David A. Westman, MBA, CPA, CAE
David established Westman & Associates Consulting, LLC (W&A) in 2011. Specific areas of focus include:
- Governance enhancement
- Strategic and operational planning
- Organization-wide and functional reviews
- Benchmarking and process improvement
- Compensation management and other HR services
- Executive coaching
Prior to establishing his own firm, David served for 15 years in leadership capacities at two large international accounting firms – KPMG and McGladrey. At McGladrey he led the Chicago-land’s Strategy & Human Capital Consulting practice and served as Performance & Compensation Consulting Practice Champion for the firm. In his various capacities, he doubled the size of his assigned business unit, personally sold and subsequently managed over 100 consulting engagements, wrote numerous articles on governance and performance improvement topics, and served as a speaker at meetings of various associations and societies.
David received his undergraduate degree from Augustana College (Illinois), where he was a triple major and class valedictorian. He subsequently earned his MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago. He is both a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Association Executive (CAE).
He has published numerous articles on performance improvement topics and has served as a speaker at the annual meetings of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Association Forum of Chicagoland, the Michigan Society of Association Executives, and other organizations. The ASAE published a book written by David in 2016 titled “Board and CEO Roles for Association Goals”. The book addresses best leadership practices in associations. He has also contributed to other books and articles.
David is active with the American Society of Association Executives, where he served as chair of the Key Professional Association Committee (KPAC), consisting of 40 large association chief staff executives. He is also active with Association Forum of Chicagoland and the Michigan Society of Association Executives, including roles establishing and facilitating educational/networking groups of association CEOs. In 2013 received the Association Forum’s Inspiring Leader of the Year award.
Lori C. Westman, MSL
Lori Westman is the Managing Director of Westman & Associates Consulting, LLC (W&A). Specific areas of focus include:
- Executive coaching
- Strategic planning
- Organization structure design
- Process improvement
In addition to W&A, she has served for over 10 years at the CEO of a small not-for-profit charitable organization focused on serving families experiencing difficult times. She also served as David’s personal executive coach for over 20 years, providing critical input in addressing numerous challenging situations he encountered as a CEO and consultant.
Lori received her undergraduate degree from Benedictine University (Psychology). In 2013 she earned her Masters of Science in Leadership from Walden University.
Kismet Saglam, MS Ed.
Consulting Manager
Specific Areas of Focus include:
- Association Management Firm Consulting
- Formulation of Educational Strategies
- Development and Improvement of Education Programs
- Implementation of Education Technology Platforms
- Accreditation & Credentialing
Ms. Saglam has over 12 years of experience serving in a senior education leadership position with a large association management firm, working with numerous medical specialty societies including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, the Society for Vascular Medicine, the Society for Pediatric Pathology, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, the Society for Stem Cell Research, the Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the American Society for Pediatric Surgery, among others. During her tenure, these programs experienced increased attendance and revenue associated with their education programs and resulted in measurable improvement in learner outcomes.
Ms. Saglam received her undergraduate degree from Roosevelt University (Illinois), where she majored in Political Science. She subsequently earned her master’s degree in education from Shenandoah University (Virginia). She also holds a professional certificate in Distance Learning from the University of Wisconsin, and a Certification Specialist Certificate from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.
Ms. Saglam has presented on topics ranging from growing association education programs, education trends in professional development, and managing education programs. She led a successful effort to develop and implement the ASAE-licensed Certificate in Association Management program She facilitated instructor training, developed course offerings both internally for management firm staff and externally for the Chicago association community. Ms. Saglam has contributed articles published in Associations, Conventions & Facilities – The Meetings Magazine. Additionally, she has authored articles on topics ranging from the business of credentialing, education content curation, education strategy development, among others.
John Thorner, J.D., CAE
Consulting Manager
Specific Areas of Focus include:
- Governance Enhancement
- Strategic Planning
- Operations Improvement
Mr. Thorner has more than 30 years of association leadership experience, including executive director-level at six international professional societies:
- American Bar Association
- Academy of General Dentistry
- American Society of Anesthesiologists
- National Recreation and Park Association
- Optical Society
- Air & Waste Management Association
During his tenure, each of these organizations experienced membership growth and major improvements in their financial health.
Mr. Thorner received his undergraduate degree in history and political science from Duke University, a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, and a law degree from the University of Georgia. He has served on numerous boards an committees, including a three-year term on the American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors. He has spoken at ASAE conferences on non-dues revenue enhancements and was the subject of two Associations Now articles on improving the financial health of not-for-profit organizations. He also co-authored an Associations Now article on auditing association government affairs activities.
Kayla Westman, MSL, CMP
Kayla, a part-time contractor for Westman & Associates, grew up in the association world and has been working full-time at various medical associations ever since graduating from Calvin College. Specific areas of focus include:
- Compensation Analysis
- Process Improvement
- Event Planning & Design
Kayla has a Master’s degree in Leadership Studies from Walden University and is a CMP. She is currently the Director of Meetings for a Chicago-based medical association and she is working towards obtaining her CAE.
When Kayla is not working you can usually expect to find her at the beach, cold beverage in hand, or travelling to distant lands in search of the next great adventure.
Monar Consulting, Inc.
847-778-3060
Based in Chicago, Illinois, the firm is focused on serving associations, public & privately held companies, and other non-profit organizations. Core lines of service include:
- Leadership development
- Executive coaching
- Organization development & change management
- Talent management & succession planning
- Team building & facilitation
- Designing, developing and delivering training
The firm is led by Mike Monar, MS, Ed.S, who has over 30 years of experience as an organizational development consultant and human resource professional.
The Overture Group, with offices in Lisle, Illinois and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is a premier Midwest professional/executive search and placement firm headquartered in Lisle, IL. With its genesis in the fields of accounting and business consulting, The Overture Group serves many industries, with an increasing focus on associations and other non-profits. David Westman serves as Overture’s Association Practice Leader – building awareness of the firm’s services and assisting in the identification/vetting of candidates for association positions.
For more information, please call 630-352-4029 or connect on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Google +.
Established in 1980, Right Management has over 35 years of experience in career management and talent strategy. In that time, the company has put 40,000 people to work every day, conducted over 12 million interviews per year and successfully transitioned more than three million people into new roles. David Westman serves as an affiliate Executive Coach – working with client executives to improve their effectiveness in current roles and preparing them for promotion to higher-level roles.