By Tim Sullivan
 
Choosing trade group management experience over knowledge of its industry, the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association announced Monday that it has appointed Celeste Powers as executive director.
 
Powers, who has 11 years of experience with trade associations, will take over day-to-day management of ILMA July 15. She will succeed Mark Sever and Jeff Leiter, who have shared the post on an interim basis since Michael C. Metallo left in late February.
 
The group’s president, American Oil & Supply Co.’s Stanley J. Ziemski, said after Metallo’s departure that lack of industry experience was “part of his problem,” and that the board of directors would have to choose whether to hire someone who had such experience or an association management background.
 
Ultimately, the board decided that the latter was more important.
 
“That was part of it,” Ziemski said. “We talked to a number of well-qualified candidates, including several from the lubricants industry who were on our final short list. But when we looked at some of the initiatives going on, we decided that experience with things like publications, program planning, financial management and working with a board and committees was more important.
 
“Celeste has a cross-section of experience, having worked with a number of different industries, and she brings a youthful enthusiasm that we like very much.”
 
Powers is currently vice president of public relations for the Association of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT), formerly the Telecommunications Resellers Assoc., in Washington, D.C. Previously, while employed by a multi-client management firm, she served for six years as executive director for two national and two international associations.
 
 “When I joined ASCENT, I knew nothing about the telecommunications industry, but I quickly learned about it,” she said. “I’m sure I will learn about lubricants quickly, too.”
 
She added that she sees similarities between ASCENT and ILMA. Both have a large number of entrepreneurial companies, she said, and both have members seeking networking and educational opportunities.
 
Note to readers: Before launching Lubes'n'Greases Magazine, Lube Report publisher Nancy DeMarco was executive director of ILMA, 1984 to 1995.