CEO Seat: First Moves Faculty - Association Forum

Meet the Faculty

Christel Ballog, MA, CAE, FHIMSS

Executive Director, American Osteopathic Information Association

Executive Perspective: Financial Leadership • Governance • Organizational Strategy

Strong financial leadership is essential to long-term organizational success. In her session on Refining Financial Acumen, Christel shares practical lessons on working effectively with audit and finance committees, establishing investment policies, managing reserve funds, and evaluating organizational risk. Drawing on her experience leading complex organizations, she helps CEOs build the financial confidence and judgment required for the role.

Geof Brown, CAE

President & CEO, Illinois CPA Society

Executive Perspective: Governance • CEO-Board Partnership • Strategic Leadership

The CEO's relationship with the board is one of the most important factors in organizational success. In his session on Working with Volunteers and the Board, Geof shares practical strategies for building trust with volunteer leaders, navigating governance and management boundaries, communicating effectively with boards, and developing productive relationships with board chairs. Participants will gain insight into how successful CEOs create strong governance partnerships from day one.

Mary Lynn Fayoumi, CAE

Chief Executive Officer, HR Source

Executive Perspective: Executive Leadership • Stakeholder Engagement • Organizational Strategy

The transition into the CEO role requires leaders to quickly balance competing priorities while building trust across staff, boards, and stakeholders. As a contributor to The CEO Playbook: Early Moves that Define Long-Term Success, Mary Lynn shares practical insights on establishing credibility, navigating organizational complexity, and creating momentum during the critical first stages of leadership. Her experience helps participants focus on the relationships, decisions, and leadership behaviors that set the foundation for long-term success.

Greg Heidrich

CEO (Retired), Society of Actuaries
Principal, McKinley Advisors

Executive Perspective: Leadership Effectiveness • Organizational Strategy • CEO Transition

Stepping into the CEO role requires more than a vision for the future—it demands the ability to prioritize, lead through ambiguity, and create momentum quickly. As co-facilitator of The CEO Playbook: Early Moves that Define Long-Term Success, Greg shares practical lessons on building organizational alignment, managing competing demands, and making the early leadership decisions that position CEOs for long-term success.

Bob Moore, MA, MS, FASAE, CAE

Executive Director, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians

Executive Perspective: Leadership Effectiveness • Team Building • Executive Self-Awareness

Successful CEOs don't just shape organizations—they continually shape themselves. Through sessions on Creating a Strong Staff Team and Self-Reflection & Check-In, Bob shares hard-earned lessons about building culture, aligning leadership teams, managing organizational change, and developing the self-awareness required for long-term success. His practical approach helps participants translate insight into action as they navigate the realities of the CEO role.

Tonya W. Muse, FASAE, CAE

Association Practice Lead, Heidrick & Struggles

Executive Perspective: Leadership Resilience • Executive Judgment • Sustainable Performance

The CEO role can be as personally demanding as it is professionally rewarding. In Maintaining Your Personal Edge, Tonya explores the leadership habits that help CEOs remain effective under pressure, navigate decision fatigue, build resilience, and sustain performance over the long term. Drawing from her work with executives across the association sector, she helps participants develop practical approaches to maintaining energy, perspective, and leadership effectiveness throughout their careers.

Jackie Price Osafo, MBA, CAE

Chief Executive Officer, Society of American Archivists

Executive Perspective: CEO Transition • Leadership Credibility • Executive Effectiveness

The transition into the CEO role demands more than expertise—it requires leaders to quickly build trust, establish credibility, and create momentum across the organization. In The CEO Playbook: Early Moves that Define Long-Term Success, Jackie shares practical insights on navigating the leadership transition, building key relationships, and balancing immediate priorities with long-term strategic goals. Her experience helps participants approach the CEO role with greater clarity, confidence, and intention.

Christie Tarantino-Dean, FASAE

Chief Executive Officer, Institute of Food Technologists
Former CEO, Association Forum

Executive Perspective: CEO Transition • Culture • Organizational Leadership

What happens early in a CEO's tenure often sets the course for long-term success. As co-facilitator of The CEO Playbook: Early Moves that Define Long-Term Success, Christie shares lessons from decades of executive leadership on building credibility, establishing relationships, setting strategic direction, and navigating the transition into the CEO seat. Her insights help participants make intentional choices during the most consequential period of their leadership journey.

David A. Westman, CPA

Chief Executive Officer, American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons
Founder, Westman & Associates Consulting

Executive Perspective: Strategic Planning • Governance • Board Facilitation

Successful CEOs help organizations look beyond today's challenges and prepare for what's next. In his session on Strategic Planning, Mega Trends, and Facilitation, David shares practical approaches for long-range planning, environmental scanning, board engagement, and strategic facilitation. His experience advising more than 100 mission-driven organizations provides participants with actionable tools for guiding meaningful strategic conversations.