Association Leadership Radio

Chris Williams, CAE serves as the Executive Director of the Voluntary Protection Program Participants’ Association (VPPPA), a 501[c](3) association representing participants and stakeholders in OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program. Chris has served as an association leader for more than 20 years, leading membership growth, program development, and safety & health for a variety of or...

Felton E. Lewis, President and CEO at Lab References Advisory Group/Ride Share Drivers Association. He has been in the Insurance Business for 45+ years. He is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (Air Force). They pivoted to PPE Equipment when the Covid-19 Virus came and now that it is abating we are getting back to […]

Karen Wesloh, CAE, CMP, Partner & Senior Account Executive at The Harrington Company. Karen’s 30 years of experience in association management provides her with the knowledge and background needed to support and guide associations through a wide variety of challenges and opportunities. One of her most valuable skills is her ability to bring together volunteer […]

Jasmine Jones joins Abundance with deep and direct experience in disinvested communities struggling with the school-to-prison pipeline, particularly addressing the issue of school safety. She was also a founding member and the lead organizer at the Black Organizing Project based in Oakland, California. Jasmine believes that through empathy, public policy, and deep financial investments sustained [...

Julie Fabsik-Swarts, MS, CFRE, CAP is the CEO of the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA). EAPA supports thousands of professionals in Employee Assistance throughout the United States and in over 40 countries. She is a skilled and dynamic nonprofit, association, and sports leader with over 35 years of experience. Raised in New York City, Julie […]

Matthew Pavelek serves as the President and CEO for the National Veteran-Owned Business Association (NaVOBA) – a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization led by Corporate America. NaVOBA’s mission is to create corporate contracting opportunities for America’s Veteran’s and Service-Disabled Veteran’s Business Enterprises (VBEs/SDVBEs) through certification, advocacy, outreach, recognition and education. Ma...

Jennifer Diaz, President at Diaz Trade Law Jennifer (Jen) Diaz is the President and Founder of Diaz Trade Law. Jen is a Chambers ranked, Board Certified International Attorney specializing in customs and international trade. For more than 15 years, Jen has provided legal advice and customized training on import and export compliance to industry, with […]

Mike Donahue is a dynamic strategist and spokesperson, for both major brands, associations, and influencers in the most relevant, relatable manner feasible for existing brand stakeholders at all levels. He is highly recognized for his positive, proven team builder addressing the most important elements of an organizations culture.  With detailed, empathetic understanding of existing objectives, [&...

Kyle C. Knapp is the founder and CEO of Viterium LLC, an IT Managed Services Provider in Saxonburg, PA. He is responsible for all functions of the company and works with organizations and individuals in the Greater Pittsburgh area to keep their information systems running efficiently and securely. Mr. Knapp also serves the community through […]

Beth Ziesenis, Author, Speaker at Your Nerdy Best Friend Since her first Motorola RAZR flip phone, Beth has made a verb out of the word “nerd.” She’s here to help you filter through thousands of apps, gadgets, widgets and doodads to find the perfect free and bargain technology tools for work and home. Although the […]

Sarah Peck, LSSGB, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Head of Talent Acquisition at AEVEX Aerospace Sarah Peck is the Head of Talent Acquisition for AEVEX Aerospace where she leads a virtual, geographically dispersed team of Talent Acquisition professionals. Sarah has built the TA function at AEVEX from the ground up, incorporating six new companies from M&A activities that […]

Jeff De Cagna FRSA FASAE, executive advisor for Foresight First LLC in Reston, Virginia, is an association contrarian, foresight practitioner, governing designer, stakeholder/successor advocate, and stewardship catalyst. In his work, Jeff advises association and non-profit boards on how they can navigate an irrevocably-altered world and shape a better and different future. A graduate of the [&#823...

Louis Bernardi, Founder & Benefit Optimization Officer at BritePath. Lou has been in the benefits arena for 30 years and he’s seen it all. The displacement of indemnity plans by Managed Care, Community Rating, The Affordable Care Act and the deterioration of employer-sponsored health plans. But things are looking up and a healthcare revolution is […]

Turner Wyatt is the co-founder of four award-winning sustainable food organizations: Denver Food Rescue, Bondadosa, Fresh Food Connect, and Upcycled Food Association. He was named one of the Top 20 Emerging Leaders in Food and Ag, and the waste industry’s 40 under 40 award. He is a Fink Fellow and was chosen by the Mayor […]

Dr. ZaLonya Allen is President/CEO of the National Entrepreneurs Association, a 501c3 created to empower entrepreneurs to grow and sustain successful businesses through monthly networking events, training conferences and educational programs. As a speaker Dr. Allen has delivered hundreds of presentations for organizations throughout the country including, Society for Human Resource Management, For...

Donté P. Shannon, FASAE, CAE, has 16 years experience in association management, 7 of those years include experience in the C-suite. Donte has worked with professional and trade associations, across many different industries. He’s served in numerous CEO roles ranging from state associations to national associations with global impact. Donté is a highly recognized influencer […]

Dr. Tina Morris is the Executive Director of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS). She leads the staff team that supports all operational aspects of the Association and works with the AAPS Board of Directors and other Volunteer Leadership Committees on the strategic and direction-setting activities that guide the work of the scientific society. […]

Richard Hawkes, MBA, is the founder of Growth River LLC, an international consultancy that systematically guides change journeys to higher performance in businesses and organizations. Its practical mission is to make unleashing people-centric performance easier. He has worked with hundreds of leaders and teams to improve clarity of purpose, collective happiness, team alignment, business growth, [&...

Edgard A. Hernandez is the Executive Director of Atlas Co and VBLA. Excelsior Business Development Corporation (d.b.a. Atlas Co.) is a not-for-profit community development enterprise/organization focused on taking on the responsibility of developing, training, financing access, advocacy, and providing technical assistance to the underserved – Minorities, Women, Veterans, Emerging businesses...

Dana J. Murn, CAE, Associate Director/Progam Manager at AMPED Association Management Dana has been a work-from-home adopter and advocate for over a decade. She has broad-based knowledge of the overall workings of associations and nonprofit organizations as well as board and sub-board level communication along with specific expertise in membership and online education strategy, as […]

Elisa Pratt, CEO and Chief Strategist of Brewer Pratt Solutions, is an influential strategic specialist who, prior to consulting, served as an impactful senior staff member for several trade and individual membership associations, both domestic and international. Pratt leverages a record of transformative success and specializes in strategic planning and engagement. As an association management [&...

Michael Stark serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry and the Foundation of the Wall and Ceiling Industry. He is responsible for the day-to-day operations, strategic planning, program management, fiscal management and governance of the organization and its more than 2,400 members. Prior to joining AWCI in 2019, […]

Lowell Aplebaum, FASAE, CAE, CPF is the CEO and Strategy Catalyst of Vista Cova – a company that partners with organizations on strategic visioning and planning, designing strong systems of governance and growing staff and volunteer leaders. As an IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator, Lowell frequently provides dynamic sessions to organizations – getting volunteers, members, and […]

Ed Rigsbee, CAE, CEO at Cigar PEG, Inc. Ed Rigsbee (Certified Association Executive & Certified Speaking Professional) resides on multiple sides of the association equation…nonprofit CEO, Association CEO community leader, professional speaker, & community builder. His multi-faceted perspective allows for creativity and innovation not often seen. Connect with Ed on LinkedIn. What You&...

David Wescott, CEO at Transblue With over 60 Million in sales & hundreds of millions of sq. ft. serviced & built, David Wescott focuses on building small businesses that focus on profits. When he thinks of an empire, it’s not about how big his building is or how many employees he has, but how much […]