CHICAGO - Cathleen Bourdon, associate executive director for communications and member relations, has announced that Ronald J. Jankowski will be the new membership development director, effective Jan. 9, 2012.

Jankowski has a degree in communications from Columbia College and has earned the title of Certified Association Executive from ASAE, The Center for Association Leadership. Jankowski brings to the position more than 20 years’ experience in marketing in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. He served as the assistant director of marketing for Ameritech Mobile and was responsible for improving customer retention and maintaining a positive brand identify. At the Academy of General Dentistry he directed a team in the development and implementation of membership growth strategies, chapter services and customer services for the Academy’s 40,000 members. Most recently he served as the membership director at the Illinois CPA Society and worked to enhance the member experience for the Society’s 25,000 members.

“We are very pleased to welcome Ron to ALA and look forward to his leadership in serving the needs of ALA members,” Bourdon stated. “Members of the Search Committee were impressed with his past experience in improving the member experience and increasing member satisfaction. We think he will be an excellent addition to the ALA staff.” Jankowski will be filling the position most recently held by John Chrastka, who left ALA on Aug. 30 to become a partner in an association consulting agency.

Members of the Search Committee included Bourdon; Kay Cassell, assistant professor, Rutgers University, School of Communication and Information, and chair of the ALA Membership Committee; Keith Michael Fiels, ALA executive director; Mary Mackay, ALA marketing director; Elliot R. Mandel, program coordinator, Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS); Mary Pullen, senior recruiter; Cynthia Vivian, director, Human Resources; and Beth Yoke, executive director, Young Adult Library Services Association.

Membership in the American Library Association is open to library workers and library supporters from around the world.  Composed of more than 60,000 members who are librarians, support staff, trustees, friends, retirees and international librarians, our membership touches all types of libraries and is united in the common cause of supporting libraries. For more information on membership, see http://www.ala.org/membership/.

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