Albany, N.Y. (April 17, 2012) – Excelsior College today announced that Board of Trustees Chairman Richard Yep, CAE, has been named to the 2012 Class of Fellows of ASAE, the professional organization of association executives. Yep joined Excelsior’s Board of Trustees in 2004 and has served as chairman since 2008. He is one of only five association leaders worldwide, among more than 21,000 executives who are members of ASAE, to be selected for this year’s honor.

Since 1998, the Fellows program has recognized association leaders who demonstrate a commitment to the profession, expand knowledge and insight into strategic issues, identify, mentor, and develop future leaders within the profession, and act as ambassadors for the association community. The program is also a call for continued service though board representation, speaking engagements, authorship, and mentoring.

The Fellowship selection process includes peer endorsements, an in-depth application process, and individual interviews with a selection committee before the final candidates are selected.

Beyond his chairmanship duties with Excelsior, Richard Yep is executive director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Counseling Association (ACA), a post he has held since 1998. ACA is an association comprised of more than 45,000 professional counselors and counselor educators, headquartered in Alexandria, Virgina. As CEO, Yep has successfully guided the organization from a budget deficit position to one with a surplus and investments of more than $3 million. Richard Yep is also past chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and currently serves on that organization's board of directors. He is a former Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA), where he worked with Native Americans in northern Arizona on health, career, and education issues. Yep has worked in the U.S. Department of Education's TRIO programs, specifically with Upward Bound and Talent Search, programs that advocate for access to higher education for disadvantaged populations. He has been a legislative assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a former board member of the Committee for Education Funding. Yep earned a bachelor's degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Public Administration degree at the University of Southern California.