Audio Engineering Society Welcomes Colleen Harper as Executive Director

— The Society is poised for its next phase of growth and expansion —New York, NY — The Audio Engineering Society is pleased to announce the appointment of Colleen Harper as the Society’s Executive Director, effective January 21, 2019. “Our Executive Committee's challenge has been to find an individual with deep and broad organizational management, direct prior experience within professional membership organizations, and a unique skill set that combines operational expertise, marketing skills and team leadership capabilities,” revealed David Scheirman, the Society's President for the 2017-2018 term of office. “The Society's Executive Director Search Team has selected Colleen Harper from a field of exceptionally well-qualified candidates. Our entire AES Board of Governors looks forward to working closely with Colleen from day one in her new position at the Society's world headquarters office in New York City.” As Executive Director of the Society, Harper will report to the Executive Committee of the AES Board of Governors.Most recently, as the Chief Operating Officer and Interim Chief Executive Officer for the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), Harper notably led the implementation of strategic goals to drive both short- and long-term growth and sustainability for the $6M organization, led organizational budgeting, managed ASPEN’s signature annual conference and led the expansion and enhancement of membership service and growth, exemplifying her talent and capabilities.On January 1, 2019, Scheirman handed over the role of AES President to Nadja Wallaszkovits, Chief Audio Engineer for the Austrian Academy of Science's Phongrammarchiv in Vienna. “With the addition of Colleen’s proven record of leadership, we expect 2019 to be a banner year for the Society,” President Wallaszkovits stated. “Education is AES’s primary mission, training and cultivating the next generation of audio professionals and members. That’s accomplished in part through our vibrant event schedule – international conventions and conferences, regional events and local section meetings – which will continue to be a focus for the Society, including further development of our presence on the west coast of the U.S. Our membership is our greatest asset, and we look forward to further improvements in our service and benefit to both our individual and sustaining membership, alongside our focus on advancing our strong relationships with our industry partners. The AES is essential to the vitality of the professional audio industry, promoting extension of innovation and learning and standards. Colleen has a crucial role to play in our vision of the Society’s future, directing our staff and working with the myriad volunteers so essential to the Society’s mission, including the current and incoming members of AES’s Board of Governors and our leadership team.” Wallaszkovits further noted that the AES leadership team is solidified for the coming year with the addition of the Society’s new Treasurer Richard Wollrich and President-Elect Agnieszka Roginska.“I am thrilled to join the AES team,” shares Harper, “and look forward to leading the organization as we continue our work of uniting and educating audio engineers, creative artists, scientists, and students from all over the world. AES has an incredibly rich history and, with the support of dedicated members and staff, I’m excited to further its strong commitment to the mission of promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research.” Further realizing the AES search team’s goals for the Society’s next Executive Director, Harper’s extensive experience also includes serving the National Investor Relations Institute as Director, Professional Development; as Association Manager for the global meeting and association management firm Meeting Expectations; as Assistant Manager of Membership for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers; and as the Director of Membership and Organizational Relations for the Geoprofessional Business Association.Harper has a BA from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Public Administration, Nonprofit Management degree from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, where she was a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society. She has been a Certified Association Executive (CAE) since 2012 and was an Association Forum of Chicagoland’s Forty Under 40 Award recipient in 2014.For more information about the AES, visit aes.org.