Hobby game trade organisation GAMA has brought in leadership consultant Zaria Davis as interim executive director amid its hunt to find a permanent replacement for John Stacy, who left the association last month.

GAMA, which boasts almost 1,800 members, said Davis would help strengthen its organisational processes, policies and contracts while working to ensure a smooth transition to hiring a new executive director.

Davis has spent the last eight years running her leadership, restorative practice and search consultancy business New Direction Coaching & Consulting.

She is also an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and recently undertook an internship in past life regression hypnosis – which aims to help people resolve past life traumas and conflicts, or address areas of growth.

GAMA’s former executive director John Stacy left last month after overseeing what the organisation described as seven “transformative” years – with the news his contract would not be renewed coming just three weeks after GAMA unveiled ambitious plans to become the “epicenter” of the global tabletop gaming industry.

GAMA president Nicole Brady previously told BoardGameWire that 10-year plan was part of an attempt to get the organisation away from “playing whack-a-mole” on issues rather than managing them in a long-term strategy.

The wide-ranging strategy includes GAMA aiming to boost its membership within both hobby games and the mass market, expand itself into a global organisation, shift its finances away from the current heavy reliance on the annual GAMA Expo and Origins shows, and lead the conversation on sustainability within the industry.

Brady said the GAMA board was focused on finding the right candidate for its new executive director rather than filling the position quickly – adding that the organisation expects to announce a permanent appointment in spring next year.

She said, “GAMA has a team of incredibly talented individuals along with GAMA Vision 2035, a 10-year strategic vision to guide our path.

“The board has brought Zaria Davis in as interim executive director to ensure we keep moving forward during this transitional stage.

“She will be helping the organization build on our existing procedures with a primary objective of ensuring a strong foundation for when we hire the new executive director. We are incredibly excited to tap into Zaria’s knowledge and expertise.”

A statement from Davis provided by GAMA said she looked forward to engaging with members, strengthening organizational processes, and advancing GAMA’s mission to support and connect the tabletop game industry.

The interim director hire comes three months after GAMA brought in its first-ever chief operating officer to help manage growing staff numbers at the trade organisation, with Melinda Prickett hired to handle day-to-day operations at the organisation and take some of the workload from the executive director.

GAMA also renamed itself for the first time in its almost 50-year history earlier this year, in an attempt to reflect its big push in recent years to better represent professionals from right across the modern tabletop industry.

The organisation – which will still be legally named The Game Manufacturers Association – has rebranded to GAMA: The Tabletop Game Association, something it said “reinforces GAMA’s commitment to inclusiveness, relevance, and leadership in the tabletop space”.

That name change is intended to exhibit GAMA’s shift away from purely representing publishers, retailers and wholesalers into an organisation which also encompasses designers, manufacturers, media, events organisers and third-party service providers.

Membership of the organisation has grown 55% since the end of 2018, while the industry professionals-focused GAMA Expo trade show has grown from a hotel-based event to a 300,000 sq ft “convention centre showcase”, with attendance at the event more than doubling since 2019 to reach 3,420 this year.

That show is moving to Baltimore in 2027 after surging attendance numbers left the event straining at the seams again during this February’s event – just two years after the show shifted to Kentucky to handle growing interest.

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