Tom Ingram

President & CEO, DEMA

Tom Ingram has more than 45 years of experience working in education, business and marketing and has served as the President and CEO of the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) since September 2002.

Prior to joining DEMA, Ingram was the Director of Technical Marketing for Scubapro, a major manufacturer of professional diving equipment, and later the Marketing Manager for Aqua Lung America, a major sporting goods and diving equipment manufacturer.

Before working in the manufacturing sector, Ingram spent several years as Coordinator and Business Counselor in a Central Florida Small Business Development Center for the U.S. Small Business Administration. As a liaison to the Chambers of Commerce, local and state government officials and the public and federal regulation compliance and as a Certified Business Analyst for the Florida Small Business Development Center Network, Ingram assisted with the successful startup of over 200 businesses annually, increasing the number of small businesses in his region by more than 100%.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, Ingram was employed through Barry University in Miami, Florida as a faculty and Department Chair for the Recreational Diving Management Program, a baccalaureate recreational business degree program. Ingram also served as a faculty and department head for a similar degree program at Florida Institute of Technology, and was the Head of Business Curriculum at John Wood Community College in Illinois. In addition to administrative duties, Ingram has taught numerous university courses in a variety of business subjects including marketing, business administration, sales management, advertisement, accounting, finance, and others.

Ingram holds master’s degrees in marketing and management and in 2008 – 2009 was recognized by the California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE) as the California Association Executive of the Year. He served on the Board of CalSAE and was Board Chair in 2010-2011. Tom has also served on the Public Policy Committee for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), has served on ASAE’s Commission for the Certification as an Association Executive (CAE) program, is a Board member for the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and has served as the Chair of the Board for the Historical Diving Society.

Ingram has been published and cited in several business and marketing related texts and periodicals. He is also certified as a Scuba Diving Instructor for the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and a Course Director through the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).