= will be teaching Certificate courses at Harper College

Aaron Adair, Administrative Director
Aaron Adair has been in the association management profession for more than 10 years. He currently serves as the administrative director for the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), an organization supporting and advancing academic technology transfer globally. Aaron has also served as AUTM’s Professional Development Manager and as a meetings administrator for AUTM and other associations including the Academy for Eating Disorders, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the American Pediatric Surgical Association. Prior to this, Aaron represented ITT Sheraton and Starwood Hotels, and the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau in the corporate and association meetings and convention market.


  Lee Ann Clark, Executive Director
Lee Ann Clark joined The Sherwood Group Inc. in September 2007 and serves as the executive director of the American Pediatric Surgical Association and the Society for Vascular Medicine. She was formerly employed by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, where she held a number of management positions in the areas of member education and development, meeting planning and training. Lee Ann was instrumental in developing educational programs for state and local leaders using then-new CD-ROM technology and webinars.

Lee Ann worked for the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce for eight years, where she implemented and managed community development programs, creating programs to guide local leaders in association management and education programs for all aspects of volunteer leadership. She began her career as a music educator, focusing on beginning vocal and instrumental students in middle school and junior high. Lee Ann earned a bachelor of fine arts in music education from Arkansas Tech University. She is a member of the American Society for Association Executives and an active volunteer in her community.


Karen Goreleski, Executive Director
Karen Goraleski is executive director of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, a worldwide organization of scientists, clinicians, and program professionals whose mission is to promote global health through the prevention and control of infectious and other diseases that disproportionately afflict the global poor. Karen oversees all aspects of the Society’s mission including a journal, the CTropMed®-Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health, an annual meeting and a portfolio of activities that includes awards and research opportunities, policy development, advocacy and membership. Prior to joining ASTMH in 2010, Karen was Vice President of Public Health Partnerships at Research!America, an advocacy alliance located in Alexandria, Virginia, that works to make research a higher national priority.

An experienced presenter, Karen is knowledgeable in the translation of complex issues for decision makers, media and public, and has led national and local workshops for the science community using strategies designed to help non-science audience better understand the value and importance of a strong U.S. investment in research. She serves on the board of the Global Health Council and is a Steering Committee member of the Global Health Technologies Coalition (GHTC). She received a Master of Social Work from the Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts, St. Xavier University in Chicago.


Jill Hronek, Director of Communications
As director, communications, Jill manages an 11-person team of marketing communication professionals and graphic designers and works closely with a team of Web development specialists to create effective tools to propel associations forward. Jill has spent most of her 25-year career working in various communications roles with associations, whether as a graphic designer, editor, production manager or writer. Jill is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and has served as a content leader (speaker) at the ASAE annual meeting, a committee member and judge of the ASAE Gold Circle Awards and an awards reviewer for Association Media and Publishing (formerly the Society of National Association Publications). She earned a B.A. in journalism with an emphasis in public relations and writing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.


Rick Koepke, Executive Director
Rick Koepke has worked for the Sherwood Group for 15 years. During that time, he has served as executive director of five different associations in the health and mental health arenas. He currently serves as executive director for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Prior to joining Sherwood, Rick worked for the American Hospital Association, where he served as executive director of two hospital-focused professional societies. Rick also served for a number of years as department director in the areas of membership, information systems, planning, research and program evaluation for the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Rick holds a master of science degree in information systems from Roosevelt University, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a bachelor of arts degree in theatre from Knox College.


Vicki Loise, CAE
Vicki Loise has been the executive director for the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM) since 2005, and focuses her efforts on raising awareness of the association and the profession globally, facilitating the strategic planning process, maintaining appropriate governance for the organization and overseeing the headquarters staff. Vicki began her career in 1991 as a meeting planner for the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS).

She continued her path in meeting planning when she started working for National PTA in 1993. During her 12 years at National PTA she led the meetings department as director and managed a budget of over $1 million. She served as Development Director and generated more than $1 million in non-dues revenue in her first year in this position. She has created and managed relationships with Fortune 500 companies that produced both corporate sponsorships and grant funding. She launched a successful annual giving campaign and member benefit program. A member of ASAE, Vicki received her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 1995 and Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 2005. A graduate of Central Michigan University, Vicki has a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal and public communications.


Leah McCrackin, Executive Director
Leah McCrackin joined The Sherwood Group Inc. in December 2002 and served as the executive director for the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM) from 2004 to 2006 and the American Society of Dermatopathology since 2002. Leah was an account manager at the American Academy of Dermatology from 1999-2002 before joining Sherwood. The ASDP is a national association of dermatopathologists dedicated to the research, diagnosis and education of skin diseases. Leah guides ASDP’s portfolio of initiatives including advocacy, maintenance of certification, continuing medical education, international outreach, organizational collaboration and has oversight of daily operations.

Prior to joining The Sherwood Group, she served as executive director managing full service headquarters operations for three professional dermatologic societies under the auspices of the American Academy of Dermatology. She helped these organizations achieve significant growth in finance, continuing medical education and membership. Leah earned a bachelor of professional studies in business management from Roosevelt University. She is a member of the Association Forum of Chicagoland and the American Society of Association Executives.


Renee Schleicher, CAE
Renee is a recognized association executive with 30 years' experience helping non-profit and for-profit organizations achieve revenue and service objectives. She is currently an independent consultant in the Association Management industry and she is the former president and CEO of the American Academy of Medical Administrators. Prior to that, she was the Director of Membership and Chapter Services with the American Society of Safety Engineers. Renee has won awards for Leadership Excellence from Association Forum of Chicagoland and other achievement awards from the American Society of Association Executives and Association Forum of Chicagoland.


Greg Schultz, Vice President, The Sherwood Group, Inc.
Greg has worked with more than 30 associations, primarily in his role as vice president and partner in The Sherwood Group, an association management company where he started as a part-time circulation manager in the 1980s. Greg’s work has been focused on internal and external strategy and integrated marketing programs. "The goal is to leverage the value that comes from a shared, collective association experience, while connecting with and delivering value to members as individuals," he said. More than 25 years into a march through the association org chart, Greg is still in love with the idea of creating dynamic communities where people connect, grow, succeed and change the world around them.


Susan L. Tibbitts, Executive Director
With more than 20 years of service in association management, Susan is an effective advocate for organizations and ideas. Susan joined the Sherwood Group in 2010 and currently serves as executive director for two professional associations. She has previously served as the executive director for five non-profits, as a senior operations and advancement professional for one of the top universities in the world, and in progressively responsible senior staff positions with a respected medical association. She began her career as a legislative director and lobbyist.

Additionally she spent six years as a civil servant in the White House budget office assigned budget, program, legislative and regulatory policy responsibility for federal labor and health agencies. Susan is a member of Association Forum and has served several times as instructor for the Association 101 and Membership Essentials courses. She is also a member of the American Society of Association Executives and has written for Associations Now magazine. Susan earned her B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin and M.A. in public policy from the University of Chicago.