Meet the 2026–2027 SDA National President: Vincent Lafitte

Twelve years of service. Two decades in HR. One clear-eyed plan for SDA’s next chapter.

We’re kicking off our series introducing SDA’s 2026–2027 National Executive Committee with the person at the head of the table: Vincent Lafitte, PHR, SHRM-CP, CDFA, HR Analyst and Senior Associate at SSOE Group in Atlanta, GA, and SDA’s incoming National President.

Vincent is no newcomer to this work. He’s been actively involved with SDA since 2014 — three terms as Atlanta Chapter President, six years on the chapter board, two terms as National Vice President, and most recently a year as President-Elect. Along the way he’s been a longtime member of the National Certification Committee, work that has given him a close view of how the corporate functions inside an AEC firm actually fit together. The presidency isn’t a leap for Vincent. It’s the next step in a path he’s been building for more than a decade.

What he brings to it is a slightly different lens than most. With nearly twenty years in Human Resources and thirteen-plus years inside AEC, Vincent thinks about SDA the way an HR leader thinks about a workforce: growth depends on whether the value of belonging is clear, whether the path forward is mapped, and whether people stick around long enough to realize both. That framing shows up everywhere in his priorities for the term — scaling programming, retaining members at risk of non-renewal through more intentional outreach, and elevating the CDFO and CDFO-FM certifications as recognized marks of professional excellence in AEC. He’s also focused on something less visible but just as important: setting clear expectations for committees and being deliberate about how member volunteer time gets used.

“I view National service not as a title, but as a responsibility to navigate SDA through some of the current challenges around membership and leadership transitions and strengthen the organization for the future.”

— Vincent Lafitte, PHR, SHRM-CP, CDFA

That sentence captures the tone Vincent is bringing to the role: serious about the work, honest about where the organization is, and oriented toward the next generation of SDA leaders rather than the moment.

His President-Elect year was about listening and observing. This year, expect a sharper focus on alignment between strategy and execution, accountability across national and chapter leadership, and a renewed push to help members see their membership — and their certification — as a meaningful professional milestone.

Please join us in welcoming Vincent to his term as SDA National President. If his vision resonates, lean in — share your thoughts in the SDA Discussion Hub, get involved with a committee, or simply reach out. It’s going to be a great year to listen, learn, and lead together.