About│Government Employees Association
Serving Veterans and Government Employees Since 1965
 

History

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The Government Employees Association (GEA) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization founded in Washington, D.C. in 1965. Service to those that served our nation, as well as its states and communities, is the mission of the Government Employees Association. Government Employees Association (GEA) was established to provide active and retired federal, state and local government employees (including members of the military and National Guard services) with a network of resources. 

 


 

GEA Leadership

Government Employees Association is governed by a Board of five members including the Chairman & President. Additional leadership includes Outside Counsel and the Treasurer & Secretary. Directors are elected by GEA membership for certain terms and serve the Association without compensation.  

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David L. Selman

Chairman & President

David joined Selman & Company in December of 1992 and his role expanded over the course of eight years to eventually include responsibility for sales, marketing and account management. He was named President of the company in December of 2000 and CEO in 2008. Prior to joining the firm, David worked in the Mass Marketing Division within the Group Benefits Department at the CNA Insurance Companies in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. 

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James Baum

Treasurer & Secretary

James Baum joined Selman & Company in 1999, serving as Controller before becoming Treasurer and CFO in 2001. He is responsible for the Accounting, Premium Billing, Facilities, and Human Resources Departments. James was previously Controller of a large printing company in Toledo, Ohio and a large manufacturing company in Cleveland, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Toledo and is a Certified Public Accountant.

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David Watson 

Outside Counsel

David is a partner in the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, including distressed M&A transactions; private equity fund matters; business counseling; family business issues and succession planning. 

David has substantial experience in transactional and general corporate law, including the acquisition and disposition of businesses, both in the ordinary course of events and bankruptcy; the organization, operation and disposition of partnerships, limited liability companies and joint ventures; succession planning and the resolution of private shareholder disputes; and counseling clients across a wide range of industries on a variety of day-to-day business matters. 

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David Cole

Director

David graduated from University of Colorado and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He was previously an assistant attorney general in the State of Ohio. He also worked as an assistant county prosecutor in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.  

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Brian Gale

Director

In 2003, Brian Gale started his career with ID Images, a leading supplier of pressure sensitive labels and associated products including thermal transfer ribbons and variable information printers located in Cleveland, OH. In January 2007, he was promoted to President and in June 2007, he completed a successful buyout of his partner. Prior to becoming the President and CEO of ID Images, Brian worked as an analyst with both Banc One Capital and Putnam Investments. Brian is an active supporter of the Julie Billiart School, a K-8 school that nurtures and empowers students with special learning needs. He is an advocate of children, animal welfare, education and poverty alleviation.  Brian joined the Army National Guard and went to Harvard University on an ROTC scholarship.  He graduated with an AB in Economics in 1996. In 2002 he received his MBA from The University of Chicago – Booth School of Business. 

John Herrick

John Herrick

Director

Prior to joining Little Mountain Industries, John Herrick was President and Chief Operating Officer of Cleveland Steel Container, a $135 million manufacturer and distributor of industrial containers with six manufacturing plants and four warehouses around the country. John managed all aspects of the business including sales and marketing, operations, finance and administration, human resources, strategic planning and acquisitions. Over his nearly 12 year career with the company, sales grew at an average annual rate of 9% and earnings at 21%. Prior to Cleveland Steel, John owned and operated his own public relations consulting firm after a nearly seven year career with George Bush, the forty-first President of the United States. During that time, John served as Assistant White House Press Secretary as well as Special Assistant to the President at the White House, where he specialized in communications, press relations, and events management. John was graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in 1988. 

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David O’Brien

Director

David joined Risk International in 2012 after a long career of serving the risk management and insurance brokerage needs of Fortune 1000 companies, many saddled with complex risk profiles. His career includes serving as president of Oswald Companies where he helped reinvent the more than century-old insurance brokerage. Prior to that he turned the Kentucky office of Marsh into the fastest-growing office of that global insurance brokerage. David also leads O’Brien Advisors. 
 
David credits his success to having a father who was a mathematics professor and growing up in an academic environment. “Together, they gave me a balanced mind,” he explains. “I can quickly analyze client challenges then deliver intelligent solutions.” 
 
David holds designations in Chartered Property Casualty Underwriting (CPCU) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and is a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS). He has a B.S. in finance and a B.S. in risk management/insurance from Ohio’s Bowling Green State University. 

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