STAFDA will be managed by the association management company Frontline, effective 1 January 2026.
Frontline has a team of specialists in accounting, governance, marketing, data and technology, education, meeting planning, advocacy and leadership, providing the back-office support that STAFDA says it “desperately needs”.
At present, STAFDA has only two employees serving more than 1,900 members internationally, which it describes as “dangerously understaffed”. However, as a not-for-profit organisation, STAFDA cannot be sold. It is owned by its members and can only be managed, not transferred.
STAFDA’s structure will remain unchanged. The organisation will continue to operate with its board of directors and its Manufacturer Liaison and Rep Liaison Committees. All existing consultants, member programmes, webinars and the annual convention and trade show will also continue as normal.
Most of the transition will take place behind the scenes to ensure there is no disruption to STAFDA’s services and programmes. STAFDA’s phone numbers and website address will remain the same.
In addition, STAFDA’s CEO, Georgia Foley, and Member Services Director, Cathy Usher, will continue to serve the association but will become Frontline employees. Foley will reduce her hours, and an executive search has been launched to find her successor.
“I’ve been gifted with a career beyond my wildest dreams to serve STAFDA members who are so near and dear to my heart, but shifting over to Frontline will get STAFDA in a far safer place than it is right now with only a staff of two,” Foley said.
