Here’s your first look at Elevate 2026 — three days of practical training and expert insights for public sector leaders, April 22–24 in Atlanta.

 gives public education, local government and public sector teams the tools and strategies to tackle today’s governance challenges with confidence.

This year’s public sector track is designed as a deeply practical, hands-on training experience for administrators and leaders in school districts, higher education institutions, and state and local government organizations that rely on Diligent Community to power transparent, compliant meetings.

Across three days, you’ll work directly in dedicated practice sites, build repeatable workflows and hear from peers who are modernizing governance while staying grounded in open meeting requirements and public expectations.

At Elevate 2026, you’ll leave with concrete skills you can put to work at your very next meeting — from faster agenda builds and smoother live meetings to more accessible public sites and streamlined policy workflows.

Don't miss the chance to earn continuing education credits and build important relationships with colleagues. Secure your spot today and get ready to be motivated by top industry experts. You'll discover crucial insights and learn how to maximize the benefits of Diligent Community's product features for you and your team.

 to find out about all the other sessions taking place at Elevate 2026 and register 

How the Diligent Community track is structured

The Diligent Community track is organized into two learning paths, so you can focus on the experience that best matches where you are today.

 Designed for users who are new to Diligent Community, have not migrated yet, or are currently using another Diligent product and preparing to transition. This track helps you build a strong foundation and get comfortable with the platform.

 Recommended for users who have been on Diligent Community for more than a year and are ready to go deeper. This track is ideal for administrators looking to refine their processes and get more out of the platform.

Your Elevate experience is fully flexible. While each track provides a recommended path, you are welcome to move between sessions and build an agenda that best fits your goals, interests, and day-to-day responsibilities.

You’ll also can earn continuing education credits and connect with peers facing similar challenges.

Highlights from the Elevate 2026 Diligent Community program

Below is a selection of the Diligent Community sessions planned for Elevate 2026. 

Please note that sessions are subject to change as the agenda is finalized

Introducing Diligent Community: What to Expect and How We’ll Support You

This session is for all BoardDocs and iCompass users, including those transitioning to Diligent Community. We’ll answer common questions, outline what’s changing, and share what’s available to help you succeed. You’ll learn what to expect during the process, how our team supports you, and how Diligent Community helps your organization work more efficiently.

Building Better Agendas in Diligent Community – Parts 1 & 2

Join us for a hands-on session focused on streamlining your agenda-building process. You’ll learn real techniques for formatting, collaboration, and consistent presentation, designed to save time and reduce last-minute edits.

Managing Live Meetings and Minutes from Start to Finish

Get hands-on with managing every part of your meeting process in Diligent Community. Learn how to set up options and settings, stay in control before, during, and after the meeting, confidently complete your minutes, capture action items, and maintain transparency throughout.

Running Meetings That Matter: A Modern Take on Robert’s Rules & Open Meeting Compliance

Running meetings doesn’t have to feel complicated. Hear directly from a parliamentary procedure expert as they break down a modern approach to Robert’s Rules and open meeting compliance that keeps meetings moving and on track.

Workflows That Work for You in Diligent Community

No more “Who’s got the latest version?” chaos! This hands-on session will show you how to use Workflow to assign tasks, manage approvals, and keep your agenda process running smoothly.

Goals & Library Document Mini-Sessions with Diligent Community

Dive into bite-sized, hands-on sessions where you’ll explore how to set and track district goals and keep your document library organized and easy to use.

Using Livestream Manager to Broadcast Your Meetings with AI-Supported Minutes

Bring transparency to life by learning how to stream meetings directly to your Public Site. From setup to success, this session shows how to deliver professional broadcasts your community can easily access.

To close out the track, this roadmap session looks ahead at what’s next for Diligent Community — from upcoming enhancements to long‑term product direction for public sector customers. It’s a chance to hear directly from our product team, ask questions and share what you’d like to see as your governance needs evolve.

If you support a school board, college or university, city or county council, or other public body, Elevate 2026 is your opportunity to deepen your Diligent Community skills, compare notes with peers and bring home ideas you can put into practice right away.

If you haven’t already booked your ticket to join us in Atlanta at Elevate 2026, we’d love to see you there! 

. For answers to any questions you might have check out our 

Elevate 2026: Hands-on Diligent Community training for public leaders

When local government and education leaders have honest conversations about AI, the result isn’t buzzwords — it’s perspective that shapes real decisions.

Our newest infographic, “ What public sector boards need to know about AI,” is built from 

real conversations with leaders in the field

. They talked about how they’re using AI in their operations and organizations. They shared the hurdles they face when it comes to governing this transformative technology. And they told us where they’re at in terms of adopting AI tools and crafting AI policy.

If you’re interested in public education and local government’s key challenges related to AI, along with the benefits reported so far and steps you can take toward achieving responsible AI oversight, read on.

The foundation: what responsible AI looks like

In an ideal scenario, leaders understand how AI models work, including the benefits and risks, and transparently share this knowledge. AI policies put people at their core, with a focus on safety, effectiveness, equity and community trust.

Effective AI policies give public sector boards a framework for:

Maintaining oversight and accountability over AI use

Mitigating security and privacy vulnerabilities

Addressing ethical concerns like biased algorithms, transparency issues and inequitable outcomes in service delivery

How public sector leaders are using AI right now

Over half (57%) of the leaders we talked to have already adopted AI in their organizations, with the top use cases including:

Communications like letters, emails and notetaking

Automation of routine tasks for increased operational efficiency, which was the top benefit for 46% of the leaders we talked to

Enhancing community services through chatbots and virtual assistants

Understanding data through AI-powered analysis and reporting

For many organizations, these applications are just the beginning. Leaders also expressed interest in learning more about automation, creating documents and workflows and meeting management.

“[My organization] created an AI bike map. I personally use it for clarifying emails.”

Some boards are still in the consideration stage — or not using AI at all. 

“[We’re] avoiding it as much as possible,” one leader told us. Another specifically cited “mayor resistance.”

You can also download the infographic in pdf format 

Leaders’ top challenges for AI implementation include:

Infrastructure issues like integration with existing systems (25%)

People-related obstacles like resistance to change (39%) and a lack of skilled personnel (27%)

For public education and local government boards, AI governance lags far behind AI use.

Nearly three quarters (73%) of the leaders we talked to either told us that their board has no AI policy — or said that they’re not sure. Even more (80%) reported no AI-specific training for board members. Seventy-seven percent said their boards have not yet addressed AI’s ethical concerns.

The consequences of weak or absent AI oversight

Without sufficient AI policies, school boards and municipal councils can find themselves with:

Transparency challenges leading to public distrust

Issues with legal and regulatory compliance

Systematic, responsible AI governance spans several board functions and roles: policy, stakeholder engagement, training and awareness and risk management.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its AI Risk Management Framework RMF suggest the following four steps for managing AI risk:

Mapping it, to understand risks and their context

Governing AI through policies, processes, procedures and practices that are both transparent and effective

“We are testing various uses but have strict rules around not using it to create any sort of final work product.”

Using technology for AI use and oversight

One of the safest — and most efficient — ways to get public sector leaders on board with AI is through governance technology tailored specifically for their needs, at every stage of the implementation lifecycle:

Administering training and awareness programs

Enabling continuous improvement as the landscape evolves

Diligent Community offers all of this and more in one platform, with purpose-built features like Policy Publisher, Livestream Manager and a public transparency website.

End-to-end encryption and secure file-sharing enable confident communication and collaboration throughout. Meanwhile, templates based on governance best practices, automated processes, and AI-supported features that users control help board members save precious time and achieve better governance.

To help you on your AI adoption and governance journey, we’ve created the 

Diligent Community AI governance guide for local government leaders

With its Policy Publisher, centralized document repository, meeting management tools, secure communications and community transparency features, this solution is purpose-built for public sector governance — and emerging technologies like AI.

See for yourself what the right technology can do. Schedule a 

What public boards need to know about AI: An infographic and guide

This article originally appeared in our December 18th edition of the Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe 

As we close out 2025, I’ve been reflecting on what this year taught us and the word that comes to mind is “unprecedented.” Insights from the Diligent Institute’s research show how directors navigated multiple unprecedented challenges – often simultaneously – while also driving major change. The lessons we learned this year aren’t just a look back. They can be a compass pointing to the directional shifts boards will need to embrace as governance moves into a faster, more AI-enabled era.

Five governance shifts boards must prepare for in 2026

What will change: Boards will move beyond passive reporting and lean into more 

 Predictive analytics and scenario planning will become part of everyday conversations, helping directors navigate volatility before it hits.


Why? Director confidence hit historic lows in 2025. Our 

 conducted in partnership with Corporate Board Member, landed at just 4.8 out of 10, among the lowest since the pandemic. That’s a wake-up call for faster, smarter decision-making. If you’re curious whether sentiment is shifting, our Q4 results will be live by the time this issue hits your inbox. Check them out to see if optimism is making a comeback.

What will change: Dashboards won’t just summarize risks. They’ll surface them within hours, and crisis protocols will kick in during the first 72. AI-powered assurance will scan massive datasets to catch anomalies as they happen, and directors will be able to ask complex questions in plain language and get instant answers. Oversight will move from reacting after the fact to staying ahead of the curve, a fundamental change in risk management.

 7.9 out of 10. Quarterly updates aren’t enough anymore. Boards need early-warning systems and integrated intelligence to keep pace.

3) AI governance moves to the top of the agenda

What will change: Agentic AI is moving fast, from assisting to acting. Boards will need to build AI literacy, test for bias and keep humans in the loop to manage less visible risks.

Why: Two-thirds of directors used AI tools in 2025, but 

, 57% of respondents said their organizations had deployed AI in one or more areas of the business, but only 36% had audited usage.As AI deployment climbs higher on the priority list for 2026, closing this governance gap is critical.

4) Integration becomes a growth essential

What will change: M&A ambitions will stall without tech integration. Boards that prioritize scalable platforms will unlock faster, cleaner transactions and reduce risk during rapid growth periods as integration readiness becomes a board-level KPI.

 conducted in partnership with Wilson Sonsini and NetSuite, found only 4% of organizations had fully integrated GRC and financial systems.

What will change: Board agendas will shift toward forward-looking conversations powered by predictive analytics and cultural insights. Directors will widen their lens beyond financials to include culture and workforce resilience, using anonymized data to spot risks before they surface.

Why: The ability to anticipate, not just react, will define effective governance in 2026. Boards that lean on AI-driven scenario modeling and continuous feedback loops will stay aligned with fast-changing realities.

Turning 2025 board lessons into a 2026 action plan

2026 will reward boards that act, not just react. That means pairing human judgment with AI-driven foresight, embedding continuous assurance and integrating systems for scalability. Governance is moving from static to dynamic – and the boards that thrive will be ready to keep pace.

Check out the full blog on trends shaping governance in 2026.

From risk to strategy: The governance agenda for 2026 

Boardroom confidence surges in final quarter despite tepid 2026 expectations 

After three quarters at a five-year low, director confidence jumped 23 percent in December—yet the outlook for 2026 remains muted. One director's advice: 'Defend and survive.'

America's corporate directors ended 2025 on an unexpectedly optimistic note.

After languishing at a five-year low for three consecutive quarters, the Director Confidence Index—a quarterly poll conducted by Corporate Board Member and Diligent Institute among U.S. public company board members on their sentiment for business—surged 23 percent in December, climbing from 4.9 out of 10 to 6.0 and finally breaking into "Good" territory. 

A better understanding of how tariffs are impacting businesses and the economy, lower interest rates and increased CapEx spending are the most common factors directors shared to explain this rebound. 

“[There’s] an expectation that companies will be able to work through any tariff impacts without significantly raising prices,” explained one director participating in the poll.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a year that tested boardroom resolve. 

Yet even with the late rally, 2025's average confidence level landed at just 5 out of 10—well below 2024's 6.2 average and significantly short of the 6.9 that directors had predicted this time last year.

The 105 directors surveyed December 6-11 overwhelmingly point to one issue that slowed down business this year: tariffs. 

Three quarters cited it as a top contributor to lower-than-expected business conditions, well ahead of any other factor, noting that standard playbooks don’t work when the environment keeps changing.

“No matter how much you try to prepare for the unexpected, you can never truly assess all outcomes,” said one director on the board of a publicly traded tech company. “We did not see the substantial impact the ever-changing tariff environment (much of which was likely unconstitutional) would have on our customers CapEx spending plans.”

“I have never experienced what we are seeing in our industry in my 30+ years,” said one director at a Nasdaq-traded life sciences company. “Pharma/biotech has always been recession-proof and has not been impacted by which party was in power at the time.”

Despite December's surge, directors aren't banking on momentum carrying into the new year. Their forecast for business conditions by this time in 2026 sits at 6.0—essentially flat from today's level.

This is an interesting delta when compared to CEO sentiment. When polled by sister publication Chief Executive the first week of December, 

CEOs said they forecast conditions will improve by

 in 2026, to land at 6.4 out of 10 next December.

Overall, 44 percent of CEOs are optimistic that conditions will improve, vs. 32 percent of board members.

Among those directors who are optimistic, we observe a strong AI focus in their responses, far outpacing macro fears that are atop the list of concerns among directors who expect conditions to deteriorate in 2026. As for those neutral directors, the uncertainty they expect to continue in the year ahead rivals inflation as a key theme.

To navigate 2026 successfully, directors are prioritizing adaptability, deeper engagement and faster learning, recognizing that compounding risks demand boards connect dots more quickly than ever. "Work hard and smart, keep expenses tight, and survive until a rebound comes around," advised one director.

“Defend and survive,” concluded another.

The Director Confidence Index five years later

To mark our fifth year of running the Director Confidence Index, we asked respondents this quarter to reflect on how their roles had shifted since we first fielded this survey at the end of 2020. Directors say they are spending far more time on risk in a “more complex and faster‑moving” environment—cybersecurity, AI, geopolitical shocks, supply‑chain integrity and policy volatility are now routine board agenda items, not edge cases. 

Many describe a shift from “managing the present” to “understanding and planning for the future,” with scenario planning and strategic resilience now core to the role. Several also point to rising scrutiny from activists and a broader investor base, which has widened the mandate from overseeing financial performance to stewarding culture, human capital and corporate character.

Directors repeatedly flag the steep learning curve this entails. In their open‑ended comments, they emphasize the need to be more tech‑savvy on AI and cyber, more fluent in geopolitics and regulation, and more intentional about ongoing education just to remain effective in the boardroom. Committees are “very busy,” topics are broader, and some directors note a clear move away from informal business development toward disciplined governance, succession planning and risk oversight. 

While a minority insist the formal role has not changed, the weight of the written responses is unmistakable: being a director today is more time‑intensive, strategically demanding and consequential than it was in 2020, and possibly than it has ever been. 

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Elevate 2026: Hands-on Diligent Community training for public leaders

What public boards need to know about AI: An infographic and guide

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