Terry Morse was selected as the incoming CEO of the National Ground Water Assn. (NGWA). He is the successor to Kevin McCray, CAE, who, after 22 years as CEO and 35 years in the groundwater industry, is retiring Dec. 31, 2017.
“Terry brings experience and skills necessary as NGWA moves forward in dealing with the ever-changing business climates of our membership, as well as the Association itself,” said David Henrich, CWD/PI, CVCLD, the incoming board president and a member of the search task group.
“NGWA looks forward to Terry joining our staff team this November as he works closely with Kevin during the final weeks of 2017,” said Board President Todd Hunter, CWD/PI. “Kevin helped NGWA tremendously by giving us ample lead time for an orderly and thoughtful transition.”
Morse was selected from a field of 53 applicants and is an association management veteran with a strong background in sales and marketing. Most recently, Morse has been a regional vice president for sales and marketing at RT Specialty LLC.
This followed several years with the Ohio Independent Insurance Assn., as well as at the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Gibson Foundation where he was the lead officer of the subsidiary of Gibson Guitar Corp.
“My personal life experiences coupled with my professional education, training and knowledge have made me cognizant of how important the need is to protect our groundwater system through advocacy, education, public awareness, and professional training. The opportunity to join with others who share the same mission, vision, and values will be the pinnacle and most rewarding chapter of my professional career,” said Morse.
The CEO search task group was led by Jeffrey Williams, MGWC, CVCLD, the immediate past president of the NGWA Board of Directors. Joining him in the effort were representatives from all NGWA membership sections, including Hunter and Henrich, as well as Paul Eberhardt, Ronnie Hensley, and Scott King, PG.
The search was facilitated by Nancy Rummel, CAE, herself an association management veteran, who owns a consulting business serving both nonprofit and for-profit clients.
“NGWA is fortunate to have had an excellent field of candidates to consider and interview,” said Williams. “I couldn’t be more proud to work with such a group of thoughtful and engaged individuals during this most important task, and, with her experience, Ms. Rummel brought a wealth of information and guidance to the process.”
Morse, a central Ohio resident, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in business administration in brand marketing from the University of Liverpool (England).
Since the Association’s founding in 1948, it has had only four full-time chief executives. Jay H. Lehr, Ph.D., served from 1966 to 1991, David Schmitt from 1991 to 1995, and McCray from 1995 to 2017.
