2026 FFI Membership Add-On Fee (Tuesday, December 30, 2025)

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

In 2021 AFHE renegotiated its Association Membership arrangement with FFI. AFHE wanted the relationship to continue, but found the FFI Association Membership dues based on our full membership to be prohibitively expensive. AFHE’s Board also did not want the FFI Association Membership dues to be a burden on the entire organization’s finances when only about half of AFHE’s members would be taking advantage of the arrangement. AFHE’s renegotiated arrangement with FFI will have us fit within their 26-50 member pricing tier, rather than the 51-100 tier. AFHE’s Board approved an internal arrangement where the AFHE Members who do want to be included in the dual membership in FFI will pay an additional $175 of dues to AFHE. This will result in the participating AFHE Members receiving dual membership for much less than what the FFI dues alone would cost, and much, much less than what the dues would be to belong to both organizations without the arrangement, while the non-participating AFHE members will not be bearing as much (if any) of the cost of the FFI Association Membership.

This additional fee to help offset the large expense for AFHE is still a fraction of the $975 individual membership fee to FFI directly. You can view the FFI membership here: https://www.ffi.org/membership/

A Taste of AFHE - Virtual Group Discussion & Wine Tasting (Thursday, November 12, 2026)

Thu, 12 Nov 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Members and non-members are invited to join us for our quarterly virtual programming, "A Taste of AFHE" which is designed to give prospective new members a preview and sample of AFHE programming. This session will feature two short presentations, followed by a lively group discussion and ending with a virtual networking session and wine tasting.

Wine Tasting: Bring whatever wine or other beverage you'd like, and we'll take turns describing what we've got and what we like about it.

There is no cost to participate in this program. Registered attendees will receive a link to the Zoom meeting the day prior to the meeting.

Presentation #1
"The Fellowship: Advisory Boards for Growing Businesses"

It's lonely at the top. Leaders of growing family businesses carry the whole vision, often surrounded by a capable team and great advisors -- yet no one sits with them on those decisions that keep them up at night. This session is about finding that fellowship. Stephen separates the fiduciary board of directors (with votes, duties, and liability) from an advisory board, a non-fiduciary sounding board of seasoned Guides who bring insightful outside perspective to leaders. He'll walk through the Sitka Bridge, a clarity engagement that works out what leaders actually need from a board before anyone is asked to serve. He'll also cover what he's learned about finding the right Guides for growth and the meeting rhythm that keeps the board useful. The frame throughout is Sitka's CAPO™ method (Clarity, Accountability, Perspective, Opportunity), applied across Family, Business, and Impact Economies.

Presenter/Moderator: Stephen N. Barnes, Jr. founded Barnes+Law™ in 2003. It's a boutique firm that serves as outside general counsel to privately held family businesses, focused on expansion, succession, and protection. He and his brother Jonathan co-founded Sitka Advisors, which builds non-fiduciary advisory boards for founders and family leaders. The name comes from the Sitka spruce, the gold-standard wood for instrument soundboards. Stephen sits with owner-operators where the business and the family meet. He's licensed in Georgia and Tennessee and is a member of Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises (AFHE). He holds a B.A. with honors from Vanderbilt and a J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law, and he lives in Arrington, Tennessee, with his wife, Christian.

Presentation #2
"Easy Ways to Work with Difficult People: Three Tips from Neuroscience"

Advisors to Family Held Enterprises are well acquainted with “difficult people”. In fact, families often call upon outside advisors when their own attempts to manage differences have failed to solve the problem person and subsequently threaten family harmony and the business. By understanding the neuro-science behind people’s behavior, we can better facilitate win-win options. Join for 3 tips to help you with difficult people.

Presenter/Moderator: Trained as a clinical psychologist and mediator, Dr. Tiffany Whitworth helps enterprising families navigate family dynamics, shared ownership, and conflict. She brings particular expertise in estrangement and reconnection, Rising Generation development, and strengthening family governance through boards, family councils, and facilitated retreats. Dr. Whitworth builds family connection through effective communication, shared decision making, and engagement in the family enterprise.

Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises upcoming events

2026 FFI Membership Add-On Fee (Tuesday, December 30, 2025)

A Taste of AFHE - Virtual Group Discussion & Wine Tasting (Thursday, November 12, 2026)