About NSA – Colorado

Home of the professional communicator

COMMUNITY. CONTENT. COMMERCE.

If you are a speaker, workshop leader, trainer, corporate consultant, business coach, life coach, author or aspiring speaker or thought leader… you’ve come to the right place.

A chapter of the National Speakers Association, NSA – Colorado is widely regarded as one of the most robust, success-oriented NSA chapters in the nation.

Attend our next event, and take an amazing STEP UP in your career. Come for the learning, stay for the networking!

Attend our next event

See what our members have to say!

What makes this group so special?

It’s thanks to our wide variety of programs: content-rich monthly events, the NSA – Colorado Speaker’s Academy (launchpad for professional speakers), topical mastermind activities, and other chapter benefits.

But mostly, it’s thanks to our amazing members – high-energy entrepreneurs who strive for ever-greater levels of personal and professional success.

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“There came a time when I realized my next big step in reaching more people through my business was public speaking and training. Navigating this journey has been one of the most challenging business steps I have taken and I am doing it with ease as an NSA member. The genuine heartfelt support from my fellow members has kept me on my path. Without a cooperative, giving spirit, I would not be as far along as I am and may even have given up. Thank you NSA – Colorado from the bottom of my heart.”

Carolyn Hart

Our Vision

NSA – Colorado is the resource destination for the professional communicator. The Colorado chapter of the National Speakers Association serves professional – and aspiring – speakers, workshop leaders, trainers, corporate consultants, business coaches, life coaches, authors, and other thought leaders.

We help professional communicators grow their speaking business by offering a variety of programs to hone the skills, integrity, and values needed to succeed. Plus, NSA – Colorado is the premier resource for meeting planners looking for top-notch professional speakers.

Meet Our Board

Say hello to the NSA – Colorado board of directors, 2021-22

Look high or low, you won’t find a more committed – or creative – board of directors! Balancing fun with unflagging enthusiasm, your NSA – Colorado board of directors works diligently to deliver content-rich programs, the NSA – Colorado Speaker’s Academy (launchpad for professional speakers), as well as ongoing workshops, podcasts, and other leading-edge learning events.

Attend our next event and say hello!

Tanis Roeder

President

Heather Younger

President Elect

Susan Frew

Vice President & Treasurer

Sharon Black

Immediate Past President

Marlene Bizub

Secretary/Director Operations

Keith Bailey

Director - Professional Development

Jenn Dewall

Director - Colorado Speakers Academy

Andre van Hall

Director- Membership

Amanda Jo Erven

Director - Special Programs (Pro Mastermind/ Accelerate/ Video Showcase)

Will Matthews

Director - Industry & Community Relations (MIC)

Lori Pace

Director - Sponsorship

Jen DeVore Richter

Director- Marketing & Member Promotions

Tom Frey

Director at Large

Are you interested in serving on the NSA – Colorado Board of Directors? To qualify, you must be a Professional Member of the national NSA and the Chapter, in good standing. The Call for Nominations is usually published in January or February.

Consider nominating yourself or someone else you think would be an excellent addition to the Board team. A Nominations Committee reviews nominations and recommends a slate of candidates to the membership in April. New directors take office July 1. Terms are two years, with the exception of the President-Elect/President/Immediate Past President positions.

Our History

Why and how did NSA – Colorado get started?

In 1981, Joe Sabah had just completed a 6-month assignment booking Cavett Robert, founder of the National Speakers Association. Cavett had asked Joe to move to Phoenix temporarily, and instructed Joe to make calls to set up speaking engagements. The goal? Book Cavett to speak 5 days a week. Note that Cavett was 73 years old at the time! Often, Joe traveled with Cavett as he spoke around the country.

In 1981, Joe and Judy Sabah were new members of the National Speakers Association – and newlyweds. Thanks to their shared speaking passion, they founded a speaking business and presented classes, which inspired attendees to become accomplished speakers. Over the years, Joe and Judy Sabah presented to thousands of aspiring speakers. In fact, Joe is still teaching his class, “How to Speak for Fun and Profit.”

In early 1982, the National Speakers Association floated the idea of creating local chapters. At the NSA convention in Chicago that year, Joe and Judy learned what it would take to start a chapter – and were inspired to found a chapter in Colorado.

Fueled by their passion for NSA and for speaking – coupled with a database of speakers as a result of the classes they had been teaching – Joe and Judy Sabah scheduled the first meeting of the Colorado Speakers Association.

The program was held July 24, 1982, at a conference room in the American Motel in Denver. Joe Sabah was elected founding president, with Judy Sabah and Lee Shelton elected as members of the leadership team. The founder of the National Speakers Association, Cavett Robert, was the keynote speaker for the event, with 52 guests attending.

Just two years later – in 1984 – NSA – Colorado was chartered.

We’re proud to continue the decades-long tradition of being widely regarded as a premier chapter of the National Speakers Association. In fact, several of our chapter leaders have stepped up to serve as National Presidents of NSA: Scott Friedman, CSP, CPAE; Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP; Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE; and Laura Stack, MBA, CSP, CPAE.