ASAE, its Foundation, GWSAE, and center agree on consolidation concept.

Consolidation and opportunity would replace competition and redundancy under a concept agreed upon January 15 by the four respective boards of ASAE, the ASAE Foundation, the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, and The Center for Association Leadership. Under the proposal, the four organizations would consolidate into two: ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership. ASAE Chair-Elect Thomas R. Kuhn, CAE, called the consolidation "a bold step" that was the right thing to do from the standpoint of the customer. Greg Balestrero, GWSAE's board chairman, added that such a consolidation would eliminate the redundancies for core customers and business partners, as well as enhance both organizations' value to the association community. The concept was the product of a six-month-long review conducted by a joint leadership team composed of leaders from each of the four organizations.

Under the plan, ASAE would serve as the membership organization and provide staffing and management services to the new Center for Association Leadership. The programs and services offered by the current center, GWSAE, the ASAE Foundation, and ASAE's education department would be provided by the new center. ASAE and the new Center for Association Leadership would have separate boards, which would be linked through cross-representation, as well as through joint committees for finance, audits, and nominations. Susan Sarfati, CAE, the current president and CEO of GWSAE and The Center for Association Leadership, would become president and CEO of the new center and executive vice president of ASAE. John Graham would remain president and CEO of ASAE and together with Sarfati would manage a unified staff providing service to both organizations.

Both Graham and Sarfati believe that the proposed consolidation would offer many benefits to the association community, such as bringing together the market strength, ideas, and innovation of the four organizations and enhancing educational offerings in the marketplace, particularly beyond Washington, D.C.

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In the following months, the organizations will undergo a due diligence process, to include membership input, and begin to compose an operational plan to integrate the functions and people of the four organizations; an integration steering committee composed of staff from the four existing organizations was named January 20. Graham and Sarfati aim to have enough information compiled between now and July 1 for the four boards and the GWSAE membership to approve the proposal and formalize the consolidation. Until then, all programs and services offered by the four organizations will continue as planned.

The next free town hall meeting on the proposed consolidation is scheduled for February 10 from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. during the ASAE M&T Learning Exchange and Business Expo at the Baltimore Convention Center. Watch these pages for more on the consolidation process as it develops. Comments or questions about the proposal can be directed to both John Graham and Susan Sarfati at [e-mail].