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October 2026
More Than 40 NACD Heartland Members Attend 2026 National Directors Summit
More than 40 NACD Heartland Chapter members attended the recent 2026 NACD Directors Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, joining more than 1,750 directors and governance leaders from across the country. The four-day event brought together board members representing more than 680 organizations, along with over 200 speakers, to explore the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing corporate boards today.
With boards navigating rapid technological change, increasing regulatory scrutiny, economic uncertainty and emerging risks, Summit offered opportunities to learn from leading governance experts and fellow directors. Through mainstage presentations, interactive workshops and peer discussions, attendees explored topics ranging from artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to strategy, board effectiveness and long-term risk oversight.
For Heartland members, Summit provided an opportunity to step outside their own boardrooms, exchange ideas with directors from different industries and bring home practical insights to strengthen their boards. Just as valuable were the relationships, candid conversations and fresh perspectives gained from connecting with governance leaders nationwide.
Several Heartland members who attended share their key takeaways, favorite sessions and memorable moments from this year's Summit below.
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Jamie Herbert, NACD.DC
Chief Administrative Officer, Green Plains, Inc; NACD Heartland Board of Directors
What I appreciated most about the Summit was its ability to connect emerging trends with practical considerations. Across multiple sessions, the program consistently focused on helping attendees think differently about risk, strategy, talent, technology, and stakeholder expectations. The collective value of the program was greater than any individual session, and I left with several ideas for application in my work and to share with others.
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Trey Humphrey
EVP and Chief Legal Officer, Lockton, Inc., NACD Heartland Board of Directors
While there were many great sessions, I think my favorite concerned building values-based leadership the age of AI an uncertainty. Harry Kraemer, who is the former CEO and Chairman of Baxter International and has for the past 21 years taught this topic at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern, put on what I can only call a masterclass of wisdom using only four leadership principles: Self-reflection, balanced perspective, true self-confidence, and genuine humility. In unpacking these principles, Harry managed to sprinkle in content ranging from quotes from St. Francis - “Grant that I may not so much seek to be understood as to understand” - to numerous real-world examples from his own professional career. One example that personally resonated with me is the common trap so many successful people can fall into when asked to what they attribute their success. Many will say their skill set and hard work when, in Harry’s own career, at least as much importance should be allocated to good luck, good timing, and support from others who cared, both personally and professionally.
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Amy L. Reasner
Attorney, Lynch Dallas Legal
My standout session was “Director Value Test: Courage and Self-Awareness that Define Great Boards.” What struck me most was the authenticity of the speakers. They openly shared their experiences, including moments when they did not have all the answers. That reinforced an important lesson for me: strong directors need the courage and humility to say, “I don’t know.” Often, when one person is willing to acknowledge uncertainty, others realize they have the same questions. The session emphasized creating a board culture that rewards questions, acknowledges (respectful) dissent, identifies biases and blind spots, and continually challenges the key assumptions underlying the decision-making matrix. It was a powerful reminder that courage in the boardroom is not about having every answer. It is about asking the right questions for the right reasons, being self-aware, and ultimately doing what is right for the shareholders, employees, customers, and the community.
Runner up: “Quantum Computing!” The speakers managed the nearly impossible: explaining quantum computing in a way that was accessible, and engaging. For once, I didn’t feel like the proverbial dog being asked to contemplate the nature of time.
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Terry Tobin
Chair, Iowa State University Foundation Board of Directors
My favorite session at the Summit was "Board Time is the Scarcest Resource: Redesigning the Board Agenda for Decision Quality and Strategic Impact." The "why" was that the panel provided actionable recommendations that challenged board leaders to curate agendas that:
- are more forward looking than backwards looking; members can read the reports in the board material;
- are more conversational than presentations; get discussions going;
- are more focused on deep dives rather than broad generalizations; pick a topic or two and dig in and
- ask management, “What are you thinking?” (ideas and projects that are not fully polished yet) and make that a safe space.
In addition, the panel stressed continuing board discussions about artificial intelligence and, whether in AI or elsewhere, never shying away from asking tough questions. Fostering a culture that makes asking the tough questions acceptable and expected is vital to dynamic and successful board decision-making.
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What challenged your thinking at Summit?
Share the ideas and conversations that left a lasting impression.
Email Heartland Board Member Suzanna de Baca at sdebaca@storyboardadvisors.com
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Are you passionate about a current governance topic?
We would love to feature you.
Each month, we highlight one or more of our NACD members. If you have expertise you'd like to share, please contact Heartland Board Member Suzanna de Baca at sdebaca@storyboardadvisors.com for more information.
We look forward to hearing from you!
| | NACD and the NACD Chapter Network organizations (NACD) are non-partisan, nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing directors with the opportunity to discuss timely governance oversight practices. The views of the speakers and audience are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of NACD. | | THANK YOU HEARTLAND SPONSORS | | |
We would love to hear from you. Please share your input and suggestions with NACD Heartland Chapter:
Karen Neal, Executive Director
Karen@heartlandnacd.org
816-377-6765
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