THE ESOP ASSOCIATION
ESOP Association Leadership
EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

President
Mr. James Bonham
President & CEO, The ESOP Association
From The ESOP Association’s national headquarters in Washington, DC, James Bonham serves as President and CEO, leading The Association and its 18 state and regional chapters throughout the nation. Bonham also serves as President of the Employee Ownership Foundation, whose mission is to educate and expand employee ownership throughout the United States.
Bonham is a recognized expert in public policy, government advocacy, and executive leadership. He brings more than 25 years of experience as a high level government official, advisor, and business leader with expertise in the fields of taxes, labor, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and government contracting.
Before joining The Association, Bonham was Chairman for nearly eight years of the highly regarded Public Policy and Government Relations practice at Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips, LLP, a nationally recognized law and business consulting firm. In this role, Bonham led teams of lawyers, policy experts, and advocates representing clients as diverse as New York Life, The Recording Academy (Grammy’s), StarKist, and the American Land Title Association.
During a decade of public service, Bonham held multiple senior staff positions, including Chief of Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, where he was frequently cited in the media as one of the 50 most influential aides of either political party.
His passion for shared capitalism springs from a family commitment to employee ownership: His grandfather had a personal and professional relationship with James Cash (J.C.) Penney, based partly on a shared business philosophy. One of their beliefs was granting a form of ownership to employees in the small mercantile businesses they ran. Bonham is proud to carry on today his family tradition of expanding employee ownership.

Chairman of the Board of Directors
Ali Jamshidi
VP of Finance & CFO, CTL Engineering, Inc.
Ali Jamshidi is the Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at CTL Engineering Inc., in Columbus, OH. He has worked at CTL, which is 100% employee owned, since 1985.
Ali has been very active in The ESOP Association and has served in multiple leadership positions. On the Board of Directors, he has served as Secretary/Treasurer and Vice Chair; as Vice Chair, he presided over a special committee tasked with evaluating and updating The Association’s strategic plan.
He has been the Board Liaison to the Executive Committee of the State and Regional Chapter Council, the Committee Chair of the Board of Governors, and the President of TEA’s Ohio/Kentucky Chapter.
Ali also has held leadership roles for the Employee Ownership Foundation, where he has been a member of the Board of Trustees and has served on the Executive Committee. He also serves on the boards of other ESOP companies.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ali Jamshidi
Chair
VP of Finance & CFO
CTL Engineering, Inc.
Karen Ellis
Vice Chair
Executive VP of HR
Superior Farms, Transhumance Holding Company
Derrick Vick
Secretary & Treasurer
President
Freedom Industries, Inc.
Gary Shorman
Immediate Past Chair
President
Eagle Communications
Cindy Turcot
Chair of the Employee Ownership Foundation
President
Gardener’s Supply Company
Steve Earle
State & Regional Council Chair
Vice President of Kitchen Operations
Mid South Building Supply Inc.
Robyn Pollina
Corporate At-Large Member
CEO
Palmer-Donavin Manufacturing Co.
Peter A. Ney
Chair, Public Policy Council
Executive Vice President and Treasurer
EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.
Daniel Goldstein
President & CEO
Folience
Lori Stuart
Chair, Advisory Committees
Senior Consultant
Blue Ridge ESOP Associates
Brian Ippensen
Professional At-Large Member
President
TI-TRUST, Inc
Executive Committee of the Public Policy Council
Peter A. Ney
Chair, Public Policy Council
Executive Vice President and Treasurer
EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc.
Daniel Goldstein
Public Policy Council, TEA Board Representative
President and CEO
Folience
Brian Bowers
ESOP Rep. (Up to 250 Employees)
President
Bowers & Kubota
Ben Holder
ESOP Rep. (More Than 250 Employees)
President and CEO
Plastic Products, Inc.
Barbara Clough
TEA Chapter Advocacy Officer Rep.
Senior Manager
Crowe LLP
Renee Lewis
ESOP Professional Rep.
Partner
Holland & Knight
Eric Tober
At Large Membership Rep.
Principal and Director
Cornerstone
Sean-Tamba Matthew
At-Large Membership Rep.
Shareholder
Stevens & Lee/SES ESOP Strategies
Allison Wilkerson
At-Large Membership Rep.
Partner
McDermott, Will & Emory
Executive Committee of the State and Regional Chapter Council
Steve Earle
State & Regional Council Chair
VP of Kitchen Operations
Mid South Building Supply
Janeece Higgins
President & Chief Executive Officer
Alaska Rubber and Supply Inc.
Matthew Olson
Vice President of Operations
Mountain Hardware and Sports
Maria Prado
VP of Human Resources
Rex-Cut Abrasives
Karen Ellis
Executive VP of HR
Superior Farms, Transhumance Holding Company
Charles Kroll
CFO
Crystal Flash
Becky Streff
Vice President, Organizational Excellence
ESP International
Daniel Goldstein
President and CEO
Folience
Chairs of The ESOP Association Advisory Committees
Tracy Woolsey
Chair, Advisory Committee on Fiduciary Issues
Senior Vice President / Employee Benefits Officer
Horizon Trust & Investments
Cara Benningfield
Chair, Advisory Committee on Finance
Partner
BKD LLP
Julie Govreau
Chair, Advisory Committee Legislative & Regulatory
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
GreatBanc Trust Co.
John Williams
Chair, Advisory Committee on Ownership Culture
President
Elucidate Resources LLC
Donny Springer
Chair, Advisory Committee on Valuation
Managing Principal and Shareholder
Columbia Financial Advisors Inc.
Lynn Archer
Chair, Advisory Committee on Administration
Senior Vice President
GreatBanc Trust Company