WASHINGTON— The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Research Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2026 Future Leaders Professional Development Scholarship, which supports the career advancement of young association professionals.
In 2026, the scholarship will provide each selected recipient with $3,000 to cover registration and travel and lodging costs for any in-person ASAE event. In addition, recipients will be matched with experienced association leaders for one-on-one mentoring sessions. Eligible applicants must be 35 years old or younger, employed at a trade or professional association, philanthropic organization, or association management company, and be current ASAE members.
This initiative is supported by a founding donation from ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, as well as corporate donors Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, Destination Cleveland, Hilton ASAE Business Services, Inc., and others committed to building the association leadership pipeline.
“The Future Leaders Professional Development Scholarship reflects our deep belief in the power of investing early and intentionally in the next generation of association leaders,” said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE. “We congratulate the 2026 recipients and look forward to supporting their development as they continue to make important contributions to the association community.”
The 2026 Future Leaders Professional Development Scholarship recipients are:
Marley Dewey
Senior Manager of Learning Experience
Urgent Care Association (UCA)
Emily Huff
Director of Communications & Marketing
Raybourn Group International (RGI)
Chelsea Schmidt
Associate Director, Operations
American Public Gardens Association (APGA)
About ASAE
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at Welcome to ASAE — American Society of Association Executives (asaecenter.org)
submitted by ASAE
