NOTE: If you submitted a resume during the week of May 30-June 7, please resubmit your application to ensure it was received.

ASPE Seeks a New Executive Director

After 15 years as executive director of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers and several years as publisher of Plumbing Systems & Design, Stanley Wolfson will officially retire as of December 31, 2010. Thus, the Society now is accepting résumés from individuals interested in being ASPE’s next executive director.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Qualified candidates will have at least 10 years of progressively responsible executive management experience and leadership (experience with engineering or scientific membership organization is a plus) and will possess an advanced educational degree (a PE or similar is a strong plus, but not a requirement). 

Experience with association membership operations and administration is required. Candidates must demonstrate a history of positive membership growth and retention utilizing marketing and promotion programs; have extensive experience working with volunteer boards of directors; and have experience managing staff.

Qualified candidates must be able to forge and nurture relationships with national organizations and policy leaders, demonstrating an ability to work with diverse groups and build consensus. He/she must have the ability to anticipate emerging issues of importance and to translate those issues into actions that advance the Society’s mission and the interests of its members.

ASPE is looking for an individual capable of strategic planning to venture into new and successful revenue pathways. Of vital importance is the ability to be a skilled meeting/convention logician and to be creative in the implementation of meetings, conventions, and tradeshows. He/she must show a demonstrated expertise in negotiations of all kinds: general contracts, purchasing of services, and contracting with hotels, convention centers, and vendor services.

The individual must understand codes and standards and must be able to travel to meet with and build bonds with other organizations and to implement the Society's legislative priorities. The ideal candidate also will possess experience in seeking funding from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other grantors

In addition to the professional experience requirements, the board of directors seeks an individual with a diplomatic demeanor, outstanding reputation, positive attitude, strong hands-on leadership style, and excellent organization skills. He/she must be able to build strong interpersonal relationships and be a skilled manager of people. He/she will be detail oriented, demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness, have excellent presentation skills, and be able to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.

To help ASPE grow, the individual must understand the importance of continually enhancing the credibility and visibility of the Society. The individual will oversee the ongoing development, interpretation, and implementation of the Society’s long-range strategic plan.

APPLICATION SUBMITTAL PROCESS

All candidates shall submit a résumé not to exceed two pages that provides an insightful description of the candidate. An introductory letter is optional.

All candidates shall submit a separate page to show the individual’s salary and compensation growth and history.

All candidates shall include a separate submittal, not to exceed two pages, to supplement the résumé to show his/her direct experience or management in areas such as negotiating with banks or financial institutions; organization and administrative skills in the nonprofit environment; experience with human resources challenges; ability to motivate volunteers and staff; ability to publish magazines, books, and websites; membership growth and retention; creation or growth of conventions; marketing and promotion; and building business relationships.

All candidates shall provide at least four references who can attest to the material presented by the candidate.

It is VITAL that all the information requested be included; otherwise, an application will be discarded. To make an informed decision, the search committee must fully understand each candidate from the very first submittal. All the material reviewed and salary and compensation will be kept confidential. 

E-mail all requested information to executivesearch@aspe.org.

TIMELINE

Résumés will be solicited from various sources through the end of June. The ASPE Executive Search Committee will review the materials, narrow the list of candidates, and begin interviewing in midsummer. The final candidates will be invited for a final interview and other interaction with the whole board of directors in Chicago.

It is expected that a job offer will be extended by mid-August. Depending on the amount of time the new executive director will need to finalize his/her current job responsibilities, the board would like the individual to be in the ASPE office no later than mid-September. At that point, the Society will be finalizing preparations for the 2010 Convention, and this learning time will be vital for the next executive director—as will the time at the Convention when the biennial Society Business Meeting occurs.

The new executive director will be introduced officially at the ASPE Convention Banquet on November 2.