NAMA Appoints Christine Cochran as President & CEO

Christine Cochran, newly appointed President and CEO for NAMA.

Christine Cochran

The National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) recently announced the appointment of Christine Cochran as its next President & CEO. Cochran will officially join NAMA on December 2, 2025, succeeding Carla Balakgie, who is retiring after 14 years of transformative leadership.

Cochran, an experienced association executive with a focus on growth, has a strong background in strategic planning, coalition-building, and advocacy. She brings a deep knowledge of consumer-packaged goods, food and nutrition to this role.

Most recently Cochran served as President & CEO of SNAC International since 2022. Her previous leadership roles also include Executive Director of the Grain Foods Foundation and President of the Commodity Markets Council. She holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri.

In her role as President & CEO, Cochran will work with the NAMA Board, members, stakeholders, and staff to build on its strong foundation and support the industry’s continued evolution as convenience services operators. Her appointment signals a continued focus on industry growth, innovative solutions, and high-impact member programs.

About the National Automatic Merchandising Association

NAMA represents the U.S. Convenience Services Industry, which contributes $40.04 billion to the U.S. economy. By providing advocacy, education, and research, NAMA works to promote and protect the industry’s over 165,000 hardworking employees. Through traditional vending and micro markets, office coffee and pantry services, product manufacturing, and small-drop distribution, convenience services meets the needs of over 40 million American consumers daily at work, home, school, and play. For more information, visit namanow.org.

Sterling Martin

Sterling Martin (SM) is a leading specialty national search firm conducting chief executive-level searches for associations, nonprofits, and organizations across diverse specialties. SM has built an outstanding reputation by providing impeccable service to its clients and by placing exceptional talent. Based primarily in Washington, DC, SM has offices in New York, Chicago, and Orange County, CA.

Since founding the firm in 2006 with a mission to combine his search expertise with nonprofit board experience, David Martin now leads a highly experienced and diverse team, combining in-depth client analysis with the latest search technologies to create effective, personalized searches. Since the day he founded the firm, David has personally taken a leadership role with every search, for every client.

Connect With Us

Your organization’s success starts here. Get in touch and start the conversation.