---
title: "Influencers-in-Chief: CEOs on Social Media"
id: "49084"
type: "post"
slug: "influencers-in-chief-ceos-on-social-media"
published_at: "2020-01-12T12:10:27+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-17T02:49:16+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/01/12/influencers-in-chief-ceos-on-social-media/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/01/12/influencers-in-chief-ceos-on-social-media.md"
excerpt: "Like many association leaders, these three CEOs use social media to actively engage followers and gain influence for the organizations they serve."
taxonomy_category:
  - "Marketing / Communications"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "Communications"
  - "Established CEO"
  - "Leadership"
  - "Social Media"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Executive Leadership"
---

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 » Influencers-in-Chief: CEOs on Social Media

### Irving Washington, FASAE, CAE

*Executive Director, Online News Association*

#### [http://associationsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Washington-instagram_photocredit_Victoria_Henderson_hrvcc.jpg](http://associationsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Washington-instagram_photocredit_Victoria_Henderson_hrvcc.jpg)

#### *“Supporting a free press with a bench press!”*

[Washington frequently posts on social media (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/irvwashington3)
 to promote the journalism profession, integrating those messages into his everyday activities. “I think social media is changing these days, and you can use it to show you as the whole person,” he says.

### Susan Avery, CAE

*CEO, International Association of Plastics Distribution*

> What a great ending to IAPD’s D.C.Fly-in. U.S. – Kansas Senator Moran was a great neighbor on my flight home! [pic.twitter.com/2Z2HtiKzvU (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/2Z2HtiKzvU)
> 
>  — Susan Avery (@susanavery_iapd) [July 27, 2014 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/susanavery_iapd/status/493437580063424512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Avery uses LinkedIn to highlight issues relevant to the plastics industry. Her posts might include a link to association news, events, or announcements. [She also takes to Twitter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/susanavery_iapd)
 to showcase behind-the-scenes advocacy work, including a selfie she took with Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran on the flight home from an IAPD legislative fly-in.

Active on @susanavery_iapd

### Eric Lanke, CAE

*President and CEO, National Fluid Power Association*

https://twitter.com/ericlanke/status/1116369320894820352

In addition to blogging, [Lanke uses Twitter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/ericlanke)
 to post photos from the field, giving an up-close-and-personal look at how fluid power works across many industries, using the hashtag [#onlyfluidpowercan (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/Onlyfluidpowercan?src=hash)
.

(shironosov/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

[Tim Ebner](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tim Ebner is communications director and press secretary at the American Forest & Paper Association in Washington, DC. He is a member of ASAE’s Communication Professionals Advisory Council and a former Associations Now senior editor.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/tim-ebner/)

Tags: [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/)
 [#Established CEO](https://associationsnow.com/tag/established-ceo/)
 [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/)
 [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/)

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