ASTA Sr. VP Connors To Shoulder NBTA's Top Staff Post

The National Business Travel Association last month named Bill Connors its new executive director, a position that has remained vacant since May of last year. Connors, formerly a senior vice president with the American Society of Travel Agents, will begin his duties with NBTA on Jan. 22.

Connors fills the position vacated by Marianne McInerney, whose resignation in May "to pursue another opportunity" began the search for a successor, according to Allison Marble, an NBTA spokesperson.

At first, the response to fill the position was overwhelming, according to NBTA president Kevin Iwamoto, as NBTA was "inundated with resumes." The association's recruiting committee outsourced the search to Alexandria, Va.-based headhunting firm Association Strategies Inc.

"We wanted to do this right, and we wanted to hire the best candidate," Iwamoto said. "We needed a professional process to do it and present to us a short list of finalists, which they did deliver within a certain timeframe."

During the search, several NBTA officers took on some of the executive director's duties throughout the year.

"The board, especially the executive committee, has been very active in keeping the association running in the absence of an executive director," Marble said. "They all obviously have their own jobs in addition to being board members and took on a lot of responsibility."

Prior to joining NBTA, Connors was senior vice president of meetings, education and member services at ASTA, as well as vice president of marketing/relationship management for the Institute of Certified Travel Agents.

"Bill Connors is an accomplished executive and advocate with extensive experience in the travel industry and association management," Iwamoto said. "Bill is the ideal candidate for this position. His leadership will help NBTA continue to expand its reach and capabilities."

The NBTA executive director is a paid staff member who is responsible for the functional and organizational aspects of the association.