ALA begins search for new president and CEO

A search committee is identifying candidates to succeed Larry Lauck, who recently retired.

DALLAS – The American Lighting Association is searching for a new CEO and president following the recent retirement of Larry Lauck and the subsequent appointment of interim president and CEO Laurie Gross.

Lauck was with the ALA for more than 27 years, serving in various roles, from vice president of communications to executive vice president to president and CEO, a role he assumed in March 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Gross, who has been the president of Gross Electric in Toledo, Ohio, for nearly 50 years, stepped into the interim CEO role about three weeks ago, according to her LinkedIn profile.

The ALA Board of Governors has appointed an executive search committee to identify candidates whose permanent leader will drive the association’s initiatives and support its membership.

“As we begin the search for a new President & CEO, we look forward to finding a visionary leader who will build on our strong foundation and lead our association into a promising future,” said Cathy Choi, in a statement on the organization’s website. Choi is president and CEO of Bulbrite and leads the search committee.

Other search committee members include Maria Mullen, CEO of Hubbardton Forge, Stacey Summerville Ramsay, regional showroom manager for Inline Electric, Gabriel Trinidad, general manager of Lighting, Inc., and Todd Tieber, president of Teiber & Company.

The president and CEO will focus on membership engagement and growth, including finding ways to improve membership retention and engagement, and expanding membership into new categories. He or she will also strategize ways to expand the organization; build the ALA as the “go-to expert” on technical aspects of residential lighting and ceiling fans; and lead a high-performing team, among other duties, according to a post on LinkedIn.

A full job description, including information on how to apply, can be found on LinkedIn and the American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) website.