Our Team

Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, CPF – CEO

With decades of experience in the education and association realm, Lowell founded Vista Cova with the goal of bringing dynamic tools and knowledge to associations across the globe. As a previous association executive, Lowell now has had the privilege of working closely with hundreds of organizations – guiding leaders, members, and staff through facilitation, keynoting, and more.

Lowell is a committed believer in bringing authentic curiosity, experiential learning approaches, and active listening to the table.

Lowell is an IAF Certified ™ Professional Facilitator, holds a Doctorate of Education in Leadership, and is currently pursuing an MBA. Lowell resides in Maryland where his 13-year-old twins and 15-year-old son keep the house full of surprises and laughter. Read more

Photo Courtesy of SPN Photography.

Erin Gordon, MBA, MS, CPF – Strategy Advisor and Visual Facilitator

Erin is a certified professional facilitator, strategy consultant and integral coach that specializes in visual methods to solve complex challenges and craft meaningful experiences. With nearly two decades of consulting and facilitation experience both in-person and virtually with top consulting firms, for the largest systems implementations in the world, and at the most senior ranks across the whole of government, Erin brings her expertise with an ever-curious mindset to help navigate the current moment and chart new paths forward.

Erin holds both an MBA and an MS in Strategic Management from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. She has held positions with the Center for Creative Leadership, the Logistics Management Institute, WAYFIND, and has served in numerous consulting roles and as an independent artist.

Jacqualine Price Osafo, MBA, CAE – Strategy Advisor and Speaker

Jackie is the Executive Director of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and its Foundation. She is a certified Association Executive (CAE). In her role, she champions and expands the association’s work — and leadership — in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Jackie is also skilled in strategic planning, group facilitation, DEIA, and membership. Jackie has delivered education training to more than 15 countries. She has presented industry-related topics for the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE), Association Forum, digitialNow, African Society of Association Executives, and others.

Jackie is a member of the Association Forum’s board, serves on ASAE’s CAE Commission Committee, and the University of Illinois GIES College of Business Alumni Association. She is an ASAE’s Diversity Executive Leadership (DELP) Scholar.

Russ Webb, CAE – Strategy Advisor and Speaker

Russ is the Executive Director of the Bay Area Apartment Association, having moved south to the Tampa Bay Area after 21 years of managing the Atlanta & Georgia Apartment Associations. For nearly two decades Webb has taken on the challenge of a constituency of more than 2000 member companies, and is passionate about helping other organizations reach their potential. He is a teacher at heart and the originator of edu-tainment – making people laugh while learning. Russ has presented to dozens of industry groups across the country and facilitated strategic planning and board visioning for dozens of associations. Russ says that his goal when presenting is to make his session useful, impactful…and always memorable.

Trevor Mitchell, MBA, FASAE, CAE, CDP – Strategy Advisor and Speaker

Trevor is the President and CEO at the International Association of Venue Managers. Throughout his career, Trevor has been active in the association management profession as well as in industry events. He is currently involved with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and is a Past Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and ASAE Component Relations Council. He is a member of the Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE) and the Dallas Fort Worth Society of Association Executives (DFWAE).

Chelsea Killam – Researcher

Chelsea knew she had a future in research from the moment she wrote her first survey question as an undergraduate at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Fifteen years later, and she hasn’t stopped asking questions! She spent the first decade of her career in association management, earning her CAE and IOM while serving as the Director of Research at ASAE, leading studies like the landmark Decision to… series, Policies & Procedures in Association Management, and multiple industry-level environmental scans. Chelsea then spent a few years in the corporate world driving consumer insights for a Fortune 50 telecom and building a research capability for a pre-IPO fintech. She now uses this cross-industry experience to empower the organizations she works with to make informed, confident decisions using a variety of rigorous and right-sized research techniques.

Tim Sanders- Researcher

Tim Sanders is a strategic research and analytics leader with 15 years of experience transforming complex data into actionable insights. He has a proven track record of driving executive decision-making, enhancing organizational performance, and elevating stakeholder and member engagement. His expertise spans survey design, statistical analysis, data visualization, data warehousing, and AI integration – across association, policy, and healthcare sectors. Tim excels at designing and executing custom research projects, aligning stakeholders, and distilling technical findings into high-impact strategic recommendations for C-suite and executive audiences.

Rachel Yanoshik – Researcher

Rachel has spent more than 16 years helping teams understand people and build products, services, and brands that genuinely resonate with customers.

She spent the early part of her career in retail, partnering with brand, merchandising, and customer experience teams at Urban Outfitters and Lane Bryant to understand emerging customer behaviors and inform retail strategy. From there, she moved into technology, leading research for product and customer experience teams at Comcast/Xfinity and Amazon (Books & Kindle), where she embedded herself within complex organizations to ensure insights drove real decisions, not just reports.

Along the way, Rachel has built and scaled research practices, managed and mentored researchers, and stayed closely connected to the craft itself. She is a mixed-methods researcher with a strong qualitative foundation, formally trained in moderation through the RIVA Institute and an active member of the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA). She brings this cross-industry experience to every engagement, with a focus on deeper listening, thoughtful synthesis, and more grounded decision-making.

She believes good research isn’t about volume or speed. It’s about meaning.

Jessica Davis – Researcher

Jessica is a customer and member experience research leader with more than 20 years of experience helping membership and mission-driven organizations better understand the people they serve. Her work focuses on transforming data and feedback into actionable insights that improve member experiences and support strategic decision-making.

Jessica has led research and insight initiatives across healthcare, membership organizations, insurance, technology, and professional associations. Her expertise includes voice-of-customer strategy, member experience measurement, survey research, and digital experience insights.
She is known for combining analytical rigor with a practical, human-centered approach. Clients value her ability to synthesize large amounts of information into clear recommendations that leaders can act on with confidence.

In addition to her consulting work, Jessica is a senior experience insights leader based in Texas and writes “The Member Experience Insight Brief,” a publication that helps associations and specialty societies improve the member experience through research and insights.
Jessica is passionate about helping organizations make better decisions through meaningful insight.

Jennifer Lipsey – Client Experience Architect

Jennifer began her career as a marriage and family therapist and transitioned into the association industry supporting certification, membership, program standards, and professional development. She has served in a variety of association positions ranging from Membership & Database Manager, Certification Manager, Director of Operations, to CEO. Each role has provided her with a breadth and depth of experience with a variety of programs and services.

Elaina Gavounas – Client Relationship Architect

Elaina manages the client journey from lead intake through proposal development and contract execution. She plays a key role in ensuring engagements are clearly scoped, well-coordinated, and positioned for success from the outset.

With a background in event planning and project management in the association space, Elaina has supported educational conferences, board meetings, and corporate retreats ranging from 15 to 400 participants. She brings a calm, detail-oriented approach to complex logistics, managing multiple priorities while maintaining clarity and momentum.

Elaina also oversees CRM management, proposal development, and supports the planning and execution of Vista Cova events. Known for her steady, solutions-oriented mindset, she ensures a seamless experience for both clients and internal teams.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling.

Christina Blissmer – Operations Manager

With an Industrial-Organizational Psychology degree from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), Christina blends her love for people and systems as a Certified Director of Operations. With more than two decades of experience in operations, project management, and organizational leadership, she helps bring structure and clarity to the behind-the-scenes work that supports Vista Cova’s mission and the team behind it. With a background spanning consulting, leadership development, and operational strategy, she believes strong operations aren’t just about getting things done. It’s about building trust, supporting people well, and making space for meaningful, impactful work.

Molly Veydovec – Client Specialist

Molly Veydovec is a proposal writer and client specialist at Vista Cova. Prior to this, she founded a speaker management company which she led for 10+ years, an experience that has given her a unique understanding of client service, attention to detail, the association industry, and what it takes to build a successful meeting from start to finish. She now happily finds herself as part of the Vista Cova team where she can use her writing and communication skills to work closely with Vista Cova’s growing clientele, providing them with the initial vision of what their work with Vista Cova’s advisors will entail.

Stephaney Dush – Executive Assistant

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