News

For Immediate Release
Feb. 4, 2022

Media Contact:
Megan Piluk
mpiluk@mckinley-advisors.com

McKinley Advisors strengthens its leadership team with recent promotions

Washington, D.C. — McKinley Advisors, an association consulting firm with teams in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, announced the promotion of 5 staff members to practice director. The promotions recognize the tremendous talent of these association leaders and position the firm to deliver even higher levels of support for its clients.

McKinley’s practice directors provide leadership to client engagements and bring decades of experience in all areas of association management—from strategic planning and membership engagement and marketing to professional development and governance.

“McKinley’s ability to expertly serve the world’s leading associations is grounded in the incredible talents of our team. The promotions we’re announcing today not only celebrate the achievements of our staff but serve as a commitment to the core areas of our firm that deliver the greatest impact for our association clients,” said Jay Younger, FASAE, McKinley Advisors President & CEO.

The promotions align to McKinley’s four core practice areas:

Strategy and Innovation: Megan Cruz, CAE, and Kristi Donovan, M.S., CAE, have been promoted to practice director on McKinley’s Strategy and Innovation team. Cruz and Donovan join current Strategy and Innovation practice directors Alanna Tievsky McKee, MSW, and Meena Dayak, M.A. McKinley’s Strategy and Innovation practice directors will lead engagements focused on strategic planning, marketing services and product development.

Organizational Excellence: Tim Hopkins, CAE, and George Miller, M.S., CAE, have been promoted to practice director on the Organizational Excellence team. Hopkins and Miller will lead McKinley’s client engagements that focus on association people and structures, including governance and leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and organizational effectiveness.

Business Transformation: Current practice director Caroline Baugher will support McKinley’s Business Transformation practice. Baugher and her team will provide services designed to evaluate and strengthen associations’ business results, focusing on membership models, non-dues revenue streams and organizational growth strategies.

Research and Insights: Candace Vanderpoel, M.A., has been promoted to practice director and will join current practice director Alison Bramer, MSW, on the Research and Insights team. Bramer and Vanderpoel will ensure associations have the data and insights they need to make informed decisions. The Research and Insights team will conduct market research, deliver business intelligence, and manage field and industry studies.

“McKinley’s Senior Leadership Team and I will continue to play an active role in supporting client engagements and the association industry at large. Our new practice director structure allows for specialized teams to solve the biggest challenges associations face,” said Younger.

“This is an exciting time for the association industry, McKinley Advisors and our clients,” added Younger. “I could not envision a better team of association professionals to lead our firm and our clients into the future.”

About McKinley Advisors

McKinley Advisors is an award-winning association consulting firm dedicated to accelerating associations’ positive impact on the world. McKinley works in partnership with association executives and volunteer leaders to identify and address their most significant challenges and opportunities. McKinley provides services through four practice areas—Strategy and Innovation, Organizational Excellence, Business Transformation, and Research and Insights.