Membership Updates

Above & Beyond

Louisville Tourism named Cleo Battle as its first Black CEO. This comes after Karen Williams, who currently holds the position, announced that she is retiring. Battle, the current chief operating officer, will hold the role of president as well. “We’ve got a long way to go to bring our destination back to being a top destination in this country for visitation, and we’ll get that work done,” Battle told Louisville’s local ABC News station, WHAS11.

The news station also spoke with Sadiqa Reynolds, the CEO and president of Louisville’s Urban League: “There are 700 CVBs across this country, only 10 of them are led by Black people. So, this is a tremendous step forward,” Reynolds said. “And part of that is recognizing and appreciating leadership regardless of what color it comes in.”

Louisville Tourism is a member and partner of Association Forum.

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Colleen Lawler was named executive director of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Founded in 1952, AGD is the only professional association that exclusively represents the needs and interests of general dentists. AGD provides its more than 40,000 members with the resources, support and inspiration they need to deliver the best dental care and oral health education to the public.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead AGD and its staff as it continues to provide exceptional programs and services supporting general dentists,” Lawler says. “This is a pivotal time for the organization and its members in the face of unprecedented change and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. I expect the challenges to be demanding and the opportunities for real progress to be substantial.”

Lawler has more than 20 years of association management experience in both professional and trade associations. She is the former executive director and CEO of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists. Lawler is known for her progressive leadership, history of growing bottom- and top-line revenues, membership and market share. She’s passionate about building relationships, developing high-performing teams and employee engagement.

When asked what this position means to her, Lawler says: “I look forward with great enthusiasm to my leadership role. I am joining an organization with a dedicated group of volunteers, an outstanding team and a diverse membership. I intend to champion the exciting initiatives already underway at AGD and to do my part in creating other initiatives responsive to member needs as they face the challenges of the day.”

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Gregg Witt has joined Cresa. Witt, a long-time real estate industry veteran, has joined Cresa Chicago as a principal. He is recognized as a leading real estate advisor to associations and other nonprofits on occupancy issues. As a subject matter expert, Witt has been a speaker at numerous events sponsored by ASAE and Association Forum and has authored a dozen articles on nonprofit real estate issues. At Cresa, he will be a member of its national nonprofit practice group and be its Chicago nonprofit practice leader.

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New Association Forum Members

Individual Members

Diane Alberson, Society of Critical Care Medicine

Troy Anderson, Visit Seattle

Laura Calderon, Illinois Public Transportation Association

Mark Graham, CEO Update

Julie (Armstrong) Hewitt, Illinois NREC

Gayathri Kher, fusionSpan

Mark McSweeney, CAE, Association Societies Alliance

Adrienne McGee, American College of Surgeons

Lynn McNutt, CEO Update

Raime Merriman, Hubb

Lynn Ann Miles, CMP, CFMP, Ocean Center

Alison Milgram, PCMA

Ashtin Neuschaefer, CAE, Executive Director, Inc.

Jeanette Ocampo, Great Wolf Lodge – Illinois

Elizabeth Patel, American Fraternal Alliance

Kimberly Payne-Ward, ATL Airport District

Mary Post, American Academy of Neurology

Maggie Simkin, PCMA

Forum Plus Members

Michelle Bailey, Academy of General Dentistry

Ronda Frazier, Academy of General Dentistry

Olivia Ing, Academy of General Dentistry

Joni Taylor, American Academy of Dermatology

Jason Wilbanks, American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Gary Rejebian, American Association of Endodontists

Crystal Felton, American College of Healthcare Executives

Ishmeet Kumar, American College of Healthcare Executives

Molly Lowe, American College of Healthcare Executives

Ricardo Rivera, American College of Healthcare Executives

Grace Adams, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

Jessica White, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

Paige Zelinsky, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

Sara Green, American Dental Association

Trish Cleary, American Dental Hygienists’ Association

Lindsay Lamb, American Dental Hygienists’ Association

Keith Olenik, American Health Information Management Association

Tracie Hall, American Library Association

MaryLu Granja, American Planning Association

Maggie Kraus, American Planning Association

Donald Palmisano, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Bonita Hayes, American Society of Anesthesiologists

Jamie Lin, American Theological Library Association

Michael Costin, American Veterinary Medical Association

Warren Hess, American Veterinary Medical Association

Kendall Houlihan, American Veterinary Medical Association

Jaclyn Ross, American Veterinary Medical Association

Laura Didonna, Appraisal Institute

Zinat Ali, Association Management Center

Jayme Dvorack, Association Management Center

Elijah King, Bostrom

Sandra Schwarz, Bostrom

Kaitlin O’Brien, CM Services, Inc. The Association Partnership Company

Anne Walhout, CM Services, Inc. The Association Partnership Company

Rachael McLaughlin, Conference of Consulting Actuaries

Patricia Gaber, Congress of Neurological Surgeons

Monika Baldan, Emergency Nurses Association

Cheryl Barr, Emergency Nurses Association

Lisa Calendo, Emergency Nurses Association

Katie Collaro, Emergency Nurses Association

Wanda Craciun, Emergency Nurses Association

Barbara Domagala, Emergency Nurses Association

Meghan Higham, Emergency Nurses Association

Jeanene Holman, Emergency Nurses Association

Allyson Jesse, Emergency Nurses Association

Sue Kilikevice, Emergency Nurses Association

Robert Kramer, Emergency Nurses Association

Richard Mereu, Emergency Nurses Association

Cathy Olson, Emergency Nurses Association

Kiley Sanders, Emergency Nurses Association

Jessica Thacker, Emergency Nurses Association

Ryan Tran, Emergency Nurses Association

Nancy Williams, Emergency Nurses Association

Nicole Williams, Emergency Nurses Association

Jeff Baker, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Amy Beadle, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Christy Broccardo-Grove, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Jean Bruner Jachino, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Gary Clayton, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Paulette Day, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Blake Heffernan, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Katy Javoronok, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Kim Kislowski, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Pavan Kumar, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Robin Lane, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Cal Lyons, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Cathy Madaus, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Mike Manley, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Sarah Murphy , Illinois Society of Association Executives

Aimee Rabeler, Illinois Society of Association Executives

James Reed, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Jackie Richardson, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Raj Sam, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Kara St. Cin, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Joni Stanley, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Kristy Stevens, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Mattea Tavernor, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Dawn Tebrinke, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Jason Thoron, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Regina Tuttle, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Rachel Westberg, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Nathan White, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Lauren Wulf, Illinois Society of Association Executives

Bill McDowell, Institute of Food Technologists

Jennifer Osburn, Institute of Real Estate Management

Ben Ryan, International Interior Design Association

John Rayburn, Mechanical Contractors Association

Jessie Spangler, Mechanical Contractors Association

Rita Knapp, Million Dollar Round Table

Susan Romo, Million Dollar Round Table

Amy Panagopolous, National Commission on Correctional Health Care

Jared Brewe, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute

Dave Adams, REALTORS Land Institute

Kelly Robin Bache, SmithBucklin

Andrea Boudreaux, SmithBucklin

Micayla Felicion-Davin, SmithBucklin

Sara Fowdy, SmithBucklin

Sarah Zoe Fuller, SmithBucklin

Nicole Jay Lieb, SmithBucklin

Anna Vecchio, Society for Vascular Surgery

Edna Ibanez Hernandez, Society of Critical Care Medicine