ACG Announces Its 2025-2026 Board of Directors

ACG’s DealMAX conference on April 7-9 marked the start of a new term for the association’s board of directors, which welcomed a new chairman and four new members for the coming year.

Aaron Polack, head of business development for Lion Equity Partners, will begin his term as chair of the board for the national ACG organization. Steve Castino, chief growth officer of Rehmann and the previous board chair, will continue to serve on the ACG board in the role of immediate past chair.

Based in Denver, Polack leads the investment origination efforts for Lion Equity Partners, including deal sourcing and evaluation, marketing and add-on acquisition initiatives for portfolio companies. He joined ACG’s national board in 2018 and served as chair of the DealMAX steering committee in 2023.

Polack has been instrumental in shaping ACG’s corporate programming by developing and chairing numerous events, including the national Strategic Acquirer Summit and the Corporate Development Summit at the Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference.

“Aaron has made an enormous impact on ACG already, through his board service, his support of local, regional and national events, and his development of new programs for corporate strategic acquirers,” said Brent Baxter, CEO of ACG. “He brings a deep passion and dedication to ACG, and I look forward to working closely with him in the coming year as we continue to strengthen ACG’s global dealmaking network.”

Welcoming New Board Members

In addition to Polack and Castino, the 2025-2026 board of directors includes Suzie Doran, partner at SingerLewak LLP, as incoming chair; Kevin Prunty, senior managing director at LongWater Capital Solutions, as finance chair; and nine directors at large.

The directors include five current board members who are continuing their terms: Tony Banks, director at RSM US LLP; Ann Cox, senior private banker at Citi Private Bank; Chris Hebble, managing director at Houlihan Lokey; Josh Hollingsworth, attorney at Barnes & Thornburg; and John Surrette, partner at KLR.

The following four directors at large are new additions to the board:

• Ashton Belk, President, Huebner Integrated Marketing: As president of Huebner Integrated Marketing, Ashton Belk leads a dynamic team dedicated to transforming businesses through strategic marketing solutions, with a specialization in supporting companies as they scale. She is a member of the ACG Denver chapter.
• Doug Brookman, Managing Director, Mesirow Capital Markets: Doug Brookman oversees Mesirow Investment Banking’s financial sponsor coverage. His financial services experience includes asset-based lending and private equity. Prior to joining Mesirow in February 2021, he served as head of business development at Pacific Avenue Capital Partners. He is a member of ACG Los Angeles and will serve as the 2026 DealMAX committee chairman.
• Tony Hill, Principal, Business Development, Trivest Partners: A member of ACG’s Miami Network, Tony Hill leads the business development team for private equity firm Trivest Partners. He also spearheads various strategic initiatives for Trivest, such as its retained buy-side search program and independent sponsor initiative, among others. Hill has also served on the board of ACG South Florida and co-founded the ACG Miami Network. Most recently, he served as the 2025 DealMAX committee chair.
• Marcia Nelson, Managing Director, Freedom Capital Markets: Marcia Nelson leads the Freedom Family Office at Freedom Capital Markets. She has over 20 years of experience working with family offices, private dealmakers and institutional investors. She is a member and past president of ACG’s New York chapter and is the current co-chair of its Family Office Committee.

DealMAX marked the end of the term of three board members: David Acharya, managing partner of Acharya Capital Partners; Jeremy Ellis, managing director at Genesis Capital; and Christine Nowaczyk, a private wealth advisor at U.S. Bank. They conclude their time on the board having made an enduring mark through their dedication, commitment and service to ACG and its members.

Learn more about our board members here.