Detroit, MI – Funeral services will be held June 14 for R. William Taylor, retired CEO of ASAE, The Center for Association Leadership, who died of pneumonia on June 8 in Michigan at the age of 83.
Taylor spent 13 years as vice president and general manager of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers before joining ASAE in 1982. In his first year on the job at ASAE, Taylor organized the first ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition, turning a $500,000 debt into a $500,000 surplus. ASAE continued to grow under Taylor’s leadership. He established the Certified Association Executive (CAE) program and the Ronald Regan Private Sector Initiatives Presidential Council. He was inducted into the Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders in Washington, DC. He retired in1998 after 17 years as CEO of ASAE at a gala at the Grand Old Opry Hotel in Nashville, TN. Secretary of State Colin Powell and country music singer Reba McIntire attended.
After his formal retirement, Taylor became an independent consultant specializing in association management.
Visitation is scheduled June 13 at A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home in Royal Oak, MI with services on June 14 at Northbrook Presbyterian Church in Beverly Hills, MI. The family asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to ASAE or the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Reach ASAE President and CEO John Graham at (202) 626-2741 or jgraham@asaecenter.org
