Craft & Hobby Association names new leader

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. — The Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) board of directors has announced Andrej Suskavcevic as new president and CEO of CHA. The appointment of Suskavcevic concludes an eight-month executive search during which Tony Lee, VP meetings and expositions, served as CHA's interim leader.

"After a long and exhaustive national search, we believe Andrej has the expertise and qualifications needed to lead CHA forward, capitalizing on the positive momentum created by Tony and Team CHA," says Larry Olliges, CHA board chairman."Andrej has some core strengths in marketing, public relations and finance that make him uniquely qualified for this position at this time. We have every confidence in him and look forward to great things."

Since 2007, Suskavcevic has served as CEO of the Commercial Finance Association (CFA) in New York City. CFA is the premier trade association for the asset-based lending and factoring industries. Previously, he was VP operations at Financial Executives International (FEI) in Morristown, N.J., a professional association for CFOs, controllers and treasurers. Before joining FEI, he served as COO at Zepter International, an international cookware and tabletop company.

"I am very excited about joining CHA and working with members to grow and develop the organization to be a champion for the industry," said Suskavcevic. "I see opportunities for CHA to be the ultimate resource for the industry and a platform for members to share their expertise and connect with customers globally."

Suskavcevic is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and active member of the American Society of Association Executives. He holds a bachelor of science in finance from Montclair University and a master's of business administration from New York University's Stern School of Business.