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David Maola, Esq. is a lawyer and organizational leader whose work focuses on nonprofit governance, wills, powers of attorney, medical directives, organizational formation, and advisory work within child-serving and mission-driven systems. His practice combines legal counsel with substantial executive experience, supporting organizations and leaders navigating complex governance, regulatory, and strategic challenges.

 

David brings more than two decades of senior leadership experience within nonprofit, educational, and professional organizations. His work with child-serving institutions is informed by twelve years in the special needs sector, including serving as President and CEO of The Pathway School, a Pennsylvania Approved Private School for children with special needs. He later served as CEO of The Center for Autism in Philadelphia, the nation’s oldest autism treatment organization, where he founded the Ruttenberg Autism Center to expand services. In 2019, he successfully led the merger of the two organizations into a single public health nonprofit to ensure long-term financial sustainability.

 

In addition to his work in child-serving systems, David has held senior leadership roles across national and international professional organizations. Most recently, he served as EVP of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and CEO of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, where he led organizational restructuring, revenue growth initiatives, and mission-focused operational reform.

 

David’s career also includes leadership positions within legal, educational, and professional institutions. He has served as Assistant Director of Education at the American Law Institute, Assistant Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association and Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Development at Peirce College, where he helped guide the institution’s transition to four-year degree-granting status. On September 10, 2001, he became Executive Director of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an international nonprofit comprised of high rise architects and engineers, leading organizational revitalization during a period of global disruption.

 

David is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and before the United States District Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. His work is grounded in a practical understanding of leadership, governance, and organizational dynamics, allowing him to provide thoughtful, experience-informed legal and consulting services to organizations and professionals operating in complex environments.

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