ADISA Hire to Focus on Membership, Unification With TNDDA

The Alternative & Direct Investment Securities Association, i.e., ADISA – the nation’s largest trade association serving the alternative investments and securities industry – announced the addition of Alyssa Palmer as director of membership development.
In this new role, Palmer will primarily focus on the growth of ADISA’s associate membership category, comprised of investment advisory groups such as broker-dealers, registered investment advisory firms, family offices, and registered representatives. She will be responsible for reaching new audiences, as well as developing and maintaining relationships with ADISA’s current membership.
ADISA’s members are typically involved in non-traded real estate investment trusts, business development companies, master limited partnerships and private and public funds, 1031 exchange programs, energy and oil and gas interests, equipment leasing programs, or other alternative and direct investment offerings.
At the start of 2025, ADISA officially partnered with The National Due Diligence Alliance (TNDDA), the nonprofit trade association of independent broker-dealers, advisers, and family offices and a leading facilitator of the due diligence process for the alternative investment industry. The addition of this new role and Palmer will support ADISA’s strategic efforts to continue to expand outreach and support to this key audience.
“Over the last two years, ADISA’s RIA membership has steadily grown, and is expected to continue to rise as a result of joining forces with TNDDA,” said John Harrison, ADISA executive director. “Approximately 40% of our member firms are investment advisory groups, providing our association with a very healthy ratio of investment advisory groups to investment sponsors and industry affiliates. Alyssa will work with the ADISA team to increase the association’s outreach and enhance our relationships within the investment adviser community.”
Palmer will have several responsibilities pertaining to both ADISA membership and events. Some of these duties include supporting ADISA’s executive director in the field with researching, acquiring, developing and retaining new broker-dealer, RIA and other financial adviser members. Additionally, she will work with the ADISA staff to execute a membership recruitment and retention plan focusing on the highest quality associate members for attendance at both TNDDA and ADISA events.
“We are excited to welcome Alyssa to the ADISA team,” said John Grady, president of ADISA. “As we execute our plan in uniting two of the most respected organizations in the alternative investment industry, TNDDA and ADISA, now is the time to expand our outreach and strengthen our relationships within the broker-dealer and RIA communities.”
Previously, Palmer served as the national sales director at Great Oak Funding, a direct-bridge lender. At Great Oak, Palmer worked to identify potential new clients and maintain current relationships with financial advisers. She also worked closely with the company’s managing broker-dealer and larger selling group to ensure strict compliance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations.
Palmer is a graduate of Wright State University. She holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses as well as its Securities Industry Essentials certification.
Last month, ADISA named its 2025 board. It held democratic elections hosted by a neutral online vendor, and the elections were open to all member categories with a maximum of three votes per firm.
ADISA has approximately 5,000 members who are key decision makers, representing more than 220,000 professionals throughout the nation – including sponsor members who have raised in excess of $200 billion in equity and serve more than 1 million investors.