Allison Earlbeck was inaugurated as GAWDA President during the 2025 GAWDA Annual Convention in Tampa. Since then, she has been hard at work, planning this year’s national shows while also attending the regional meetings. We had the opportunity to interview Allison for the January 1, 2026, episode of GAWDA TV. The following is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation.
GAWDA TV –
We are lucky enough to be joined today by our 2026 GAWDA President, Allison Earlbeck. Allie, thank you so much for being with us today. You were officially announced as GAWDA President back in October at the Annual Convention in Tampa (see full recap on pages 42-57), and you introduced your theme for next year, which is “The Human Advantage in the Digital Age.” Can you explain what that theme means and why it resonates for you? Why do you think it’s so important for GAWDA members to be aware of in this moment?
Allison Earlbeck –
I’m so excited about our theme for this year. We have had so many conversations around AI and all the emerging technologies that are going to be so prevalent in the next decade and, really, the next century. These technologies are continuing to grow, and there’s no going back. And so, I want to make sure that we are continuing to have conversations with GAWDA members to show them how they can jump in and start utilizing AI so that it provides value to their business.
But I think that one of the most important things that we can do is also to reinforce the fact that humans are still such a pivotal part of our businesses. And I think that actually having emotional intelligence is going to be even more important in the coming generations because of the fact that AI is going to get rid of a lot of data analysis and some of the “magic” that we think that we bring to our companies. That is going to be transferred over to AI. And so, it leaves us with this existential question of, “If AI is going to be better at doing some of these tasks, then where do we fit in?” So, I think that we need to start having conversations about how we can contribute in this new era.
I really do think that we’re going to look back at this transition point and say, “Wow, we had no idea how much that was going to change things, not just from a technology perspective, but also from what really helps people rise to leadership and be successful in their roles.” So, really, it’s about having a dual conversation, right? One being “AI is important.” It will help your business. Let’s talk about how we do that.
However, humans are still going to be your advantage. So, how do we lean into that, and how do we grow people and start to mentor them so that they have the soft skills? We can let the robots focus on spreadsheets, and let the people be people and make those connections with each other, build a team, build consensus, rally people around a goal, and really get buy-in, because I think that really is what pushes things to the next level. So, we’re going to be focusing on both emotional intelligence and AI. Human advantage in the digital age.
GAWDA TV –
I love that. At the SMC in Oklahoma City, you’re going to be able to put your theme into practice. Registration for the event is open now. Can you give members a sneak peek of the event and what you’re so jazzed about?
Allison –
I am so excited about our speakers. We are finalizing them as we speak, but as of right now, we have some really cool people that we are bringing to the stage that our group is going to learn a lot from. First of all, we’ve got Anese Cavanaugh, who really does a great job of showing us how you come into a room, your energy, and the vibe that you bring to your team or to your culture really does impact everything. She’s going to be giving us some really cool lessons learned there.
She was a standout speaker at Seven Springs a year ago. So, the group actually has gotten a chance to know her and loved her. This is one of those times where we’re going to bring her back. She’s going to get a chance to come back and speak to the group. And now she knows us a little bit better. So, I think we’re going to get some really cool results out of that.
We also have Gene Marks, who is going to speak, as well. Gene is a fantastic speaker who speaks a lot about technology, but I will also say the thing that makes me excited about having him on the stage is that he’s really ready to bring us some practical insights. When we talk about technology, a lot of it can be quite lofty, which leaves us feeling intimidated and a little scared to jump in because it’s overwhelming. But Gene is going to be bringing some practical insights about some simple stuff that we can all do. Regardless of your business size, you can come home, and you can implement something that he’s going to give to our group. I’m really excited about that.
And we also have a motivational speaker. He’s going to give a great speech. I’m really excited about that, about the power of being “all in.” And I think that’s another one of those lessons where, sometimes, we need a good reminder. We might already know, right? But I think he’s going to bring a really cool message to our group.
And we have some great speakers for our educational tracks. I can’t announce all of those just yet, but I will say we will have Robert Gerry from Lampton Welding Supply, who is going to be speaking about how to “punch above your PSI.” How to compete with some businesses that are maybe a different size than you might be. I think that’s going to have some really cool takeaways.
We’re also going to have Michaela Falconer come back. She was another speaker that we’ve had in the past that people loved. And she’s going to come and speak to our group about some of the tools in the toolbox that you might need to have as we welcome in these new generations who are bringing their emotions to work, unlike generations that we might’ve been dealing with in the past. She will be helping us get ready for that generational shift.
And then we’re going to have Brad Davis, who is going to be speaking about lessons learned from a near miss from a safety incident. I think that is going to be very profound and impactful for our group. So, lots of good stuff to be announced still, but I’m really excited about our speakers.
GAWDA TV –
You were originally slated to have your SMC in Chicago, and that got pushed back a year for Oklahoma City. I know you’ve gotten to go there a couple of different times, and you have mentioned how surprised you were about how great a city it is. So, what would you say to a member to get them excited about OKC?
Allison –
So, Oklahoma City, I will say, it’s an underdog. And I love an underdog. I guarantee you, when you get there, Oklahoma City will surprise you. It is a very cool city. Not only is it central, so it’s easy to get to, but beyond that, it’s very walkable. They have really set up and designed the city with visitors in mind.
What I think is really cool about their backstory is that they realized, “This isn’t really a place that people want to come visit.” So, they actually implemented a penny tax on all sales. And with that, it got reinvested into building Oklahoma City up for tourism. So, if you have not been to Oklahoma City in a while, I can tell you it’s probably different from how you remember it. It’s really cool. Lots of cool bars and restaurants for our crew to walk to, and also some really cool venues for events.
GAWDA TV –
Awesome. Shifting gears for a second away from the SMC, you’ve been the president since October, but one of the common things that I’ve talked with a lot of the GAWDA Presidents about is the importance of balancing your responsibilities with the association, with your responsibilities at Earlbeck. I know those are conversations that had to be done before you even came on the board, but can you just talk about the discussions that you’ve had and what made you confident that you could undertake this role?
Allison –
It was really a team decision. It was not one that I wanted to make on my own. I wanted to make sure that my leadership team also saw value in it, because it was going to take away some of my focus from our business from a day-to-day perspective. And so, with that, I did have a conversation with Joe Vincent, who used to serve as our Vice President of Sales, and said, “I’d like to put you in the President role,” because I wanted everybody else to know I trust him, when I’m away, to make decisions on our company’s behalf. And so, he stepped into that role. He’s doing great. And he has continued to support us.
But I will also say, I think there’s also a misconception about how much being a GAWDA President changes your day-to-day. There are pockets of busyness. When we start to get down to brass tacks on planning, certainly, there is a lift there. But I have not felt, in any way, that I have had to really step away from my business or that my attention has been too terribly divided. I will also say, for anybody who’s ever considering the role, it is very manageable. GAWDA staff and GAWDA Media are a strong team. Really, you’re here to put in some color commentary from the industry. But aside from that, you don’t need to step in to run the association. It’s already very well run.
GAWDA TV –
You took over the presidency in October, as we talked about. Can you talk about anything that has been super rewarding so far? And, on the other hand, anything that maybe you didn’t expect that’s come up, to date?
Allison –
The thing that has been both super rewarding and super surprising is how much better I’ve gotten to know our GAWDA members. I have been attending GAWDA meetings for the last 15 years. So, I already knew the group pretty well. However, being able to serve in this role has really allowed me to deepen a lot of those relationships, because one of my jobs is that I need to kind of check in with everybody, see how things are going, what they want to learn more about, what they need from the association. And with that, I realized that there is a lot more commonality than I think sometimes we give credit for. We all pretty much go through the same thing.
My list of GAWDA friends has just continued to grow and gotten even better. And so, with that, I have a lifeline of people that I can call if I ever find myself in a scenario that I haven’t handled before. I can say, “Wow, this is new for me. I haven’t dealt with this, but my friend over there at that company was just talking to me about how they went through this.” So, I can get some lessons learned. I already thought that I knew the GAWDA group pretty well, but wow, I have gotten to know them at a much deeper level than that.
GAWDA TV –
I would say the events are probably the highlight of the year as president, but is there anything else that you’re super excited about for this year?
Allison –
I am super excited about GAWDA Gives Back, personally. We’re not at the point where we can announce who our charity is going to be, but I am really, really excited to be able to help choose what our GAWDA Gives Back charity is going to be. When evaluating whether or not I wanted to take this role, this was one of the deciding factors where I said, “I don’t think I’m ever going to have another chance to fundraise in this capacity.”
It, to me, is kind of what sealed the deal in terms of it’s worth it. At the end of the day, it’s a volunteer role, but we get to leave our mark through the GAWDA Gives Back program. And that’s an experience that I couldn’t say no to.
GAWDA TV –
We’ve obviously covered a lot of ground, but is there anything else that you wanted to share with members before we go today?
Allison –
So, I have said this time and time again, and I will say this until I am forced off stage, you get out of GAWDA what you put into it. Once I started to volunteer on the committee level and just started to get to know people in our industry, that was when GAWDA really started to show its magic. We provide a ton of benefits to our members, but one of the things that I think sometimes we undervalue is the power of networking.
I would highly recommend it for anybody who is new, finding their role, just trying to figure out how to jump in. I would say start on a committee. It is as simple as going to the GAWDA website, taking a look at the different committees that we have, and throwing your name in the hat. And here’s the thing, you don’t have to be an expert. It’s actually a great learning opportunity.
So, if you know a little bit about safety, but you just want to kind of listen to that conversation, please join the Safety Committee, because I guarantee you, you will learn something, and you also will have something to give to it. You’ll have a different perspective, a new perspective. Please don’t hesitate to jump in. Don’t feel like you have to be tapped on the shoulder. Pretty much all of us just started by saying, “I don’t know what this is going to look like, but let me just show up to a committee meeting and see what happens.” And then, you know, it’s a train from there.
GAWDA TV –
Perfect. Well, Alison, thank you so much for being with us today. We look forward to working with you throughout this year as president. And you’re off to a great start. So, thank you so much. 
