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Foundational Lessons from Staff Institute 2026

Staff Institute 2026 brought pooling professionals together to examine current issues, exchange ideas and consider what they can put into practice in their pools. A few ideas stood out. Make intentional choices about time and attention. Pools juggle competing priorities every day, making it important to be intentional about where time and attention go. Reducing unnecessary work creates capacity for higher-value efforts. Focus on the moment of decision . Good decisions require prepa ration, but ther e comes a time to commit. Knowin g when more information will improve the outcome — and when it may delay ...
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2027 AGRiP Board of Directors Election Results

Congratulations to the two candidates elected to the AGRiP Board of Directors : Mary Beth Woods , Executive Director, Public Employer Risk Management Association (PERMA ) and incumbent Board member Diane Ilenstine , Director of Pool Administration, Texas Water Association Risk Management Fund (TWARMF) Both will serve four-year terms beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.
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Good Decisions Take Practice

People develop judgment by making decisions themselves. Having meaningful decisions to own, clear boundaries, and enough time and space to think builds decision skills through experience. It’s also important to review decisions methodically by considering: What information influenced this decision most ? What options did we consider? Did the decision reside with the person(s) best positioned to make it? What about this decision process would we repeat? What would we do differently? What did this decision teach us that we can apply to a similar circumstance? In our latest Intelligence ...
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What It Means to Invest in AGRiP

Pools participate in AGRiP to find commonality and connection. Claims people swap stories, underwriters compare methods and risk managers share ideas for new initiatives. No matter your pool or role, there's someone within AGRiP working through the same issue or fac ing a similar challenge . T hose points of connection don’t happen on their own . Experiencing the full value of AGRiP — or any other association — requires an investment of time, ideas and participation . The more members contribute, the more valuable the association becomes for everyone. Here are su ...
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Voting for AGRiP Board of Directors Now Underway

AGRiP’s Board of Directors is comprised of member representatives serving four-year terms. The current election is for two Board seats with terms beginning Jan. 1, 2027. One incumbent candidate is seeking re-election. Read the candidates’ biographies. Designated Representatives of regular member pools and sponsoring associations can cast ballots in the Board of Directors election. Voting is open until noon ET on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026 .
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Understand Pool Finance

A pool’s financial decisions affect every area of its operations, and vice versa — but staff outside finance may not always know how their work intersects with financial priorities and activities. Pooling Academy’s Finance Learning Path helps all pool staff connect financial concepts to their own responsibilities, ask more informed questions and better understand pool decisions. Courses include: Important Finance Concepts / Actuaries and Audits (two-part course) — Includes foundational financial concepts about long-term viability . Financial Reporting Practice — ...
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Poppi Turns Questions into Practical Resources

Poppi is a pool-specific AI chat environment to find and summarize informatio n and generate insights and ideas . A recent conversation about First Amendment auditors shows how AGRiP members can use Poppi to move from a question to a ready-to-use resource. The conversation started with a simple question: What do you know about First Amendment auditors? Poppi explained who First Amendment auditors are, what they do and why their interactions can create risk for public entities. She also outlined what auditors generally can and cannot do in public spaces and offered practical guidance for public entities. ...
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Staff Institute At-a-Glance — Register by Sept. 11

Register for Staff Institute 2026 by Friday, Sept. 11. View the at-a-glance agenda for Open Sessions , featuring content for all staff roles and pool lines of coverage. You don’t want to miss this learning opportunity. You can also view details about the Residency Experience . This immersive experience helps pool leaders adopt a reductive mindset, prioritize time and attention, reduce lower-value work and strengthen member outcomes. Hear from AGRiP Resident Juliet Funt about what you'll learn in the Residency Experience. Staff Institute also offers time to connect with peers outside educational sessions. Join our Prince-inspired ...
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Nominations Open for AGRiP Board of Directors

Nominations are being accepted for election to the AGRiP Board of Directors . There are two seats for four-year Board terms beginning Jan. 1, 2027. One incumbent Board member will seek re-election. The deadline for nominations is 3 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 . Only Designated Representatives who are appointed by the governing body of a regular member pool are eligible for election to the Board of Directors. However, anyone from an AGRiP member pool can make a nomination . AGRiP’s goal is to engage a broad range of perspectives, backgrounds and talents on the Board. We encourage member pools to reflect on the diversity of experience within your ...
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2027 and 2028 Conferences

Plan ahead for our future conferences : Governance Conference 2027 is March 7–10 in New Orleans, LA. Staff Institute 2027 is Oct. 3–5 in Hollywood, CA. Governance Conference 2028 is March 12–15 in San Diego, CA. Staff Institute 2028 is Oct. 1–3 in Charlotte, NC.
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Learn Strategic Pooling Skills with $ource Game

$ ource Game is a fun, interactive pool simulation that challenges participants to manage a fictitious pool through changing market conditions — and it’s being offered during Staff Institute 2026 . Working in small teams throughout the conference, you'll learn how to make financial and operational decisions, receive real-time feedback and see how your choices shape long-term pool performance. This optional program is available only to attendees from AGRiP member pools participating in Open Sessions . There is no additional cost to participate ...
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Strengthen Your Skills and Professional Network at Staff Institute 2026

Staff Institute 2026 , Oct. 4–6 in Minneapolis , will build your skills and deepen your understanding of the work shaping pools today . Learn from and with other pools about day-to-day challenges — such as adapting your pool’s coverage to address members ’ emerging use of AI — a s well as bigger picture topics like applying systems thinking and strategic foresight to complex problems . Register for the conference option t hat best fit s y our r ole and interests : Open Sessions ...
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Online Course Helps Pool Teams Improve Focus

A Minute to Think is our online course that helps pool teams reduce meeting overload, overcommunication and work habits that quietly drain time , energy and attention. The course is available only through the end of the year. It includes 14 weekly lessons that take less than 10 minutes to complete. You'll learn practical strategies to: R educe or eliminate low-value ta sks S ay “no” to unnecessary demands Rethink meetings — when to attend, decline or adjust participation Prioritize your work and d etermin e true urgencies Improv e email habits ...
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Learn from Your Peers in Pooling

Our peer groups bring together pooling people with similar responsibilities and challenges. Partic ipants exchange ideas, broaden their knowledge and solve common problems. Whether you're new to pooling or have years of experience, participating in a peer group helps you build helpful connections and gain new perspectives . The AGRiP Health Pool Resource Group (AHPRG) connects health pool professionals to discuss trending loss issues, cost-containment strategies, enrollment and plan design developments. In General ...
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Survey Findings Help Pools Rethink Meetings, Email and Workloads

Pool staff at every level and in every role spend nearly four hours each workday managing email and another two hours in meetings, according to early findings from our workplace efficiency survey . Based on findings within its team, o ne participating pool reduce d the number of recurring staff meetings to free up time for more meaningful work . The pool also created clear expectations for email response standards and taught staff to identify when saying “no” to new work was acceptable . The pool used its findings to overcome ...
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Translate Learning into Action at Staff Institute 2026

Staff Institute 2026 , Oct. 4–6 in Minneapolis, is for people in pooling to explore today’s biggest challenges, learn new approaches and identify ideas that can be put into immediate action. View the schedule to see wha t you will learn and c hoose the option that best fits your role : Open Sessions are available to any attendee and provide a traditional conference e xperience with a pool-specific focus . Concurrent sessions and roundtable discussions feature topics such as helping members make better use of ...
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Pool Staff Struggle to Find Time for Meaningful Work

How much time do pool teams spend on work that directly benefits pool members ? According to early findings from our workplace efficiency survey , less than they would like . Nearly 60 percent of pool staff report they rarely, or only occasionally, have enough time in their day to focus on work that benefits their pool and its members. Instead, they spend an average of 6.5 hours each day managing email, messages and meetings. They also estimate at least 20 percent of that time adds little value to their work. Survey comment s ...
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Staff Institute 2026 Registration Is Now Open for Pools

Registration is open for pools to attend Staff Institute 2026 , Oct. 4– 6 in Min neapolis. Choose the learning option that best fits your role and goals: The Residency Experience is a 2.5-day immersive program for pool executives and senior staff. Facilitated by AGRiP Resident Juliet Funt, you'll apply a reductive mindset to real operational demands, examine how work gets done and build habits that protect your team's time, energy and focus. S pace is limited to 130 attendees. → Register for the Residency Experience. Open Sessions ...
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Build a Member-Focused Pool Culture

Pooling Academy’s Member Services Learning Path gives pooling professionals in any role practical guidance they can apply in their day-to-day work . Strong member service helps pools stay connected and respond to changing needs. Courses in the learning path include: Demonstrating Value — Learn how pools identify member needs, address emerging issues and demonstrate value. L everaging Partnerships — Examine how partnerships, marketing and outreach support member engagement . Everyone at a Pool Works in Member Services — Understand how every ...
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Best Practices Resources for AI in Pooling

Your pool’s service providers are likely already using AI to support your operations, which introduces risks related to data privacy, security, transparency and accountability. It’s important to understand how service providers use AI and place safeguards to protect pool (and member) data. Our Service Prov ider AI Checklist is a practical method to look at AI use across contract relationships. Use the checklist during provider selection, contract negotiations, compliance reviews, and ongoing service management to support stronger oversight and more informed decision-making . The checklist includes : ...
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