Forum - January 2009

Promotions and Changes

Robert A. Vitas, Ph.D., CFRE, is now vice president, Institute of Food Technologists Foundation. Vitas previously was direc-

tor, Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

The American Dental Association has hired Steven M. Rauchenecker, FACHE, CAE, as director, Council on Membership. Most recently,

Rauchenecker was vice president of marketing and sales, CCIM Institute.

Armando F. Ramirez, CAE, has joined the American Society of Anesthesiologists as a society manager in its internal association man-

agement unit, serving as executive director to various client anesthesiology subspecialty associations and societies. Previously, Ramirez was director of certification and trainee systems for the American Osteopathic Association.

Pamela Schroeder, CAE, interim president & CEO of the Forum, is the new executive vice president of member services at APICS The

Association for Operations Management in Chicago. The 43,000-member association recently relocated its headquarters from Alexandria, Va., to Chicago.

Nicholas Bailey has joined the Association Forum as workforce development manager, responsible for the day-to-day implementa-

tion of the association’s diversity and workforce development initiative with volunteer outreach, education community outreach and career events. Prior to joining the Forum, Bailey was special projects

coordinator for the International Association of Lighting Designers.

Fred Shea has been named senior vice president of ConferenceDirect and will be based in Chicago. Most recently, Shea was vice

president of pre-opening sales in the Chicago office for Hyatt Regency Orlando.

The Management Performance International, Inc. has promoted Daniel J. Ripberger to senior vice president. Previously, Rip-

berger was a vice president and practice leader for the company’s total rewards services. In his new role, Ripberger will oversee the continued growth of MPI’s organizational development, labor and employee relations, executive and employee compensation and employee survey business units.

The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau has appointed Sara Turkowski as manager, convention sales. Most recently,

Turkowski was sales manager at Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. has named Danielle Courtenay, APR, chief marketing officer and

Courtenay

David J. Sargent senior

vice president of convention sales and marketing. Courtenay previously was senior vice president of global publicity and public

Sargent
affairs for the Orlando CVB.

Sargent most recently was the area director of sales and marketing for the Hiltons of Chicago.

News and Awards

DiscoverBoating.com
recently was named
the “Best Associa-
tions Web Site” by
the Web Marketing
Association as part of
its 2008 International
WebAwards competi-
tion. Now in its 12^thyear, the WebAwards is an annual Web
site competition that names the best Web
sites in 96 industries, including associa-
tions. Winners were selected by a panel of
qualified judges based on seven criteria
rated on a 10-point scale: design, ease of
use, copywriting, interactivity, use of tech-
nology, innovation and content.

DiscoverBoating.com is part of the marine industry’s massive Grow Boating Initiative led by the National Marine Manufacturers Association. A strategic set of programs focusing on all areas of boating — water access, dealer and product certification, marketing and research — is designed to increase participation in boating and improve sales of marine products and services. For more information, read FORUM’s May 2008 Signature Story, featuring NMMA and DiscoverBoating.com at

http://www.associationforum.org/resources/ signatureStory.asp.

Gail Golab, head of the American Veterinary Medical Association’s animal welfare division, has become America’s first vet-

erinarian credentialed in animal welfare.

Golab earned her membership level credential in the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists’ Animal Welfare Chapter. Australia is the only country that offers such a credential.