SAAC Hires Executive Director

Donté P. Shannon, CAE, executive director of SAAC

The Specialty Advertising Association of California (SAAC), Camarillo, Calif., announced Donté P. Shannon, CAE, as its new executive director.

Shannon is an experienced and recognized nonprofit executive from the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He has worked extensively in association management for nine years. Throughout his career, he has served in various roles, ranging from committee management to business operations. For the last two years, Shannon has been facilitating change by impacting strategic policy; managing programs, products and services; and directing volunteer management strategies at the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), a 3,000 individual-member association consisting of general internal medicine physicians.

“SAAC is a wonderful association with a solid foundation for continued excellence and growth," Shannon said. "I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this association in partnership with a motivated and engaged board of directors."

His recent accomplishments include being selected as a 40 Under 40 Award recipient by Association Forum of Chicagoland, which distinguishes 40 up-and-coming association and nonprofit professionals who are younger than 40, demonstrate a high potential for success in leadership roles and exhibit a strong commitment to the association management profession. Additionally, Shannon was selected as a 2011-2013 Diversity Education Leadership Program (DELP) scholar by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): The Center for Association Leadership, a national organization of nonprofit and association professionals.

Shannon frequently presents at various conferences and has served in leadership roles with the ASAE young professionals committee, ASAE diversity and inclusion committee, and the ASAE DELP scholar outreach subcommittee.

“We are so excited to welcome Donté to the SAAC family," said Lori Bolton-Herman, president of SAAC. "The scope of his responsibilities at SGIM uniquely position him as the ideal executive director for SAAC, bringing with him extensive association management experience."

Shannon has a Bachelor of Science in education from the College of Charleston and obtained the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2014.

For more information on SAAAC, visit www.saac.net.