The Leadership Committee develops a pool of candidates for board service based on several criteria, including how they best characterize ASAE’s strategy, represent their organizations’ membership and enhance ASAE’s commitment to diverse representation, which is inclusive of geography, association size, career level, gender, identity, ethnicity, skill sets and areas of expertise.

The Leadership Committee is chaired this year by Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, EVP/CEO of The American Institute of Architects and Immediate Past Chair of the ASAE Board.

“Under the leadership of ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, ASAE continues to strengthen its wealth of resources, community and culture to support the broader association community,” Woods said. “On behalf of the Leadership Committee, I am pleased to share this slate of nominees for FY2025 and I’m confident that ASAE will continue to evolve in alignment with the organization’s mission, strategic vision and values.”

The following nominees will serve as officers of ASAE and the ASAE Research Foundation:

Heidi Brock, President and CEO, American Forest & Paper Association, will become Chair of the ASAE Board.

Jay Karen, CAE, Chief Executive Officer, National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), will become Chair-Elect of the ASAE Board and Chair of the ASAE Research Foundation Board

Sheri Sesay-Tuffour, PhD, CAE, ICE-CCP, CNED, Chief Executive Officer, Pediatric Nursing Certification Board, will become Secretary-Treasurer of the ASAE Board and the ASAE Research Foundation Board.

Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, President and Owner, AMPED Association Management, will become Immediate Past Chair of the ASAE Board.

The following nominees will serve three-year terms as “At-Large” directors on the ASAE Board:

Leslie Hortum (Industry Partner)
Managing Director
Spencer Stuart
Washington, DC

Clarence Anthony
Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director
National League of Cities
Washington, DC

Preet Bassi, CAE
Chief Executive Officer
Center for Public Safety Excellence
Reston, VA

Haley Cox
Executive Director
Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology
Fairfax, VA

Annie Storey, CAE
Executive Director
Illinois Section American Water Works Association
Naperville, IL

Bassi and Cox are also nominated to serve on the ASAE Research Foundation Board.

The new boards will be officially installed and join the current board members during the 2024 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition August 10-13 in Cleveland, OH.

ASAE Bylaws provide the opportunity for additional nominees to be proposed through a petition process. Should any member be proposed by petition, the petition should contain the signatures of at least 2.5% of the ASAE voting membership and should be received at ASAE Headquarters no later than August 1, 2024, to the attention of Lakisha Ann Woods, CAE, Chair of the Leadership Committee.

MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Vest, CAE, 202-626-2798, cvest@asaecenter.org

About ASAE
ASAE is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at Welcome to ASAE — American Society of Association Executives (asaecenter.org)