Marla Schrager, CAE, is the Executive Director of CAF (Chicago Advertising Federation) and SATW (Society of American Travel Writers) both managed by Kellen, a global association management firm. She is a collaborative, energetic and accomplished Association Executive with over eleven years of experience. Her approachable, thoughtful and empathetic style has led to proven success motivating and mentoring member volunteers and staff teams.
Marla has direct experience in both B2B and B2C channels with an emphasis on expanding associations’ member bases and increasing revenue within an organization. Marla’s accomplishments include turning one association with a budget of $1M from a net loss of $180K to a net gain of $30k within two years. For another association, she was able to turn a profit for the first time in 5 years.
In 2013, Marla was awarded a Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. In the association business, the CAE designation is commonly thought of as “masters-level” training, and signifies a commitment to lifelong learning and best practices in association management, which is achieved by less than 5% of association leaders in the U.S.