Richard Yep, CAE, FASAE is Vice President of Vetted Solutions, an executive search firm, and the founder of Ocean Vista Advisors. Rich focuses exclusively on associations and other nonprofit organizations. He served for 24 years as CEO of the American Counseling Association. Rich now consults, speaks, and writes about leadership development, association management, and community inclusivity.

As an active member of the American Society of Association Executives, Rich is a past Chair of the organization’s Committee on Diversity and Inclusion, completed a term on the Board of Directors, and was named an ASAE Fellow in 2012. He received ASAE’s Key Award which honors an association CEO who demonstrates exceptional qualities of leadership and displays a deep commitment to voluntary membership organizations.

One of the highlights of his career was his decade long service on Excelsior’s Board of Trustees which culminated in being named a Chair Emeriti of the board. In 2018 Rich was recognized with an honorary doctoral degree.

Rich holds BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MPA from the University of Southern California.