Introducing SWANA’s New Interim Executive Director: Richard Yep

Greetings SWANA Members. I want to express my thanks to the board for asking me to serve as your new Interim Executive Director. I will be with you for the next four to six months as the board is searching for a permanent executive director. During my tenure, I have been asked to review the association’s current operations, policies, and practices. I hope to provide guidance and suggestions as to how the association can be best positioned to accomplish the goals encompassed in its strategic plan.

You may have some questions about me and my role, so let me try to address what you may want to know:

What is your background?

For nearly 35 years, I have worked as an association management professional. I’ve held positions that encompassed public policy advocacy, board governance, product and professional development, and chapter relations. For the last 24 years, I was the CEO of the American Counseling Association, an organization comprised of 60,000 members with a staff of 60 and annual revenues of $15 million.

When I stepped down from ACA last year, I was determined to use my knowledge and experience to apply it to other not-for-profit organizations. So, this “new chapter” has included consulting with associations, looking at interim positions, and executive search, which I do as a client partner with Vetted Solutions here in Washington, DC.

During my association CEO career, I have been very active with my professional organization, the American Society of Association Executives, where I chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, was a member of the credentialing commission, and was on the Board of Directors. I hold the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential, and I was named a Fellow several years ago.

I could not have been a successful association executive without those who provided guidance and advice along the way. Because of that, my goal has always been to provide mentorship to those who will fill my shoes in the association industry. I’m a big supporter of programs such as the association industry’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program and I’m pleased to see that SWANA has a vibrant Young Professionals group. In my mentoring, I find that I learn as much from them as they learn from me!

Why did you want to work for SWANA?

Full disclosure, I am not trained in solid waste resource management or any of the amazing areas that comprise what many of you do. However, I do understand the importance of resource management as it impacts the environment. It’s critical for our communities—at the local, regional, provincial, state, federal, and global levels to address issues that impact the quality of life.

I believe that the work of SWANA members is critical to improving that quality of life and since I’m a big believer in what SWANA can do to address the challenges of resource management, I was extremely excited to work with the organization.

What do you know about our industry?

As noted, I am not trained in the work that our members do. However, what I do bring to the table is more than three decades of knowing about best practice in association management. While you strive to do what you are trained to do, your association staff needs to continue using its expertise to provide the benefits, services, and advice to help you in your various endeavors.

In the short time you’ve been at SWANA, what are your initial impressions?

You have a hard-working staff and an extremely dedicated board of directors.

Your issues are at the frontline of how we, as a planet, will address critical environmental issues.

I’m very impressed with what is included in the SWANA strategic plan. The plan is both bold and achievable. The key will be to line up all the important resources necessary to meet these goals. It will be important to efficiently deploy resources that include volunteers, staff, and outside consultants.

What relevance and potential do you see in SWANA?

SWANA has incredible potential to speak out on issues impacting those who work in the field, as well as how it can contribute to key aspects that impact the communities of the world.

What is your philosophy about the role of an association executive director/CEO?

Chief executives of not-for-profit organizations such as SWANA are responsible for using the resources made available through decisions by the board to execute the association’s strategic plan. The executive doesn’t “own” the place (rather, we “rent” space because we serve at the pleasure of the board).

While the executive director can be one of the organization’s spokespeople, it is the board (as representatives of the members) who have the responsibility and authority to set the direction of the organization. The chief executive needs to establish a partnership with the board so that they are able to utilize the resources (i.e. staff, finances, etc.) to realize the association’s objectives.

What would a successful tenure look like for you as our Interim Executive Director?

I hope to help your very hard-working staff with advice and guidance that will make them even more successful than they currently are. I want to ensure that your board (who serve as representatives of the membership) operates at peak efficiency given that they are committed volunteers. We want to maximize what they do and have the trust in their staff to carry out what aligns with various aspects of the Strategic Plan.

As SWANA’s Interim Executive Director, is this a “test run” to see if you might be a good fit to take the position permanently?

My role is very clear, and I am serving in an interim position. As I told the staff during my initial meeting with them, I am not a candidate for the permanent position. If I were, that might make some question why I was making certain decisions. By declaring from the start that I will serve for four–six months, you can be assured that my suggestions and recommendations have no bearing on trying to get the job permanently.

Not to date myself but think of me as Mary Poppins. She blew in on an east wind to help the Banks family. When her umbrella opened and another wind blew through, it was time to move on and help another family. Consider me SWANA’s “Mary Poppins!”

How do we contact you if we have a question or suggestion?

I absolutely welcome conversation, suggestions, comments from all members. My email is: ryep@swana.org and my direct dial phone number is 703-405-8562. Open, honest communication is an excellent way to ensure that the collective body is moving in a direction based on transparency and openness.

Closing thoughts

As many of you know, SWANA is just completing a very successful SOAR conference in Atlanta. I was incredibly impressed with the range of topics that were discussed, the interaction of members, and of course, the hard work of our staff. For those of you who were part of SOAR, thank you for being there. And, if you did not attend, I sure hope you will plan on being at next year’s event.

Finally, as we are in the middle of Volunteer Appreciation Month, I want to thank all of you who serve the association at the local, state, provincial, regional, division, and national level. When we say volunteers are part of the lifeblood of the association, that is not an understatement. Thank you for your commitment and service.

I look forward to what we will accomplish together!