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Members on the Move

• Amy Coleman, CMP recently earned her CMP and was promoted to Events Manager for Fl Assn of School Administrators
• Tammy Gantt was promoted to Vice President Member Services, Events & Sales at FL Thoroughbred Breeders' & Owners' Assn
• Amanda Motes is now President of Leading Edge Association Professionals (LEAP), an association management company
• Pam Ricco is now COO at Aging With Dignity, a national non-profit
• Melissa Robbins will be transitioning to the newly created position of Director of Data Management and Business Development for the FL Justice Assn
• Geoff Willoughby is now the Policy and Programs Manager for FASA
• Jeff Tenenbaum, ESQ. received Best Lawyers’ 2026 Lawyer of the Year Award for Nonprofit/Charities Law in Washington, DC.
• Kim Wetzel has joined Caesars Entertainment as a Regional Sales Manager
• Partners in Association Management (Ranked #16 in the Small Business Category) was recently named one of Florida’s Best Companies To Work For.
• Several members were recently awarded Golden Rotunda Awards:
• FL Health Care Assn named Association of the Year
• FL Natural Gas Assn named Association of the Year (Runner up)
• Johnson & Blanton named Health Care Lobby Firm of the Year
• Jarrod Ross named Regulated Industries Lobbyists of the Year
• Public Affairs Consultants named Boutique Lobbying Firm of the Year (Runner Up)

Members on the Move

• Congratulations New CAEs:
• Kristie Kaufman, CAE; Executive Vice President, American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery - Newberry, FL
• Julia Rooney, CAE; Membership & Development Coordinator, Florida Society of Association Executives - Tallahassee, FL
• Jon Shiver, CAE; Customer Growth Strategist, Novi AMS - Windermere, FL
• Karen Thurston-Chavez is now the Communications and Media Coordinator at the Florida Dental Association
• Danny Langfield is now the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association
• Florida Bankers Association President & CEO Kathy Kraninger has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who.
• Target Print & Mail has acquired Harvest Print & Marketing Solutions

Got News? Contact [email protected]

Welcome New Members

Executive Members
Kristin Badeau, FL Dental Assn
Maria Crume, FL Bankers Assn
Shannon Fitzpatrick O'Shea, Arden Solutions
Robert Sendrei, Arden Solutions
Ryan Lohrengel, Lohrengel & Associates
Debra Hartman
Jennifer Hill, American Dental Hygienists Assn
Sarah Myers, CAE, WVCHCH
Christopher Tanner, CEC CCE AAC, American Culinary Federation

Associate Members
Connie Bergkvist, Sheraton Tampa Brandon
Ellie Bussard, Feathr
Chris Connon, Audio Visual Connection, Inc
Jonathan Frank, Glue Up
Lizbeth Gennaro, Hilton Ocala
Brandi Barber, Causeis
Cailel Colson, CailelXzavierColson
Aricia Regia de Araujo da Silva Oliveira, Hilton St Petersburg Bayfront
Molly Emond, Hilton West Palm Beach
Amy Jacobsen, Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel & Convention Center
Maria Elena Martinez, Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista
Cashala Thompson, Embassy Suites by Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore
Dawn Walz, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort | Hotel Effie, Autograph Collection
Allison Woodall, American Tradeshow Services

View July ENews Online

FSAE presented its most prestigious Leadership Awards at its recent Annual Conference held at the Hilton West Palm Beach. These awards recognize individuals and organizations for their leadership, dedication, and professionalism both within FSAE as well as their own organizations.

The 2025 award winners are:

Sign Up Now to Volunteer

Volunteers and the service they provide Committees and Task Forces are vital to the success of FSAE and our members! 
Sign Up Now!    Learn More About Committees

Now is the time to be a part of making your professional community stronger while building relationships with your peers. As a volunteer, you can contribute your expertise or learn skills in new/different areas to grow in your career. Upcoming terms begin in September and run through July (Annual Conference). Committees typically meet monthly by Zoom. 

The FSAE YEP Mentorship program connects Young & Emerging Professionals with Seasoned Mentors who can offer guidance and support for their career. With only a 3-month commitment, participants will meet virtually or in person at least 3 times from the late-May kickoff call through August.
Deadline: April 30

Learn More or Sign Up Today! 

Got News? Contact [email protected]

Congratulations to our FSAE Members on the Move for your new positions and Welcome New Members to FSAE!

FSAE presented its most prestigious Leadership Awards at its recent Annual Conference held at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. These awards recognize individuals for their leadership, dedication, and professionalism both within FSAE as well as their own organizations.

The 2024 award winners are:

Thank you to our member referral participants who have shared their love of FSAE with colleagues and encouraged them to join! ❤️

Drawings for prizes will continue this Fall, so share your love here!

FSAE Foundation Online Auction
Open June 1 - 10

The FSAE Foundation’s Auction has become one of the places to shop. Where else can you find such incredible items and fantastic trips?!? And now, you can browse and buy those items from the comfort of your living room with mobile bidding for all items!

The Online Auction opens June 1 and closes Monday, June 10 at 9 pm EST. And it’s open to FSAE Members and Non-Members so tell your coworkers, friends & family about the fantastic deals available while supporting professional development and education in the association industry. You can view items and details online without an account, but you'll need to enter a phone number or email address and credit card number to place bids. 

View Items & Start Bidding!

The FSAE Foundation is proud to announce its 2024 Grant Recipients. Thanks to our generous corporate partners and member contributions, we’ve awarded 20 grants totaling $11, 625 for professional development funding. Thank you to all our contributors that make this possible!

RB Oppenheim Associates (RBOA) Grant

FSAE ANNOUNCES HESTER NDOJA, CAE
AS PRESIDENT/CEO

Tallahassee, FL (February 21, 2024) --  The Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE), a prominent organization dedicated to professional development in association management, proudly announces the appointment of Hester Ndoja, CAE as the new President/CEO.

The FSAE Board of Directors announces Hester Ndoja, CAE as the Interim President/CEO after the recent passing of our beloved leader Frank Rudd on September 12, 2023.

Hester joined the FSAE staff in 2008 and was promoted to Vice President in 2015. She is the staff liaison for the Membership and Sponsorship Committees, and manages the FSAE Foundation initiatives. Hester’s appointment comes with the resounding recommendation of the FSAE leadership and staff.

FSAE presented its most prestigious Leadership Awards at its recent Annual Conference held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Bonita Springs. These awards recognize individuals for their leadership, dedication, and professionalism both within FSAE as well as their own organizations.

The award winners for 2023 are:

OFFICERS

Yesterday, the FSAE Boards of Directors installed a new Chair in a special election. We are pleased to announce that the FSAE 2022-23 Chair is Michele White, CAE!

You may have seen that FSAEs 2022-23 Chair Marsha Kiner has taken a new job. While Marsha is looking forward to being closer to family and helping the community she grew up in, her new opportunity is not in an association and changes her eligibility to be an Executive Member and Chair of FSAE.

Fall is a popular time for members to sit for both the Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) exams. FSAE is partnering with organizations to provide weekly, virtual study groups at the member rate!

CAE: Michigan SAE is offering several CAE study groups. The Concentrated course begins September 23. Learn more (Make sure to indicate you're an FSAE member to get the discount!)

FSAE presented its most prestigious Leadership Awards at its recent Annual Conference held at the Tampa Marriott Water Street. These awards recognize individuals for their leadership, dedication, and professionalism both within FSAE as well as their own organizations.

The award winners for 2022 are:

Thank you for participating in our 2022 FSAE Board Elections. We are pleased to announce our 2022-23 Board of Directors:

OFFICERS

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center

Phase one of the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center expansion is now complete, boasting a 350,000-square-foot exhibit hall, Water Taxi access and much more. Our unrivaled location has everything to guarantee strong meeting attendance, including:

• An easy drive for Florida residents and the convention center is within minutes of FLL and 3,500 hotel rooms
• Inspiring outdoor networking venues, from downtown dining and nightlife to golden beaches
• Abundance of meeting space
• Great summer hotel rates
• $10 million in free meeting space for qualifying events at the new convention center
• Even more in store – the $1.3 billion expansion continues, with plans for a six-acre outdoor waterfront plaza, an 800-room headquarters hotel and much more.

Learn more

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Holiday Drive to support Capital City Youth Services. CCYS provides services that promote the healthy development of youth and families in the Big Bend area.

We are pleased to report that we donated over 125 items to CCYS for the children who need their services. Some of the items collected from our December Power Luncheon are included below. Thank you all for your generosity!