Vista Cova was founded in 2017 by Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator. After starting his career in the informal education realm, over more than a decade, Lowell worked inside non-profit associations on membership and value, global alliance building, nurturing communities and in several executive leadership roles. Lowell founded Vista Cova to return to his passion of facilitating for and partnering with volunteer leaders, members, and staff.
The Vista Cova team consists of experts (advisors) who are engaged based on the individual needs of each client. They bring expertise in areas ranging from strategic planning, governance design, chapters and components, value definition, global growth strategies, research, organizational development, team coaching, marketing, to diversity/equity/inclusion.
What We Do
Our portfolio is broad, encompassing hyper-local to global organizations, non-profits to corporations, and industries spanning construction, real estate, medical, legal, education, technology, and more.
We regularly guide organizational leadership through processes of visioning a renewed purpose and mission, aligning the strengths of an organization to the needs of stakeholders.
We enter each engagement with a focus on listening deeply to varied perspectives, asking difficult questions, and identifying points of insight and consensus. As we plan for discussions and facilitated sessions, we work with the leadership to intentionally craft a session format that will build toward the desired objectives – highlighting and elevating the passion of stakeholders and leaders thereby exposing opportunities and bringing a new focus to the overall vision of the organization.
Our Philosophy
Our philosophy centers on creating solutions through Strategic Visioning, Facilitation, Training, and Keynote Speaking.
Strategic Visioning
We use a variety of approaches to guide organizational leadership through processes of visioning a renewed purpose and mission, aligning the strengths of your organization to the needs of stakeholders.
Facilitation
Our expert facilitators use tried and true methods to design a custom facilitation structure to meet your leadership, governance, and strategic planning needs.
Training
Training organizational leadership on how to craft and implement strategic plans focused on mission advancement and collaboration.
Keynote Speaking
With years of experience spanning various programmatic areas of organizations with international, national, state, and local focus, Vista Cova speakers can craft a custom keynote, presentation, or workshop to meet your objectives.
Engagement with my peers in the industry and the time we spent exploring the future and opportunities has given me the energy, passion, focus and clarity of vision to pursue new strategies.
—Stephanie McAlaine, Executive Director, ACG Philadelphia
Curated Resources
Association Charrette
February 27–March 1, 2026
Echo Mountain Inn, Hendersonville, NC
Association Charrette brings together industry thought leaders to challenge each other and the status quo to strengthen and advance the association profession.
We would love to hear from you!
Discover how Vista Cova can help revitalize your organization and achieve your strategic goals, connect with us today!