Melissa Kay Walling new Director of Membership Development and Customer Service at ALA

Melissa Kay Walling, CAE, IOM will join ALA as its new Director, Membership Development and Customer Service. She will begin at ALA June 17, 2019. Walling is an accomplished association executive with nearly 15 years of experience in serving members, staff and volunteers. She comes to ALA most recently having served as the Vice President, Education & Membership at the Association Forum of Chicagoland where she improved operations of external-facing systems to attract and retain members. Most notably, she oversaw the execution of the Holiday Showcase —one of the most highly attended events in the industry.

Prior to joining the staff at Association Forum, Walling held positions with the Institute of Real Estate Management and the American Academy of Pediatrics. She also served as a volunteer in the U.S. Peace Corps in Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa. Walling has been recognized by Association TRENDS Young and Aspiring, (2018); Association Forum/USAE Forty under 40 (2013); and American Society of Association Executive’s (ASAE’s) Next Gen Summit (2013) (Inaugural class).

Walling earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing her M.B.A. from the University of Illinois.

Walling will be responsible for the overall development, implementation, and measurement of the association’s membership strategic initiatives, while overseeing the activities of its fast-paced customer service center and total unit staff of nine.

Special thanks to the selection committee: Christina Rodriques (ALA Membership Committee Chair and Outreach Manager, OCLC); Dan Hoppe (AED Human Resources); Holly Camino (ALA Committee on Membership Meetings Chair and Branch Manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library); Kimberly Redd (Program Manager, HRDR & APA); Sylvia K. Norton (Executive Director, AASL) and Lorelle Swader (AED Offices & Member Relations).