New President for Booming E-commerce AssociationArrives for Premier Event; DISA's E-Business and...

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2000

Kerry C. Stackpole, a certified association executive (CAE), was selected today by the Data Interchange Standards Association (DISA) as its new president and chief executive officer.

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Slated to take the reins in mid-April, Mr. Stackpole begins just weeks before DISA's E-Business and Internet Conference in Boston, April 25-28, and in the booming growth of DISA's Collaborative Services division, driving extensible markup language (XML) and business-to-business technology development.

He will succeed Jerry Connors, who served as DISA's interim acting president since fall 1999, and participate in the smooth transition and ramp-up leading to the association's upcoming conference, offering the latest in e-commerce and Internet expertise.

"As DISA propels global e-commerce, we remain committed to building productive partnerships with complementary initiatives and organizations, such as the Electronic Business XML initiative and the World Wide Web Consortium," said Mr. Stackpole. "Key to DISA's continued growth is the keen insight we offer to our customers and clients on today's innovative and ever-evolving marketplace."

As the leader of EMA since 1998, Mr. Stackpole successfully repositioned the focus of the association to include the growing diversity of messaging technologies and solutions.

Prior to taking the helm at EMA, he served as president and chief executive officer of the Association for Work Progress Improvement, Inc., the leading organization for professionals in electronic remittance and document processing industry.

He also served as the executive director of the Smaller Business Association of New England, dedicated to promoting and protecting small businesses and their entrepreneurial leaders.

A dynamic and popular speaker, Mr. Stackpole has addressed audiences at the DataQuest Market Conference, Harvard School of Public Health, American Society of Association Executives' (ASAE) Membership Marketing Conference, and a variety of other impressive venues.

Serving as the 2000 Committee Chairman of ASAE's Associations Advance America, an awareness campaign designed to promote the value of associations, he is also an active community volunteer on the United States Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Group and the Information Technology Policy Council.

A native New Englander, he holds a Masters of Education degree in Management and Organization Development from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Mass.

DISA, a Virginia-based not-for-profit association, is the leading provider of educational and networking forums on e-business. Promoting e-commerce in a global marketplace, DISA provides technical and management services to standards and XML specification development organizations, including the Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) X12, the OpenTravel Alliance, the Interactive Financial Exchange Forum, the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization, and the XML/EDI Group.

DISA's affiliation with the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association, EC User Groups and emerging initiatives around the world facilitates an interchange of e-commerce topics hitting the marketplace.

In other international arenas, DISA and ASC X12 serve as the entry point for the United States into the United Nations/Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT), an international standard relating to the exchange of trade goods and services.