Special thanks to our AMP/MS Executive Director, who has single handedly kept me on task and is the person behind the scenes of our Association that makes it run like a Swiss watch.
Brian J. Smith, Transportation Lawyers Association
Proactive Management Solutions
AMP Management Services (AMP/MS) is dedicated to providing complete, quality association management services. We provide experienced, knowledgeable staff, state-of-the-art facilities and effective technology to support and grow your association. AMP/MS is accredited by the Association Management Company Institute (AMC Institute).
AMP/MS provides full service association management, including:
- Office Management
- Event Planning
- Financial Management
- Strategic Planning
- Publishing Services
- Technology Support
- Meeting Management
- Membership Recruitment
- Leadership Training
- Board Orientation
- Governmental Affairs
- Association Marketing
Read a Governmental Affairs success story!
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The Value of Associations in a Challenging Economy
Recently, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) conducted a survey of U.S. association executives regarding their expectations of how the economic downturn might affect current year budgets. The survey was conducted in January 2009 and is the first of its kind.
ASAE plans to repeat the survey later this year so that they can track trends. When repeated, ASAE may also provide greater demographic analysis of association respondents by industry sector and other variables. If and when those survey results become available, we will share them with our clients.
Survey Highlights
- Overall, association members have a positive outlook on their jobs and feel their employment situation will not deteriorate in the coming year.
- Association executives project between 5% and 20% decrease in membership and meetings revenues for the current fiscal year.
- Attendees are willing to travel farther in 2009 but might skip local meetings to save funds for more distant and major events.
- AMP Management Services’ clients have experienced between a 11% and 18% decrease in attendance at meetings held since January 2009.
- As organizations find ways to cut costs, employers might be less likely to pay for staff member dues; members who pay their own dues will not likely be affected.
Economic downturns are one of the many reasons AMP Management Services’ executive staff strongly encourage clients to build cash reserves. Reserves are meant to be used to support the association activities when an unexpected decrease in current year revenues means they are unable to cover the organization’s operating expenses.
To be successful during challenging times, the ASAE survey concludes that associations must demonstrate to their members how it will help them in a down economy. Associations must remain relevant and provide value to its members in ways in which matter in current times – helping unemployed members retool for the future or network to find jobs or helping employed members improve or hone their skills further to increase their value to employers. This may not be the time to begin a brand new program that carries with it many unknowns or risks.
Detailed Survey Results
The detailed survey results can be found here.
The complete study can be found here.
We hope you find this data informative.
Full Service Management Solutions
AMP/MS can offer your professional society, certification board or trade association support in all the following areas and everything in between.
Office Management
AMP’s executive office is located in the Kansas City suburb of Olathe, Kansas. This 75,000 square foot concrete and glass structure provides approximately 4,000 square feet of conference and meeting space. The conference center provides AMP/MS clients with ample room, state-of-the-art technology features, and a comfortable atmosphere for all types of meetings. We have areas dedicated to print inventory management and digital printing and a fully automated mailroom for the insertion, metering and sealing of mass mailings. Our offices provide your association with an attractive and functional headquarters centrally located for ease of access and time zone.
Membership Retention and Recruitment
The retention of current members and the development of outreach programs to attract and secure new members are important functions of an association and its management firm. AMP/MS has more than 20 years experience and the technology tools to effectively manage association membership activities. Your AMP/MS team will maintain effective lines of communication with members to facilitate a feeling of community within the association. We also plan and implement recruitment plans to attract and educate potential members.
Meeting Management
AMP/MS currently plans and manages more than 100 meetings and events annually. Most of our clients are lead by volunteer boards so we understand the time and resource limitations in planning, scheduling, choosing venues and themes, and ensuring that everything occurs as planned and within budget. We employ two Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs) and other staff with extensive experience planning conferences and events, negotiating contracts, anticipating and solving problems, and working with volunteers and site staff.
Financial Management
Financial accuracy is of paramount importance to AMP/MS, evidenced by the fact that we employ two Certified Public Accountants. In fact, audit reports prepared for our clients by independent CPAs have always been “unqualified”, the highest rating given by auditors. Each association is assigned an Account Coordinator with extensive financial experience, and financial statements and budgets are regularly reviewed by the Executive Director and our Chief Financial Officer.
Strategic Planning
Strategic planning has a direct impact on the future direction of an association, and AMP/MS recognizes the importance of periodic planning and regular follow-up. We help our associations move from broad far-reaching goals to quantitative objectives and finally to specific strategies and actions. Strategic planning facilitation by experienced AMP/MS staff is available as part of full service management or on a consulting basis.
Leadership Training/Board Orientation
Volunteer leadership is key to providing much needed continuity to associations. With volunteers serving limited terms and having limited time due to other commitments, appropriate orientation and training can help ease the transition and provide seamless association leadership. Your AMP/MS Executive Director will establish orientation manuals for Board and committee members and establish a schedule of welcoming and training new Board members. This may involve introduction to key staff, familiarization with the Board schedule, communication style and duties, as well as a review of current issues and topics.
Governmental Affairs
Associations are formed to unify organizations and individuals around common issues that benefit the entire industry; governmental affairs is a key part of that effort. One of the most important resources an association has is its collective in-depth knowledge of its industry. In governmental affairs the key to success is putting that information in the right hands at the right time in a way that most benefits the industry.
AMP’s Governmental Affairs team understands that association budgets are tight, so we show real value to our clients. We set measurable and reasonable goals when developing strategic legislative initiatives and throughout the team effort. Our Governmental Affairs team will become an invaluable strategic partner in the long-term legislative and regulatory success of your organization.
Publishing Services
AMP has a fully equipped Publishing Division to take a job from the drawing board to completion using only AMP staff. Our graphic design, typesetting and digital printing resources and partnerships with multiple printing companies provide your association with reasonably priced, quality print materials, including newsletters, journals, brochures, exhibitor and conference materials and more.
Technology Support
With an in-house information technology staff of nearly 30 individuals, AMP’s information technology capabilities exceed that of most management companies. We believe that the practical application of technology can improve service to all our clients. We have invested heavily in the application of this technology, and we will continue to seek new ways to better serve our clients and their constituencies. Our financial and membership software packages are continually upgraded to provide our associations with the latest capabilities, such as online renewals and conference registration, real time updates to online membership databases and extensive ListServ capability.
AMP/MS Key Staff
We are very fortunate to have exceptional staff, including two MBAs, two Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs), two Certified Association Executives (CAEs) and an experienced lobbyist. The experience of AMP’s management team and other staff includes a total of fifteen master’s degrees, six doctorate-level research professionals and numerous other individuals with significant organizational management experience.
Deidre Gish-Panjada, MBA, Senior Vice President of Management Services
 Deidre Gish-Panjada, MBA, has directed AMP’s Management Services division since 1988. A University of Kansas graduate with a concentration in strategic planning and organizational change and development, Ms. Gish-Panjada is experienced in all aspects of association and professional society management, particularly health care associations. Her responsibilities include directing and working with the executive directors and staff teams that plan and complete the day-to-day tasks and long term projects for our clients. Ms. Gish-Panjada oversees all association management activities and their interface with other AMP functional areas to ensure effective completion of projects. She works closely with senior staff and volunteers to provide leadership development, consultation, public relations activities, strategic planning and organizational development activities, critical thinking and problem solving skills, training coalition building, effective organization and conducts board and committee meetings, financial statement analysis, budgeting for actual financial performance and cash flow projections. Ms. Gish-Panjada is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and ASAE’s Association Management Companies Forum.
Cathy Berra, MBA, Director of Management Services
 Cathy Berra has more than 15 years of association operations experience working with professional societies and credentialing boards, including five years serving as president of a volunteer board of directors. She has expertise in all aspects of management with considerable experience in operations, communications, personnel and human resources, and volunteer leadership and staff development. Ms. Berra currently oversees the day-to-day operations of the Management Services division. She graduated with a bachelor of science in business administration degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed her master of business administration degree from Rockhurst University (formerly Rockhurst College) in Kansas City. She is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Kansas City Society of Association Executives, and she is active with the AMC Institute.
Mike Flanagan, MPA, CAE, Executive Director
 Mike Flanagan is a Certified Association Executive with over 25 years experience. His background includes financial management and budgeting, human resource management and office administrator duties, as well as membership services. He has a strong concentration on chapter-based operations, including development of policies and procedures. Mr. Flanagan sat on the board of a not-for-profit association for seven years. He also held a variety of offices on the local chapter level, including president, secretary, treasurer, program committee chair, membership recruitment and newsletter editor. Mike has conducted leadership conferences for boards of directors and strategic planning sessions. Mike holds a bachelor of science degree from the College of Saint Mary and a master of public administration degree, with an emphasis in non-profit administration, from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Stephanie Newman, Executive Director
 Stephanie Newman received her bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of Kansas in 1995. She has gained valuable insight and experience in association management working primarily with professional societies and allied health associations. As an executive director, Ms. Newman has a depth of experience in providing a full range of client services. She has proven experience in organizational management, publishing, finance, meeting planning, public relations, marketing and communications.
Sheila O’Neal, Executive Director
 Sheila O’Neal has many years of multi-association management and convention management experience, working primarily with professional societies and trade associations. As an experienced association manager, Sheila has a depth of experience in providing client services at a management and executive level. She has expertise in public relations, marketing plan development and implementation, board support and meeting organization, volunteer leadership development and orientation, communications, budget preparation and analysis, and considerable experience in executive office management, meeting planning and convention management. Sheila graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in English.
Joyce Miller, CMP, Meeting Manager
 Joyce Miller has been actively involved in association management over 15 years and is currently responsible for planning the annual conferences for several of AMP’s largest professional society clients. Ms. Miller has extensive experience in meeting planning, registration processing and membership services. She also plans numerous board and committee meetings. Ms. Miller is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
Melissa Whitaker, Meeting Manager
Melissa Whitaker received her bachelor of arts degree in business with a marketing emphasis from Cornerstone University in 2002. She has gained valuable knowledge and experience in meeting management, working primarily with medical associations. Ms. Whitaker is responsible for planning the annual conference for several of AMP’s professional society clients as well as their numerous board and committee meetings. Ms. Whitaker is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).
Scott Hermansen, CPA, Senior Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer
 Scott M. Hermansen worked 10 years in public accounting before joining NBRC/AMP in 1989. While in public accounting, he worked with a variety of organizations including medical, governmental, non-profit and manufacturing entities. He was responsible for supervising these accounts, setting up accounting systems and providing business and tax planning. At AMP, Mr. Hermansen designed the company’s internal, computerized accounting system. This system allows AMP to monitor each project separately and, where appropriate, to set up a separate department to record the activity of a major project. In addition, Mr. Hermansen is responsible for overseeing the maintenance of the accounting records of all AMP management clients, including setting-up financial report formats, developing internal control policies and preparing tax returns.
Kathy Ramseier, Accounting Coordinator
 Kathy Ramseier has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Missouri–Kansas City. She is responsible for accounting services provided to association management clients, including the supervision of the day-to-day activities of accounting staff, preparation of association client monthly financial statements, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash flow analysis and budget preparation, as well as the reconciliation of client escrow bank accounts. Ms. Ramseier also assists CPA firms with client audits and other special financial analysis projects.
 AMP Management Services is proud to be accredited by the AMC Institute, formerly the International Association of Association Management Companies (IAAMC). AMC Institute accreditation recognizes association management companies committed to delivering high quality service in compliance with association best practices. This process included an audited review of the following service areas:
- Client Contracts: Review Procedures and Requirements
- Servicing the Client and Service Delivery Procedures
- Project (Service) Completion, Reviews, and Post Contractual Procedures
- Financial Management and Internal Controls
- Insurance Coverage
- Employee Recruitment and Selection
- Employee Training and Professional Development Procedures
- Subcontracting and Purchasing Requirements
- Record Keeping Requirements
- Internal and External Review Requirements
AMC Institute accreditation is based on ANSI standards.
Visit the AMC Institute website for more information about AMC Accreditation.
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