The Valve Manufacturers Association of America (VMA) announced that Heather Rhoderick, CAE, has been named president after an exhaustive search by the executive search committee. Rhoderick takes on the role previously held by William "Bill" Sandler, who retired this year after a 40-year tenure with the organization.

Rhoderick joins VMA after serving the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) for 11 years in various roles of increasing responsibility, most recently as senior vice president of events and information. She has 24 years of experience in trade organization operations, including leadership positions at the Newspaper Association of America and the American Chemistry Council.

Rhoderick holds a Master of Business Administration from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Delaware. She is also a Certified Association Executive and a Certified Meeting Professional.

"I'm honored to join the team at VMA as president. I look forward to working with the membership and staff to build on its strong record of success serving the vitally important North American flow control industry," said Rhoderick. "I believe the VMA is well-positioned for growth and am excited to help lead the organization providing a forum to address common issues and bring value-added programs that support the members and industry."

During her time at the ACMA, Rhoderick helped develop organization-wide strategies with a focus on fiscally responsible growth. She was instrumental in doubling non-dues revenue and increasing profitability by 60 percent over six years.