Susan K. Gurley
Executive Director

Joining the ADAA staff in 2015, Ms. Gurley has more than 15 years of leadership experience in the access to health and justice-centered nonprofit sector, international development, and higher education administration, as well as in global membership-association management. She has held senior-level positions with organizations such as Georgetown University School of Law, Equal Justice Works, the East West Management Institute, and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives. Ms. Gurley has been involved in strategic planning, operations, finance, HR, communications, event planning, as well as program design, development, and delivery. She is a member of the Board of FilmAid International and the International Executive Service Corps and speaks French, German, and Hungarian. A member of the Virginia Bar, Ms. Gurley’s law degree comes from the University of Virginia School of Law.   Email Susan.

Lise Bram
Deputy Executive Director

Lise is a mission-driven marketing and communications professional with many years of non-profit and for-profit sector experience designing and implementing successful marketing and communication strategies. Prior to joining ADAA, Lise worked at the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) as the Marketing and Communications Director. While at APSE, Lise was responsible for enhancing and expanding marketing and communications to diversify revenue streams, grow membership, accreditation and other business models. Prior to her tenure at APSE, Lise spent 14 years as the Chief Marketing Officer at the Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA) where she designed, developed and implemented the metro-DC nonprofit agency's internal and external marketing and communication strategies. Lise received her BA degree in art history from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec and her MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, England. Email Lise.

Vickie Spielman
Associate Director, Membership and Marketing

Joining ADAA in 2019, Vickie brings over 17 years of association management experience focused on membership and marketing strategy and programming. Vickie is focused on developing strong member relationships which encourage member engagement and thoughtful participation within nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining ADAA, Vickie worked at the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition where she was solely responsible for membership recruitment, benefits development, and retention. She was also responsible for engaging with underrepresented populations within the industry to encourage a broader and more diverse membership. Additionally, Vickie has an extensive background in event and conference planning as well as communications and web content management. Vickie received her BA degree in government and politics from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and her MS degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Vickie also has completed certificate programs in legislative studies and meeting, event, and exposition management. Email Vickie.

Ashley Ormon
Project Coordinator

Ashley has spent the past ten years working in a variety of communications roles. Before joining ADAA, she spent five years in membership-based organizations in the health field working with those in the executive level on content and website management. Prior to this, she was a contributing writer at Hempstead Living and In the Light where she covered issues on foster care and adoption, mental health, and later, education which led to her being quoted in Cambridge University's curriculum for communication students. Ashley holds a degree in media communications from Nassau College in New York and a nonprofit certificate from SUNY Purchase. Email Ashley.

Barbara Kamholz
Senior Advisor, Professional Education 

Barbara W. Kamholz, PhD, ABPP is a career-long educator, with 20 years of experience in professional training, clinical care, and research related to cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) for mood and anxiety disorders. She is certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in behavioral and cognitive psychology, and has particular expertise in interprofessional education. As such, she is currently Director of CBT Training at Boston University Medical Center Psychiatry Residency Program and was previously the Chair of the Sub-Committee on Medical Education for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT). Dr. Kamholz has developed curricula for courses, training rotations, and broad training experiences. She serves as Associate Editor, Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, as well as Coordinator for Convention and Continuing Education for ABCT. She has also served as Workshop Chair for the ABCT Convention Committee, and Clinical Sub-Committee Co-Chair and Career Development Chair for ADAA’s Convention Committee. Dr. Kamholz has published broadly on topics relevant to CBTs, and has presented her perspectives on interprofessional training of CBTs and other career development issues at conferences, in print, and in other academic settings. Dr. Kamholz received her doctorate from the University of Miami, completed internship at VA Boston Internship Consortium, and post-doctoral fellowship at Brown University School of Medicine. She is currently Associate Director of Outpatient Mental Health Services at VA Boston Healthcare System and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Email Barbara.

In Memoriam

Alies Muskin, Executive Director
Jerilyn Ross, Co-founder and President