08/21/2023

OAPA Executive Director Transition Underway

OAPA Executive Director Transition Underway

The Ohio Association of Physician Assistants Board of Directors is pleased to announce the hiring of Tracy L. Vanneman, CAE, for the position of Executive Director. She will begin her tenure with OAPA on September 1, 2023, entering the role as long-serving Executive Director Elizabeth (Beth) Adamson prepares for the next phase of her career after nearly 25 years at the helm. 

Vanneman is an association and nonprofit management professional with nearly 20 years of experience in leadership, governance, membership, meeting planning, sponsorship, communications, and more. She most recently served as Executive Director of the 9,500+ member Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has also worked for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives and Toledo Botanical Garden. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University and lives in northwest Ohio with her husband (a teacher and girls basketball coach), their four children, and their rescue dog.

In April, Immediate Past President Marangoni formed a search committee comprising Board members, committee chairs, past presidents, and a student representative. They created a job description and Success Profile, which were approved by the Board and used to develop a scoring rubric for candidate selection. After a national and state search, 29 applications were received, 23 met the criteria and underwent evaluation, with eight selected for interviews. Additional stakeholders, like the membership and diversity chairs and past presidents, participated in interviews. The interview process involved blinded panel sessions, resulting in 6 candidates being interviewed. These sessions were scored using standardized rubrics, leading to the top 3 candidates advancing to further interviews by President Freado and President-Elect Hart. Final candidate selection was based on overall interview scores from both rounds.

“Tracy Vanneman was a clear contender from the beginning, with two decades of expertise in various aspects of association and nonprofit management. She has her CAE and serves on the Board of Directors of the Ohio Society of Association Professionals. Her previous experiences and recent role and responsibilities as Executive Director at a large association demonstrate her successful track record. Through the interviews and scoring process, it was clear that Tracy brings a strong combination of knowledge, skills, and experience and will be an asset to our association and its members,” stated President Freado.

On being selected for the position, Vanneman stated “I am honored and delighted to bring my association leadership experience to help advance OAPA’s mission and support the professional needs of Ohio’s growing physician assistant community. I look forward to jumping into the work and meeting OAPA members.”

Beth Adamson was hired as OAPA Executive Director in 1999. In 2000, she formed her company Association and Issues Management, Ltd., bringing OAPA on as a client, and has loyally served the organization since that time.

On Adamson’s service to OAPA, President Freado notes “For nearly 25 years, Beth has been an invaluable advocate for Ohio's physician assistants, tirelessly championing their rights and interests. Her unwavering commitment has earned her the respect of PAs and PA students, lobbyists, legislators, and the Ohio State Medical Board. Her expertise and dedication have helped resolve countless issues, making her an invaluable member of our association. Beth's organizational management skills have driven significant successes, including aligning our organization with AAPA standards, boosting membership, and hosting CME programs. As our association undergoes a transition, we are grateful for everything Beth has contributed to our mission and our members over the past quarter century.”

OAPA members are encouraged to attend this year’s Annual Conference, September 22-23 at the Columbus Marriott Northwest Dublin, not only to access the high quality educational programming and CME credits, but also to share their appreciation for Beth as she leaves OAPA and to meet Tracy as she joins the organization.

“The OAPA Board of Directors is committed to working with Beth and Tracy to ensure a smooth transition in the Executive Director role, ensuring the continued strength and stability of the organization and commitment to member services” said President Freado.