PDCA National -- Steve Skodak will be the new Executive Director. He will be based at PDCA headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri. Skodak comes to PDCA from the Optimist International Foundation where he served as Executive Director and CEO. Optimist International includes 2,200 clubs and more than 70,000 members. The Optimist International Foundation provided comprehensive supportive fundraising for the local, district and international programs. He has also served Executive Director of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America and Ozarks Regional YMCA.
National CASA – Tara Perry will be the new CEO. Perry replaces Michael Piraino, who retired in 2015, after more than 20 years of service. Perry joined the organization in 2013 as Chief Strategy Officer and then as Deputy CEO and COO. During this time she developed and launched a National Strategic Framework to strengthen CASA at the national, state and local levels. Prior to joining National CASA Association, Perry was Vice President of Strategy and Operations for the Woodruff Arts Center, spent more than 10 years with the American Red Cross in multiple locations, and served in top positions with the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), The Kroger Company and the Atlanta Braves.
AmericanHort – Ken Fisher will be the new President and Chief Executive Officer. Fisher has 20 years of experience leading public and privately-held companies, including iconic consumer brands such as The Coleman Company and Elmer’s Products Inc. Strategies for the horticulture association going forward will include positioning horticulture as a thriving industry where more individuals can find a desirable career and promoting the benefits and value of plants for their health and wellness properties and economic benefits in communities.
The Colorado Mining Association (CMA) – Stan Dempsey, Jr. will be next President and COO, effective August 1, 2016. Current President Stuart Sanderson announced his retirement from the Association in March, effective September 30. Dempsey will serve as President-elect for a two month transition period ending with Sanderson’s retirement. Dempsey has been the President of the Colorado Petroleum Association (CPA) for more than 17 years, representing all aspects of the oil and gas industry before the Colorado General Assembly and state regulatory agencies. Dempsey has been recognized by the Denver Business Journal’s “Who’s Who in Energy” and has appeared frequently on local and national news programs covering energy issues important to Coloradoans.
The Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding (ARC) – Zynda Sellers, a financial education leader, will join the organization's advisory council. She's the first financial education leader to join the advisory council. Sellers will grow ARC's broad coalition of stakeholders which includes academics, civil rights defenders, public policy leaders and private citizens. Sellers, from the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina area, is the General Counsel for Money Management International (MMI).
Choose Chicago – David Whitaker was named new President and CEO of Choose Chicago, effective July 6, succeeding Don Welsh. Whitaker most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer for Brand USA. Prior to joining Brand USA, Whitaker was President and CEO of Tourism Toronto for eight years. Whitaker also spent 17 years with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, where he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer helping shape Miami's international image.
The Council of State Restaurant Associations (CSRA) – Anjua Miner will begin her duties as the new Executive Vice President June 1. The Council of State Restaurant Associations noted the necessity of selecting a leader who could strengthen the collaboration with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and state restaurant association partners in serving the restaurant industry. Miner was most recently the Executive Director of the American Butter Institute, and has more than 20 years of trade association management experience, working with the National Milk Producers Federation and the International Dairy Foods Association.
New CEO's for PDCA, CASA and more.
Steve Skodak