With over 15 years of experience in non-profit governance and operations, Marie Stravlo specializes in helping organizations build strong, effective boards that drive mission-focused success. She is passionate about creating governance structures that empower volunteer leaders to set strategic priorities and clear policies—allowing staff and volunteers to execute the organization’s goals effectively.
Her commitment to non-profit excellence is demonstrated by her credentials, including the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation and her role as both a graduate and faculty member of the US Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organizational Management (IOM). These achievements reflect her dedication to best practices, ethics, and sustainable leadership in the sector.
Through Governance Gal®, Marie provides expert consulting on governance best practices. She has helped numerous non-profits strengthen their bylaws, policies, and procedures, improve board orientations, restructure for efficiency, revitalize volunteer engagement, and develop strategic plans that drive long-term success.
As the CEO of Avlo Solutions, an association management company, Marie and her team support non-profits with daily operations such as bookkeeping, member services, board and volunteer engagement, elections, event planning, and more. She also serves as the Executive Director for two association clients (one national and one state chapter), a role she has held for the past nine years.
Marie’s ability to connect with volunteers in a meaningful way is rooted in her own experience serving as a volunteer. Having held leadership roles as president, vice president, treasurer, trustee, and director for various local and national non-profits, she understands the challenges and perspectives of both staff and volunteers. This unique insight allows her to facilitate solutions that benefit all stakeholders.
During her career she has:
- Overseen marketing and registration for 30 annual summer programs;
- Oriented and led up to 1,000 volunteers a year;
- Coached many Board of Directors on how to operate at strategic levels;
- Officiated over association elections;
- Facilitated strategic planning meetings;
- Led Board orientations;
- Guided associations through drafting original bylaws as well as periodic bylaw reviews and amendments;
- Planned events for thousands of attendees;
- Drafted and implemented policy and procedure manuals;
- Raised PAC funds;
- Brought awareness to advocacy efforts;
- Rolled out rebranding on multiple occasions;
- Reorganized/restructured associations;
- And more!
She is passionate about:
- Governance – often overlooked or misunderstood—is exactly what energizes Marie. She sees it not as bureaucracy, but as the essential structure that supports an association’s mission. Marie is deeply attuned to the strength of that foundation, ensuring the organizations served byAvlo Solutions and Governance Gal® are built on clarity, alignment, and purpose.
- Ethics – morality is the key in life. She is personally guided by her Christian values and principles.
- Family – The only rock I know that stays steady, the only institution I know that works, is the family. – Lee Iacocca
Personally, She
- Is originally from Edmond, Oklahoma so sometimes the word “y’all” slips into her conversation;
- Has three children and recently empty nested;
- Enjoys the outdoors, particularly in the warmer months; and
- Aspires to hike the Triple Crown (the one in Virginia, not the one that traverses the U.S.!)
