INDIANAPOLIS — It’s been a big year for the American Society of Baking (ASB). From celebrating its 100th anniversary and revamping its branding to reorganizing educational offerings and launching its first-ever mentorship program, ASB’s initiatives have been designed with current and prospective membership in mind.
Kristen L. Spriggs, executive director of ASB, shared that part of what has allowed the organization to do so much comes down to rounding out the ASB staff over the past year. This includes the addition of Joanna Evoniuk as education and membership coordinator and Sarah Day as director of education.
“Bringing in the right talent to further the mission was an important need for us, as we had a clear vision and solid business plan of what we wanted to do,” Spriggs said. “Having the best people to support that — and the work of our volunteer leaders — was instrumental.”
The association’s leadership announced its new strategic plan with five focus areas that will help ASB keep growing as it enters its next era. This plan — shared with the organization’s members during BakingTECH 2024 — includes revenue growth for the association’s sustainability, membership development and growth for an enhanced community experience, industry advancement for workforce training solutions, brand awareness to reach new members and emerging bakery markets, and governance built for a modern organization.
One accomplishment under the strategic plan includes the integration of content into ASB’s Education Hub. In the past year, the association has centralized its content from the past 100 years, including webinars and external resources from the American Bakers Association’s (ABA) Baking Basics 101 wholesale bakery training course. The result is a streamlined collection of training, learning and development resources designed for members to easily access.