media posts to flyers, presentations, and even short videos, Canva makes it easy to design, share, and collaborate. She also values its versatility—whether sharing designs with colleagues digitally or by printing them, it’s a tool that supports both day-to-day tasks and bigger projects.
April 2025 – Sharon Newport, CAE
Resource: "Equity" by Minal Bopaiah
Sharon turns to this dense, thoughtful book to explore culture, fairness, and equity. While it doesn’t provide step-by-step instructions, it’s a great teaching tool full of frameworks and references to help expand a personal library for creating systemic change.
May 2025 – Christine Saunders, President & Founder of Halmyre
Resource: Slido.com
Christine uses Slido to facilitate group discussions and engage participants in meetings and brainstorming sessions. Its intuitive interface and flexible formats make it easy to gather input, spark collaboration, and keep everyone involved. She finds it especially useful for staff, board, and team meetings where participation and idea-sharing are key.
June 2025 – Jennifer Briggs, CEO of Texas Society of Architects
Resource: Microsoft OneNote
Jennifer uses OneNote to capture notes, images, and documents all in one place. Linked across devices and integrated with Teams, it keeps information accessible wherever she works. For complex projects or long-term planning, OneNote helps her organize details efficiently and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
July 2025 – Stacey Sabiston, Global Account Executive for ConferenceDirect
Resource: Cvent Strategic Meetings Management Platform
Stacey relies on Cvent to evaluate venues, track availability, and review historical pricing and client feedback. It streamlines RFP distribution, consolidates responses, and helps her negotiate confidently. For Stacey, having a centralized, data-driven platform means she can advocate for clients effectively while saving time and reducing errors.
August 2025 – Nick Stepaniak, Director, Sections and Chapters for the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
Resource: Microsoft Outlook Folders
Nick organizes information for multiple sections and chapters using Outlook folders and subfolders. By keeping past communications and documents at his fingertips, he can stay on top of ongoing projects and respond quickly to colleagues. For him, organization isn’t optional—it’s essential to managing responsibilities nationwide.
September 2025 – Tara Puckey, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CMP, Executive Director for the Radio Television Digital News Association
Resource: Superhuman (email software)
Tara manages multiple email accounts—personal, work, and volunteer—with Superhuman. AI-powered recaps, bullet-pointed next steps, and in-email scheduling help her prioritize and stay organized. With so many moving parts, the platform helps her maintain focus and keep “inbox zero” within reach.
October 2025 – Laura Custy, Senior Account Executive, Account Sales Organization for Marriott International
Resource: Marriott Bonvoy Events
Laura uses Marriott Bonvoy Events as a central hub for exploring venues, accessing planning tools, and incorporating eco-friendly practices into meetings. Planners can search Marriott’s global portfolio by destination, brand, or meeting space, while taking advantage of exclusive offers. It’s a practical tool for creating both efficient and sustainable events.
November 2025 – Christina Lewellen, President & CEO for the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools (ATLIS)
Resource: Association Governance Institute Website
Christina recommends the AGI website, an ASAE initiative that centralizes governance resources for volunteer leaders. By bringing essential tools and guidance into one place, it helps boards and executives stay informed, make decisions confidently, and stay aligned with best practices.
December 2025 – Bob Doyle, President & CEO, Michigan Association of CPAs (MICPA)
Resource: Microsoft To Do
Bob uses Microsoft To Do for both his own tasks and team projects. Checking items off daily and meeting regularly to review progress keeps him and his team organized and accountable. He finds that keeping tasks visible and structured makes a tangible difference in staying on track and completing projects efficiently.
Looking back, it’s clear how much the right tools and resources can support effective work, leadership, and collaboration. Our Gardians shared practical approaches that helped them stay organized, inspired, and focused—and we hope their recommendations spark ideas you can put into practice this year.
Want to dive deeper? Check out the full Gardian Blog for more posts, videos, and resources from our network of experts throughout the year.
