June 2026 Newsletter - ICF-North Texas

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JUNE 2026

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Board Message

Reeshemah Davis
ICF North Texas Director of Communications

communications@icf-nt.com

Hello ICF North Texas Community!

My name is Reeshemah Davis, and I have the privilege of serving as Director of Communications for our chapter. I’m excited to share a brief reflection that connects two things I care deeply about: community and coaching.

As coaches, we understand the power of connection, and our ICF North Texas Chapter continues to thrive because of the meaningful ways members show up, engage, and support one another.

Communication is more than sharing information. It’s how we strengthen relationships, celebrate accomplishments, and create opportunities for learning and growth. Whether you attend an event, participate in conversations online, invite a colleague to join us, or engage with our social media content, your presence helps expand the impact of our chapter.

Welcome New Members!

We are so happy you have joined us.

Full Members:
Jinja Martin
Kathy McLean
Ravi Verma

Associate Members:
Lara Azcona
Sarah Francisco
Nicki Jones

Congratulations to Our New Credential Holders!

PCC Credentials:
Jennifer Duggan, PCC
Michele Mitchell, PCC
Malini Shah, PCC
Maureen L Tarantello, PCC

MCC Credentials:
Kelly Gallagher, MCC

Lisa Seay, PCC, Joins ICF North Texas Board

Please join us in welcoming Lisa Seay as our 2026 ICF North Texas President-Elect.

Lisa has been an active member of ICF North Texas since 2015 and has served the chapter in several ways including as the Communications Director from 2017–2019, on the 2025 Nominations Committee, and as the lead for our 2026 Winter Board Retreat.

She also helped launch Celebrate Coaching eight years ago, creating a lasting chapter tradition that continues to bring our coaching community together.

We are grateful for Lisa’s continued commitment to ICF North Texas and excited for the experience, perspective, and collaborative spirit she brings as we continue Thriving Together.

Welcome Lisa!

Coaches Circle

Mark your calendars and join an ICF North Texas Coaches Circle across DFW and beyond! Based on your feedback, we launched informal gatherings in smaller spaces—Coaches Circle. These small-group gatherings are a great way to connect, learn, support one another, and have fun with fellow ICF North Texas coaches.

Check out our calendar for the next scheduled Coaches Circle. If one interests you, simply show up! Each event has a designated contact person for RSVPs and any questions.

Don’t see one in your area? Would you like to start your own Coaches Circle in your area? Contact Dara Rossi at past-pres@icf-nt.com to get started.

We’re getting smaller to thrive together!

BIG NEWS!

We are proud to share that ICF North Texas has once again received the ICF Global Recognition Award!

This achievement reflects the collective dedication, leadership, and commitment of our Board, members, volunteers, and coaching community. It is a meaningful recognition of the impact we continue to make and the high standards we uphold in service to the coaching profession.

Receiving this award again is a testament to the consistency, collaboration, and care that define our chapter. Each program, event, volunteer effort, and member contribution helps strengthen our community and advance the value of coaching.

Thank you for making 2025 such an extraordinary year. We are grateful for your engagement, support, and partnership, and we look forward to another year of learning, connection, and impact together.

Congratulations, ICF North Texas!

Don’t Take This Sitting Down
by Rory Brannum, ICF-NT Treasurer

Have you heard about the mechanic whose car wouldn’t start? Or the barber who needed a haircut? How about the prison guard who thought his job was too confining? The list goes on, and they’re all funny. That is, until you bring up the coach who was so focused on coaching skills, business development, and clients that their personal health and wellbeing steadily declined.

While there are exceptions, coaching can be a completely sedentary profession. It’s a life of Zoom meetings, phone calls, and seated conversations across from another person. Without intentionality, we risk concluding each day having done nothing for our own health and wellbeing. The price we pay in the short term could be a lack of focus during a coaching session. In the long term, the true cost is often measured in decreased independence and longevity.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

When I began to address my health more proactively in my 50s, I felt overwhelmed at times. So instead of trying to change everything at once, I decided to focus on improvements in movement and nutrition. The results were encouraging. Small, consistent steps led to bigger changes than I expected, including goals I never imagined were still possible for me.

Three areas deserve your consideration, regardless of where you are on the wellness spectrum.

Movement. We begin losing muscle mass in our mid-30s. The rate accelerates after 60. A sedentary profession compounds a natural biological process. The question isn't whether movement matters. Are you being intentional about activities that address your cardio, strength, and balance needs?

Nutrition. We live in an era of hyper-processed food engineered to override the body's own signals. What we put in impacts our energy, focus, resilience, and longevity. Are you being mindful about how you fuel your body?

Sleep. It may be the most underrated tool at our disposal. Cognitive function, emotional regulation, and metabolic health degrade without adequate, quality sleep. Are you giving your body and mind the rest it needs to show up at your best each day?

My exhortation is for awareness, rather than to a specific plan. We each have our choices. But we don’t have to take the hazards of a sedentary workday sitting down.

ICF North Texas LINC Overview

LINC groups are one of the most valuable ways members Learn, Interact, Network, and Contribute in small, special-interest groups designed to foster meaningful engagement among coaches at every stage of their professional journey.

What Are LINCs?
LINCs are member-driven communities built around shared interests, specialties, or developmental goals. They provide a welcoming, discussion-based environment where coaches can deepen skills, exchange insights, and build authentic relationships. As a core benefit of chapter membership, LINCs strengthen both professional capability and community connection.

Why Members Love LINCs

Targeted learning: Dive deeper into topics such as credential support, advanced mastery, business building, digital marketing.
Group Mentor Hours or CCEUs: Some LINC groups support credentialing requirements by offering group mentoring or CCEUS.
Collaborative connection: Engage with peers in a safe, supportive space that encourages multiple points of view.
Ongoing growth: Many LINCs include skill drills, demonstrations, guest speakers, and peer practice opportunities.
Community building: Members expand their professional network while contributing their own expertise.

Explore the current LINC offerings on our website here and find the group that supports your goals and interests.

If you don’t see one that fits your needs, or have an idea for a new LINC, let’s chat.

For questions or suggestions, please Dara Rossi, Past President, at dara@workplace-joy.com.

Academic and Research LINC

Have you heard? We have a new LINC group. We hope you’ll join us to see what it’s all about! Check out the details below.

The Academic Research and Writing for Coaches LINC: This group is for coaches who want to learn about and discuss the latest academic research in the field of coaching. These discussions can be a way to inform your business or your own curiosity. It is also a group that supports members who want to pursue their own contributions to the scholarly understanding of coaching by providing an opportunity to collaborate or gain insight into the publishing process. It is held the first Tuesday of every other month from 12:00 – 1:00 PM CT. Months: May, July, Sept, and November.

Open Writing Space: This Zoom time is open to all ICF-North Texas members as a dedicated distraction-free space to support intentional writing practices. This time can be used for whatever you need: content creation, academic writing, journaling, etc. The final five minutes of the session may be used to ask for writing support (e.g., asking for draft review or editing help). Cameras are optional, but please mute your microphones and only use direct messages to chat. It is held the first Tuesday of every other month, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM CT. Months: June, August, October, and December.

New ICF-North Texas Advertising Partner

Camp Client Ready
5 days. 5 themes. Everything you need to be ready for clients.

Camp Client-Ready is a five-day virtual business challenge for coaches. Each day covers one foundational piece: your business structure, your ideal client, your offer, your client experience, and your plan for actually signing clients.

By Friday, you're not just thinking about building your coaching business. You've built it.

Visit campclientready.com to learn more.

June Hybrid Chapter Meeting and Program

The Truth About Resistance: Working with Resistance in Organizational and Individual Coaching
Cherie Silas, MCC
June 12, 2026

Hybrid Meeting - 11:15 AM – 1:15 PM CT
Networking begins at 11:15 AM | Meeting begins at 11:30 AM

In Person at Las Colinas Country Club, 4400 N O’Connor Road, Irving, TX 75061
Or Virtually Via Zoom

In-Person Attendees Registering by June 7: Members – $40 / Non-Members – $50
In-Person Attendees Registering after June 7: Members – $50 / Non-Members: – $60
Virtual Attendees: Members – $30 / Non-Members – $40

CCEUs: 1.5 Core Competency 1.5 | 0.5 Resource Development

Every coaching engagement involves change, and where there is change, there is resistance. Often misunderstood as a lack of commitment, resistance is actually a revealing signal of deeper issues like fear, uncertainty, or identity protection.

This session offers a dual-track approach to navigating these challenges at both the organizational and individual levels. Rather than viewing resistance as a barrier, participants will learn to treat it as a diagnostic tool.

For virtual attendees: We can’t wait to see you! To help us get the most out of our time together, if possible, please have your camera on and join from a quiet, well-lit spot with your notifications silenced. If you’re using a phone, just prop it up so you can be fully present and enjoy networking with your fellow coaches!

DEIB Lunch and Learn Series Session 1

Voices of Belonging: Listening Beyond Words
Dr Aikyna Finch, PCC
June 18, 2026

Virtual Event | 12:00 – 1:00 PM CT

CCEUs: 1.0 Core Competency

Join us on June 18 for our first DEIB Lunch and Learn session to deepen your ability to create coaching spaces where diverse voices are genuinely heard, valued, and affirmed. This session will include a 45-minute interactive presentation and a 15-minute facilitated dialogue. Attendees will:

Strengthen identity aware listening skills.
Recognize subtle invalidation patterns in coaching conversations.
Apply listening techniques that elevate marginalized and emerging voices.

Dr. Aikyna Finch, PCC is a passionate DEIB leader, educator, and strategist committed to creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. As the Vice President of DEIB for the International Coaching Federation (ICF), she leads global initiatives that champion equity and belonging. With a Doctor of Management and advanced degrees in technology and marketing, Dr. Finch merges data-driven strategy with human-centered leadership. She is also a TEDx speaker, author, and certified coach. Through her voice, vision, and advocacy, Dr. Finch empowers individuals and organizations to transform DEIB from intention into impactful, lasting action.

We can’t wait to see you! To help us get the most out of our time together, if possible, please have your camera on and join from a quiet, well-lit spot with your notifications silenced. If you’re using a phone, just prop it up so you can be fully present and enjoy networking with your fellow coaches!

Upcoming North American Webinar

June 24 North American Webinar
Co-Creating the Coaching Relationship: Cultivating Trust and Safety
Debra Kopelman, MCC

Virtual Event | 2:30 – 4:00 PM CT

Webinar Fee: Member - $20 | Non-Member - $25

CCEUs: 1.5 Core Competency

Trust is the foundation of every transformative coaching relationship. In this interactive session, Debra Kopelman unpacks the ICF Core Competency—Cultivates Trust and Safety—exploring how coaches can create a space where clients feel truly seen, heard, and respected. Participants will have the opportunity to review and discuss a demo demonstrating this competency along with time for self-reflection on how they demonstrate this competency with their own clients.

Learn how to build genuine connections that foster openness, courage, and deep self-discovery — empowering clients to step into growth with confidence and authenticity.

July Virtual Chapter Meeting and Program

Breakthrough Coaching, Backed by Neuroscience: 7 Brain-Based Strategies for Faster Insight and Lasting Change
Sherry Yellin, PhD, PCC, BCC
July 10, 2026

Virtual Event | 11:15 AM - 1:15 PM

There is no cost for this program.

In celebration of our 2025 Chapter of Excellence award, our July chapter meeting is complimentary for all members and guests. Thank you for being part of what makes our chapter award-winning.

CCEUs: 1.5 Core Competency | 0.5 Resource Development

You already know the power of coaching. You’ve seen the breakthroughs, the clarity, the moments that change everything.

Great news! Those moments don’t have to be rare or slow, and we can create more of them. When we align with how the brain works best, we can accelerate insight faster, lower resistance, and make change stick.

In this session, we’ll break down CRANIUM, the 7 Brain-Based Strategies that drive how people learn, engage, and transform. We’ll translate neuroscience it into practical coaching experiences you can use immediately, whether you’re working one-on-one or with a group. This session is really about amplifying your impact as a coach by working with the brain and not against it.

Get Involved

Make 2026 the year you get even more from your ICF North Texas membership! From one-time projects to ongoing committee roles, there are many ways to plug in, share your strengths, and build deeper connections. Volunteering grows your network, amplifies your impact, and helps our community Thrive Together.

Curious how your strengths can make an impact? Connect with 2026 President Natalie Mendez at natalie@mendezcoaching.com to discover ways to get involved in 2026.

2026 is Our Year of Celebrating You!

We want to recognize you for your wins, milestones, or just because…

Please tell us what you’re up to and how you’re making an impact—big or small, it all matters!

Share your good news with us here so we can celebrate alongside you.

ICF-North Texas Organization Sponsors

Learn more at SMU.edu

Learn more at simplygetclients.com

June Monthly Observances

Holidays and Observances:

Pride Month
Caribbean-American Heritage Month
June 14: Flag Day
June 19: Juneteenth
June 21: Father's Day
June 21: Summer Solstice

Contact Information

President Natalie Mendez, PCC	Pres-Elect Lisa Seay	Secretary Tara Hesson, ACC
Treasurer Rory Brannum, ACC	Past President Dr. Dara Rossi, PCC	Alliances Sheryl Chacko
Communications Reeshemah Davis	Diversity Equity Inclusion Belonging Nicholas Dillon	Membership Lara Burnside
Programs Robin Fox, ACC	Sponsorships Kimberly Spikes, ACC	Special Events OPEN