The governing board of Associations North in St. Paul announced Angela Kisskeys and Sarah Ruzek as the organization’s co-directors. The two will take over for president, Kathy Johnson, CAE. Johnson, who served the association for 28 years, will retire June 2017.
“We expect an organic transition from Kathy’s leadership to our new co-directors,” says Ann Kvaal, CAE, Associations North Board chair and owner at AK Communications. “Angela and Sarah are already well-recognized leaders in the association community and within Associations North. Their passion for the industry and its members will continue to serve Associations North well.”
Following a succession plan, which began in 2016, Kisskeys and Ruzek were chosen for their new positions. In the last 10 years, their combined experience and skills have made a significant difference to the organization. By implementing new programs and services and attributing to the overall company growth, they’ve helped to advance Associations North.
“The board followed a rigorous process and put a significant amount of thought into this decision,” says Kvaal. “In the end we decided that this bold, forward looking decision to hire co-directors aligns with Association North’s history of embracing creative thinking and innovative ideas to ensure it is doing what’s best for the organization and our members.”
