Appendix 6 THE ORGANIZATION BEHIND THE LEADERSHIP For the first 37 years of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry and its predecessor organizations, the associations were mostly managed by the volunteer leaders with some support from their company staff. It was not until 1955 that the association employed professional association staff to assist the volunteer leadership. Over time, the professional staff grew, shrank and grew depending on the needs of the association, financial resources and the economy. 254