The scholarship provides funding for travel, housing, and related expenses to attend the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition, taking place August 15–18 in Indianapolis. The Annual Meeting is the association community’s premier event, bringing together thousands of professionals for learning, connection, and idea-sharing.

“Congratulations to this year’s ASAE–USAE Travel Scholarship recipients for their commitment to growth, leadership, and service to the association community,” said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason, FASAE, CAE, AAiP. “Investing in your development is an investment in the future of our entire sector. We’re proud to support your journey and look forward to the impact you will continue to make as you build connections, expand your expertise, and help shape what’s next for associations.”

The 2026 ASAE–USAE Travel Scholarship recipients are:

 

Zachary Grays II, CAE
Senior Membership and Operations Manager
Smithbucklin / American Evaluation Association

Haley Jones, CAE
Director, Member Engagement
American Staffing Association

Alyssa Klopatek, M.A.
Executive Director
Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin

Adrian Uphoff, MPH, MPP
Manager of Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs
Minnesota Medical Association

Rebecca Weinstein
Director of Membership & Communications
American College of Medical Toxicology

 

The ASAE–USAE Travel Scholarship program is made possible through a $100,000 donation to the ASAE Research Foundation in 2021 from Ross E. Heller, founder and publisher of USAE and CustomNEWS, Inc. This restricted fund was established to provide financial assistance to association professionals seeking to attend the ASAE Annual Meeting for professional development, networking, and career advancement.

 

MEDIA CONTACT: Chris Vest, CAE, 202-626-2798, cvest@asaecenter.org

 

About ASAE

ASAE is a membership organization of more than 50,000 association executives and industry partners. Since it was established 100 years ago, its members have and continue to lead, manage, and work in or partner with organizations in more than a dozen association management disciplines, from executive management to finance to technology. With the support of the ASAE Research Foundation, a separate nonprofit entity, ASAE is the premier source of learning, knowledge, and future-oriented research for the association and nonprofit profession and provides resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance of the association and nonprofit community. Visit ASAE at Welcome to ASAE — American Society of Association Executives (asaecenter.org)