Four 40-and-under executives share their career journeys

Sending a thoughtful email to congratulate a colleague on his new job fast-tracked Tom Wojno's career.

Wojno was working for the National Restaurant Association in 2017 when Michael Dykes, the newly appointed CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association, called to thank him for the email and tell him about a business development position he was looking to fill.

"It sounded like he was recruiting for a 100-year-old startup," Wojno recalled. "We talked and, lo and behold, I crafted my own job description."

The role was intended to drive value for members and revenue for the association. In his five years as senior vice president, innovation and member advancement at IDFA, Wojno has increased both value and revenue and continues to lead with those goals in mind.

Wojno is one of four "Young & Aspiring Association Professionals" being honored by Association TRENDS and CEO Update as part of the 2023 Salute to Association Excellence. Nominees in this category must be 40 or younger. The awards celebration will be held March. 17.

Wojno and fellow honorees Christine Nogal, Shannon Williams and Melissa Zinder are working hard to advance their careers: They are partnering with mentors to learn best practices, taking advantage of continuing education opportunities and volunteering on boards to further develop leadership skills. And they are all paving a path that could lead to becoming a CEO one day.

Create your own opportunity

The job Dykes originally had in mind for the organization was basic business development. But after much discussion, he and Wojno agreed that the position belonged on IDFA's executive team. In this role, Wojno would create opportunities for new segments of the dairy industry- to interact with the association. IDFA has traditionally focused on milk, ice cream and cheese.

The other part of Wojno's job, they decided, would be developing tools and solutions, business intelligence and engagement opportunities aimed at helping new and existing members fully realize the value of belonging to the association.

The plan is working. When Dykes and Wojno joined Washington, D.C.-based IDFA in 2017, annual revenues were approximately $8 million. By 2022, revenues reached about $12 million, and membership had increased 36%.

Wojno said he has learned from several mentors over the years, including Dykes. He makes a conscious effort to broaden the scope of his work.

"I've taken on more of the financial and operations aspects of the association, to really be able to connect the business of the association with the advocacy and revenue components," he said. "If you've got those three legs of the stool, you're pretty well positioned to one day be a leader of an industry association—and I'm doing all I can to get there."

Mix it up

Shannon Williams had a long background in sales and was working in the mortgage industry—responsible for recruiting and new-hire development—when mortgage rates ticked down and lenders began a hiring freeze. While waiting for the freeze to lift, she worked as a loan officer but felt unfulfilled.

"I saw an opportunity at Home Furnishings Association come up but turned it down because it was below my level of experience," she recalled. But a few months later HFA called back with a director-level role that she accepted.

That was in 2018. At the time, the association was still struggling to find its footing after a 2010 multi-organizational merger.

"They did all the obvious merger things—redid the bylaws into one company, focused on the merger agreement, combined boards and had layoffs—they just didn't blend the three organizations together, work on operations and figure out strategy," Williams said. That's where she got to work. Several promotions later, in 2020, she began transitioning to chief operating officer.

"HFA's structure is unique," said Williams, who works from her home in Asheville, N.C. The Sacramento, Calif.-based association switched to a 100% remote workforce in 2020. "Our CEO Mark Schumacher and I split the role of CEO in half. He's the spokesperson and face of the company, handling employee relations, industry relations and government relations. And I'm responsible for performance, strategy, programming, membership, staff development, partnerships, overseeing HR, IT, marketing, operations and events."

Williams said she and her team have succeeded in making the association more financially healthy than ever. HFA and its for-profit subsidiaries generate about $5 million per year in revenue.

Williams said she spends 20 to 40 hours a week outside of work on education. Since 2019, she has earned four undergraduate degrees (business administration, business management, economics, and behavioral and social science) and will complete a master's degree in association and nonprofit management next year.

On top of that, she reads about 100 books a year. Still fairly new to association management, she has "filled in the gaps" by—among other things—earning certifications and participating in a CEO boot camp through the California Society of Association Executives.

Taking a new direction

Melissa Zinder planned and promoted events for a political magazine before deciding politics was too cutthroat and not a good fit for her. Zinder, now senior director of membership and marketing for National Business Officers Association, had a connection to the association in Washington, D.C., that influenced her to come aboard.

"NBOA supports independent schools," Zinder explained. "My mom has worked at a private school for 25 years and her school is a member."

After seeing an ad on Indeed and hearing good things about NBOA from leadership at her mother's school, she embarked on a career "from the ground up."

Zinder worked in every aspect of marketing and membership at NBOA before leading those departments.

"I've worked under great leaders who've showed me protocol and how to gain entry into the community," Zinder said, noting that Jeffrey Shields, CEO of NBOA, also inspires her with his proclivity to try new things. "That and getting to know the organization from groundwork to strategic decisions has allowed me to gain a better perspective of the association."

She also credits her success to the professional development she received through ASAE, the association for association professionals. "Every day, I'm using the skill set I learned to prepare for the CAE exam," she said.

Zinder aims to be in a chief marketing role someday and maybe a CEO. She plans to get there by doing her best at her current job and expanding her professional growth within the ASAE community. She serves on ASAE's Young Professionals Advisory Committee, which "pushes me to go outside of my comfort area, allowing me to leverage my skills in a different way."

Zinder is also on the board of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, a role that allows her to see board work from the opposite side of the spectrum.

"I gained perspective into what we ask our board members to do and learned to give them outlets to contribute in an easy way," she said.

Get comfortable being uncomfortable

Christine Nogal, chief operations and business development officer at the Arthroscopy Association of North America, started her association career as marketing manager at the American Massage Therapy Association.

"I really liked the membership-based organizational structure—the renewal cycle, recruitment, benefits, meetings—so I stuck with it and grew with it," Nogal said.

After a turn at the American Society of Anesthesiologists, she joined AANA in Rosemont, Ill., in 2017 as director of marketing and membership. Three years later, opportunities opened up that allowed Nogal to "branch out." She was promoted to her current role in 2022. Nogal oversees the marketing and membership departments; the AANA Education Foundation; nondues revenue and human resources. She also develops strategies for different business areas. In 2022, AANA's revenue was nearly $10 million.

Nogal admits HR is outside her wheelhouse. But she's been leaning on resources from the Society for Human Resource Management, participating in webinars, familiarizing herself with Illinois' compliance regulations and best practices for handling employee conflict—all areas that are new to her and she believes will help propel her career.

Nogal said her biggest mentor, AANA CEO Laura Downes, exposes her to experiences that will prepare her for an eventual CEO position. Thanks to Downes, Nogal now also oversees management of the Biologic Association, a nonprofit formed by AANA and other organizations in 2019 as a unified voice on musculoskeletal biologic therapies and regenerative medicine. Nogal is working with its leadership to develop the governance structure, formalize its membership framework and identify revenue streams.

Every day on the job, Nogal said she exercises the skills she gained from earning the Certified Association Executive credential and a master's degree in business administration.

"They work in tandem with each other," she said. "My MBA equipped me to understand the financial side of the business and my CAE taught me proper governance structure, board management and member-centric mindsets. Those two pieces of paper that I worked very hard to earn are a great partnership in what has made me successful."

UP CLOSE WITH THE SALUTE HONOREES

Tom Wojno

International Dairy Foods Association

Senior vice president, innovation &
member advancement

First job: Ever? Golf/driving range ball-retriever. PSA: Please don't try to hit that guy/golf cart when you're hitting golf balls at the range! Professional: institutional sales at Bloomberg LP in New York.

Proudest achievement: Being a father to my two amazing kids—Nick, 5, and Scarlett, 4.

Something most people don't know or would find surprising: Proud to be the first college graduate in my family.

Dream job: Golf course architect.

Words of wisdom: Build yourself a network of people that you truly enjoy being around, value their input, and are there to support you equally, in times of challenge and success. And make sure you're showing up as that person for others.

Christine Nogal

Arthroscopy Association of North America

Chief operations and business development officer

First job: Marketing associate for IIT Institute of Design.

Proudest achievement: Studying for and passing (first try!) the Certified Association Executive exam in 2016.

Something most people don't know or would find surprising: I'm a musician! I started my undergrad majoring in music but switched my focus to business my junior year and ended with a minor in music.

Dream job: One that allows me to balance my need for professional fulfillment, along with feeling successful as a parent, wife and daughter.

Words of wisdom: When you're faced with a challenging situation, be open and keen to it because those are usually the moments that provide us the most growth.

Shannon Williams

Home Furnishings Association

Chief operating officer

First job: Telemarketing at age 13.

Proudest achievement: Building a high-trust, high-EQ, happy, high-performance team at HFA.

Something most people don't know or would find surprising: I'm a Japanese taiko drummer.

Dream job: Business leader/entrepreneur …. or professional puppy cuddler.

Words of wisdom: Trust people to make the best decisions they can with the information they have. That doesn't mean the best decisions get made. … It means that it's a leader's responsibility to determine how trust continues to exist.

Melissa Zinder

National Business Officers Association

Senior director of membership and marketing

First job: Hostess while in high school at a Greek restaurant called Bogart's. It was there I learned my greatest life skill: anticipating the needs of others.

Proudest achievement: Earning my CAE credential before 35.

Something most people don't know or would find surprising: I have a master's degree in campaign management and started my career as an event planner at a political magazine.

Dream job: CEO of an association that closely aligns with my values.

Words of wisdom: If a decision seems difficult, it's probably a sign you don't have enough information to proceed. Sit back, start listening, and the answer should start to become more clear.