2026 NBA Convention Sessions
Legal/NAB Session - The Latest from Washington: FCC, Regulatory & Legislative Updates
Date: Tuesday, 1:00 - 1:50 PM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Nicole Gustafson - NABNicole Gustafson is Senior Vice President for Government Relations for the National Association of Broadcasters. Previously, Nicole served for two years as Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Football League, and eleven years in Congress in counsel and coalitions roles for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair John Cornyn, and Sen. Chuck Grassley. She holds degrees in political science and communications from William Penn University and received her J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. An Iowa native and proud Hawkeye, Nicole splits her time between Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and Arlington, Virginia.
Davina Sashkin - Wilkinson Barker Knauer
Davina Sashkin is a partner with the boutique communications firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer in Washington, DC (though she resides in Austin, Texas!). For nearly two decades, Davina has represented broadcast and telecommunications clients on all manner of FCC regulatory compliance matters, transactions and mergers, spectrum auctions, broadcast ownership issues, political broadcasting rules, as well as FCC investigations, enforcement proceedings, and administrative hearings. Davina also has extensive experience advocating for broadcast and telecommunications clients in FCC rulemaking and policy proceedings and in litigation before federal courts.
Summary
This session will provide the latest information about “hot topics” facing broadcasters before the FCC and Congress.
MANAGEMENT SESSION 1: 2026 Employment Law Update
Date: Tuesday, 2:00 - 2:50 PM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Tara Stingley - Cline Williams Wright Johnson & OldfatherMatt Sunshine is the visionary CEO of the Center for Sales Strategy, a leading platform company revolutionizing B2B revenue performance through its divisions: Up Your Culture, LeadG2, Robertson Lowstuter, and CSS. Renowned for his expertise in sales growth, talent acquisition, and digital marketing, Matt is also a sought-after writer and speaker, contributing to top business publications and authoring the influential book “Getting Prospects to Raise Their Hand.” Under his leadership, the Center for Sales Strategy empowers organizations and sets new industry standards.
Summary
The employment law landscape continues to evolve, presenting new challenges and considerations for employers to navigate. This session will address some of the most notable employment law developments, including:
o The EEOC's and DOL's areas of focus under the Trump Administration;
o The Nebraska Healthy Families and Workplaces Act and paid sick time requirements;
o Landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including religious accommodations and Title VII discrimination claims; and
o Artificial intelligence in the workplace.
RADIO SALES SESSION 1: Capture Your Share of the Digital Ad Boom
Date: Wednesday, 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Chris Brunt - Jacobs MediaRyan Dohrn is the founder of media sales training firm Brain Swell Media and has trained over 30,000 media sales reps in 7 countries. Ryan sells advertising every day and has been a part of over a BILLION dollars in media revenue. He has deep roots in the broadcast business with over 30 years in leadership roles at WLS/ABC TV, Sinclair Broadcasting, Cumulus Radio, and The NY Times Company. He is an Emmy Award winner, a multiple business book author, and has been featured in USA Today and on Forbes.com. Ryan currently works monthly with over 50 media companies and their related sales and management teams.
Summary
How Nebraska Stations Can Capture Their Share of the Digital Ad Boom!
Digital advertising isn’t the future—it’s the present. While audiences and ad dollars continue to shift online, broadcasters have unique advantages in local digital sales. This session takes a special look at what local advertisers in Nebraska are asking for right now. Through his work with multiple stations, Chris has “war stories” about how to grow revenue from existing as well as new clients across multiple categories. You’ll learn practical ways to add digital to your pitch, bundle it with your broadcast inventory, and handle common client objections. Whether you’re a GM, sales manager, or AE, you’ll leave with clear, actionable steps to grow your station’s digital revenue starting today.
TV SALES SESSION 1: Video, Video, Video: Stake Your Claim Before Someone Else Does
Date: Wednesday, 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Location: Regents DEF
Speakers
Tom Ray - Executive Vice President, JDA.mediaTerrance Burzynski is a seasoned media executive and marketing strategist with a strong track record in growth acceleration and brand development. As Vice President of Media Partnerships at Elevate Marketing Research, he leverages local consumer research to drive impactful multi-platform marketing campaigns that enhance brand performance and advertiser retention. Known for his analytical mindset and creative problem-solving, Terrance specializes in translating complex market data into actionable strategies that boost return on ad spend and deepen customer loyalty. His leadership style blends data fluency with a collaborative approach, making him a trusted partner in navigating today’s dynamic media landscape. Terrance has consistently delivered results by aligning brand objectives with data-driven marketing solutions. His commitment to excellence and continuous learning positions him as a forward-thinking leader in the industry.
Summary
A strategic blueprint for defending and expanding the video territory that belongs to you.
Whether it’s over the air, OTT, CTV, streaming, or social, VIDEO is the highest-impact medium in the market - and it belongs to us! This session is a direct challenge to every seller of sight, sound, motion and emotion (video) to reclaim the space radio, print, outdoor, and countless digital shops are trying to hijack. We give you the language, the confidence, and the strategy to plant your flag firmly in the video space and keep competitors off your turf. This is your domain. Own it with this battle-tested framework for proving video’s impact, claiming your territory, and shutting down competitors who don’t understand how to leverage video – across any platform - like you do.
RADIO & TV SALES SESSION 1: Winning in Local Sales When Nothing is Easy
Date: Wednesday, 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Tom Ray - JDA.mediaErin Callaghan is Futuri’s President, Enterprise Partnerships. She works with broadcasters and digital publishers worldwide, helping them keep pace with fast-changing technology. She has built her career helping her partners win in challenging environments. And she delights in using Futuri's technology to help partners increase revenue, grow their audiences and create better content faster and more efficiently. Prior to joining Futuri, Callaghan spent more than 25 years in broadcast sales and sales management at companies including Cox Media, Journal Broadcast Group, and Capstar. Contact Erin at erin@futurimedia.com.
Summary
Today’s sales landscape isn’t “challenging”—it’s downright punishing. But tough times create the clearest opportunities for standout performers. In this fast-moving session, Tom Ray arms sellers with the tools to stay disciplined, cut through advertiser confusion, accelerate slow-moving prospects, and push back against desperation moves that cost you credibility. This is practical, real-world sales tactics – uniquely needed in the trenches today. Fast-paced, practical, an absolute must for local sellers responsible for generating new demand.
NEWS SESSION 2: AI as Your Newsroom Assistant: Smarter Prompts, Faster Prep, Better Stories
Date: Wednesday, 10:30 - 11:45 AM
Location: Alumni
Speakers
Brendan Keefe - Chief Investigator, Atlanta News FirstWith over 17 years of digital marketing experience, Elizabeth Bernberg has spent her career developing and growing digital revenue strategies for media organizations across print, television, and radio. Her leadership roles with The Denver Post and Colorado Press Association, CBS Television Network, and Audacy have equipped her with a deep understanding of the digital landscape. At AdCellerant, she brings her industry expertise and dynamic leadership to help media organizations accelerate digital revenue growth and deliver impactful digital marketing solutions for advertisers. Originally from Texas, Elizabeth has called Colorado home for over two decades. She’s a proud graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder—SKO BUFFS—and will be completing her MBA from The University of Colorado - Denver in August of this year. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, cooking, dancing, concerts, and time with her family and friends.
Summary
Veteran broadcaster Brendan Keefe will show radio and television craftspeople how to use AI as a helpful assistant — not a replacement for journalists. The focus is on real newsroom workflows: saving time, sharpening story ideas, preparing better interviews, and creating cleaner versions of scripts for different platforms.
Brendan will demonstrate how AI can support the work journalists already do every day, while keeping human judgment, accuracy, ethics, and editorial control at the center. This session is designed for busy broadcasters who need useful tools they can apply immediately, without turning their newsroom upside down.
Broadcasters will learn how to:
• Write better prompts that get better results
• Generate and refine stronger story ideas
• Set up stories faster with smarter background prep
• Version scripts for TV, radio, web, social, and digital
• Prepare sharper interview questions and follow-ups
• Tighten copy without losing the reporter’s voice
• Use AI safely, ethically, and with full human oversight
NEWS SESSION 3: From Resilience to Renewal in Local News
Date: Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Location: Alumni
Speakers
Chip Mahaney - Media Executive-in-Residence, Southern Methodist UniversityKorby Gilbertson is a proud Lincoln native. She attended Lincoln High and the University of Nebraska where she received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business education in 1992 and a Juris Doctorate in 1996. Ms. Gilbertson is a partner with the lobbying and governmental relations law firm of Radcliffe Gilbertson & Brady where her firm provides full-service lobbying and governmental relations services to more than 40 clients. Issues the firm is regularly involved with include insurance, taxation, real estate, physical, mental and behavioral healthcare, telecommunications, education, and First Amendment issues including open meetings and public records. Korby currently serves on the board of directors for Nebraska Wildlife Crimestoppers. She is a past board member and board chair of the Lincoln Medical Education Partnership as well as HopeSpoke, The Nebraska Club, and the Lincoln YWCA. Korby and her husband Mark Munger live just outside of Lincoln. Their blended family includes one son, two daughters, four grandchildren, two cats and about 20,000 honeybees. In her free time, Korby enjoys gardening, cooking, canning, baking, and traveling.
Summary
Local newsrooms stand at a critical crossroads, facing pressures from many corners: falling revenue, job losses, and mega company mergers, amidst an increasingly polarized political landscape in which our journalists operate every day. Our industry is losing journalists young and old, as good reporters, photographers, producers and other newsroom staffers find they can use their multi-platform storytelling skills to do other work in perhaps more stable industries.
This session explores practical strategies for cultivating resilience among journalists and station leaders who remain committed to serving their communities despite these challenges. We'll examine how to maintain editorial integrity and sustain team morale when the path forward feels uncertain.
Beyond survival tactics, this conversation will focus on renewal - how to rediscover purpose in daily work, build sustainable practices that prevent burnout, and foster a culture where commitment to public service journalism can thrive even in adversity. Whether you're a leader navigating difficult decisions and trying to inspire team, or a reporter wondering how to sustain your passion for this work, this session offers both solidarity and practical tools for the road ahead.
RADIO PROGRAMMING SESSION 1: Multiplatform Media: A 360 View of Content Creation
Date: Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Location: Regents DEF
Speakers
Mike McVay - McVay MediaJeff McHugh coaches on-air, on-camera, on-stage and podcast talent with The Randy Lane Company. Jeff leads trainings around the world with companies like SiriusXM, Connoisseur Media/Alpha Media, Universal Pictures, Cumulus Media, Twitch TV, Midwest Communications, NBC Universal, Apple and Axios.
Summary
The media landscape has never been more crowded and the level of noise louder. The reality of today’s competition requires distributing content across many platforms. That necessitates various approaches to the development and creation of content. This session focuses on how to extend the reach of your programming, maximizing the use of Over The Air (OTA) to magnify your various platforms, and the way forward in the near future.
RADIO & TV SALES SESSION 2: It’s Not the Sale, It’s the Story: Turning Digital Strategy into Buyer Confidence
Date: Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:45 PM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Kelli Frieler - Vibrant ImpactRyan Dohrn is the founder of media sales training firm Brain Swell Media and has trained over 30,000 media sales reps in 7 countries. Ryan sells advertising every day and has been a part of over a BILLION dollars in media revenue. He has deep roots in the broadcast business with over 30 years in leadership roles at WLS/ABC TV, Sinclair Broadcasting, Cumulus Radio, and The NY Times Company. He is an Emmy Award winner, a multiple business book author, and has been featured in USA Today and on Forbes.com. Ryan currently works monthly with over 50 media companies and their related sales and management teams.
Summary
In today’s noisy media world, sellers win when they simplify the message. This session helps AEs, SMs, and GMs shift from selling tactics to telling stories that make digital strategy click. We’ll focus on how to translate complex tools into confidence-building conversations clients actually understand — and buy into. Walk away with frameworks, practical steps, and take-home tools for immediate use. To stand out when everyone is jumping into digital, and to secure the relationship, we have to help clients connect the tactics to their customers’ journey and make it sticky!
Learning Outcomes:
• Reframe sales conversations from placements and plans to purpose.
• Build clear advertiser personas that anchor every recommendation.
• Next steps and quick reference for digital storytelling
NEWS SESSION 4: Law Enforcement and Local Media: Working Together to Inform & Protect
Date: Wednesday, 3:00 - 4:45 PM
Location: Alumni
Speakers
Al Tompkins - Al Tompkins WorkshopsAl Tompkins is a Visiting Professor at Syracuse University and Senior Faculty Emeritus at The Poynter Institute, the world’s premiere school for journalists. For nearly 30 years, he worked as a photojournalist, reporter, producer, anchor, assistant news director, special projects/investigations director, documentary producer and news director. He is an FAA licensed Part 107 drone pilot. Tompkins has trained thousands of television news producers, reporters, photojournalists and managers in 49 states and several other nations. He teaches and coaches on the impact of AI in newsrooms, how to investigate and report, build interactive news websites, how to use video more effectively online and how to manage ethical issues. Over his distinguished career, Tompkins’ honors and awards include a National Emmy, the Peabody Award (group award), the Japan Prize, the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel for Court Reporting, seven National Headliner Awards, two Iris Awards and the Robert F. Kennedy Award. Tompkins is often quoted in newspaper, TV, network, public radio and cable coverage of media stories including NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, NPR Morning Edition and All Things Considered, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Boston Herald and hundreds of others. He holds an MA in Digital Journalism and Design from the University of South Florida.
Korby Gilbertson - Panelist - Nebraska FOI statute specialist, Radcliffe Gilbertson & Brady
Aaron Hanson - Panelist - Douglas County Sheriff
Jeremy McCoy - Panelist - Hamilton County Sheriff
Cody Thomas - Panelist - Public Information Officer, Nebraska State Patrol
Summary
This panel discussion will delve into the critical, often delicate, and sometimes strained relationship between local law enforcement officials and local broadcast journalists. Keeping the public safe and informed is an acknowledged mutual goal. However, circumstances of various kinds sometimes get in the way of gathering the information reporters seek to better inform the public – while law enforcement officials must balance the control of releasing sensitive details – whether it’s a developing emergency or following up on a recent situation.
Through the open dialogue of this session, all involved will come away with a better understanding of how we can best continue working together to inform and protect the public.
Scheduled Panelists:
Aaron Hanson – Douglas County Sheriff
Korby Gilbertson – Nebraska FOI statute specialist, Radcliffe Gilbertson & Brady
Jeromy McCoy – Hamilton County Sheriff
Cody Thomas – Public Information Officer, Nebraska State Patrol
Moderators:
Bayley Bischof – Gray Digital Media, Lincoln
Bill Schammert – KETV, Omaha
Steve White – Nebraska Rural Radio Association, Lexington.
RADIO PROGRAMMING SESSION 2: Conquering Content and Creating Connection: The Local Advantage in the Attention Economy
Date: Wednesday, 3:00 - 4:15 PM
Location: Regents DEF
Speakers
Steve Reynolds - The Reynolds GroupSteve Wexler’s career has taken him from the broadcast control room to the executive board room. His successful on-air work began in his hometown of Milwaukee with stops in Portland, OR and Seattle before beginning his Radio and TV management journey by returning to Milwaukee in 1993 as PD for Journal Communications’ WTMJ. He ascended to market manager positions in Tucson, AZ and Omaha, NE and began overseeing additional TV and Radio markets, including as the VP/GM of Journal’s KMTV-TV and their co-owned radio group in Omaha. In 2012, he was named division head of the 36-station, 8-market Journal Radio Group, a position he continued through Journal’s merger with Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps. In 2018, he led the sale of the radio group to four separate companies, including Good Karma Brands in Milwaukee, where remained as vice president and market manager until late 2022, when he launched his own leadership and coaching consultancy. Steve has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau and is a past Chair of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. Steve and his wife Amy live just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have two children and three grandchildren.
Summary
In a world overflowing with content, attention has become the most valuable currency in media. The stations and personalities that win aren’t simply creating more content, they’re creating stronger connections. In this fast-paced and practical session, talent coach Steve Reynolds explores how broadcasters can use local stories, community engagement, and authentic personality-driven content to stand out from national competitors and digital distractions. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas to create content that captures attention, builds loyalty, and reinforces radio’s greatest advantage: being local.
Steve’s presentation will include:
- Five ways to be more about your community you haven’t considered.
- Committing to a local cause and making the community better. How to do that.
- Racking up points-of-differentiation. Why this is so important.
- Cutting through all the noise - how what to do with your content makes listeners come back for more.
- The two most efficient ways to connect with your audience and create that bond where you must be in their lives.
RADIO & TV SALES SESSION 3: The Sales Bridge: Connecting Effort to Results
Date: Wednesday, 3:00 - 4:15 PM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Derron Steenbergen - The Swagger InstituteAaron Davis is a dynamic keynote speaker, author, and proud cancer survivor who has inspired over a million people with his message on the power of attitude. A member of the 1994 National Championship Nebraska Football Team, Aaron knows that attitude determines altitude. From janitor’s son to trusted speaker for brands like Walmart and ConAgra, Aaron’s story proves it’s not what you do—it’s how you do it. With real-life experience as a business owner, former corporate leader, and morning radio host, Aaron brings authenticity and humor to every audience he serves.
Summary
Sales success in broadcasting doesn’t happen by chance — it happens when consistent effort connects with purposeful execution. The Sales Bridge: Connecting Effort to Results helps broadcast sellers understand how daily habits, disciplined activity, and strong preparation translate into measurable revenue growth.
In this session, participants will learn how to build a solid sales foundation through intentional prospecting, pipeline development, and professional follow-through, while also discovering how to confidently turn effort into results by asking for business, delivering meaningful marketing solutions, and strengthening long-term client partnerships.
Attendees will leave with practical strategies to create momentum, increase confidence, and bridge the gap between what they do every day and the results they want to see on the revenue report.
Recommended for all sellers and managers.
NEWS SESSION 1: Better Stories on Deadline: Solo Shooting, Smarter Writing and Visual Tricks that Work
Date: Wednesday, 9:00 - 10:15 AM
Location: Alumni
Speakers
Brendan Keefe - Chief Investigator, Atlanta News FirstBill Kelly, Nebraska Public Media senior reporter/producer. Bill is a longtime member of the PEOPLE/Bench Media Committee, an organization that fosters cooperation between the media and the judiciary and was instrumental in getting cameras into Nebraska courtrooms.
Summary
In this fast, practical 75-minute session, Brendan Keefe will show working broadcast journalists how to make stronger, more memorable stories with the time, gear, and staffing they already have. The focus is not on expensive equipment or perfect conditions. It is on simple choices that make everyday stories look better, sound better, and connect more deeply with viewers.
Brendan has spent more than 35 years as a reporter, photographer, editor, and MMJ by choice. He will share the techniques he uses to turn ordinary assignments into compelling television: cleaner shooting, stronger sequences, better natural sound, smarter interview setups, faster writing, and creative solutions when the clock is working against you.
Broadcasters will learn how to:
• Shoot stories that feel intentional, not rushed
• Get better audio and cleaner interviews
• Use simple lighting and framing to improve every story
• Create visual variety when there is not much to shoot
• Write and edit for pace on deadline
• Turn limitations into creativity
• Add investigative value without turning every story into an investigation
MANAGEMENT SESSION 2: “Leading People Through Rapid, Unpredictable Change”
Date: Tuesday, 3:00 - 3:45 PM
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Troy Dannen - Director of Athletics, University of NebraskaKrista Anderson is a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) with over a decade of experience counseling individuals, couples, and families. Drawing from extensive training in evidence-based modalities—including CBT, DBT, trauma-informed therapy, and Gottman Level 1 marriage therapy—Krista integrates a holistic, person-centered approach rooted in empathy and clinical excellence. She specializes in adolescent mental health, trauma recovery, and relationship dynamics, and is deeply committed to helping clients thrive emotionally and relationally. Krista currently is one of the owners of Complete Wellness, a thriving group private practice in Omaha, and also partners with local schools and organizations to support community wellness.
Summary
As the local broadcasting industry undergoes rapid change, traditional business models for every facet of station operations are now anything but “traditional.” Employee and management roles change swiftly, often without notice and come with the natural questions about the road map for the future of our industry.
How do we find the opportunities within these changes and challenges? How do we support our people in such an unpredictable environment? In times of such uncertainty, it often helps to hear from someone in a different industry who is experiencing similar changes.
Look no further than the many uncertainties faced by Troy Dannen, Director of Athletics at the University of Nebraska. Skyrocketing student-athlete compensation and revenue-sharing demands. The complexities of NIL. Managing roster instability, thanks to the transfer portal. Ensuring long-term financial viability without cutting non-revenue sports. Perhaps most delicate: reconfiguring Memorial Stadium season ticket-holder status as part of a $600 million renovation project.
Troy will share his strategy and tactics for keeping his department personnel, coaching staff and student athletes focused on succeeding at their own responsibilities…as he guides the vision and direction.
MANAGEMENT SESSION 3: “Broadcasters Roundtable with U.S. Representative Mike Flood”
Date: Tuesday 4:00-4:30pm
Location: Regents C
Speakers
Mike Flood - Congressman Mike Flood – founder of Flood Communications & News Channel NebraskaSummary
As a fellow broadcaster and native Nebraskan, Congressman Flood offered to host this session to hear directly from NBA members about issues and concerns that affect their business, their employees and their communities. Hosted by NBA Chairman of the Board Mark Jensen (owner of KNLV AM/FM, Ord), this is your chance to speak directly with Congressman Flood about what he can do in Washington, DC to continue supporting Nebraska’s local broadcasters.
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