The IPI has selected Shawn Conrad as its new executive director. IPI Chairman Doug Holmes made the announcement yesterday. Conrad comes to the organization after four and a half years as President of the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association. Prior to that, he spent 11 years with the International Sleep Products Association. The NLBMDA represents 8000 building material suppliers and 20 regional organizations from its offices in Washington DC.
He is a Certified Association Executive through the American Society of Association Executives and is a graduate of the University of Maryland. According to the IPI, in his past positions Conrad has had great success in increasing membership participation, increasing revenue, growing trade shows and conferences, producing a monthly trade journal and the development of educational programs.
According to sources close to the selection process, the goal was to find a person with experience growing and nurturing organizations. Experience in the parking industry was not a criterion. They interviewed a number of association executives and felt that Conrad was the strongest candidate. As one of the committee members put it: “Hopefully we were right.”
Shawn Conrad has large shoes to fill; I can but wish him all the best
JVH
