BALTIMORE, MD, March 2012 – The Fire Suppression Systems Association (FSSA) presented Cal Clemons with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The FSSA Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Clemons’ commitment and outstanding contributions to the association and fire protection industry.

This is the first time this award has ever been presented by FSSA. The inaugural award will recognize fire suppression industry persons who, during their lifetimes, have dedicated their career, through personal and business accomplishments, to the industry.

“We’re excited to have this opportunity to have Cal Clemons as the first honoree of the Fire Suppression Systems Association Lifetime Achievement. He has served our industry well for many years,” said FSSA Immediate Past President Rick Scott. “Cal truly deserves our recognition and more. Throughout his career, he has been a friend to many and earned our trust and respect.”

Clemons began working with a group of individuals in 1982, along with George Keeley, to found the Fire Suppression Systems Association. From a handful of pioneering companies, FSSA has grown in to a recognized entity in the past 30 years.

Clemons received the Lifetime Achievement Award at a special Awards Dinner on February 27 during the 2012 FSSA Forum at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage, California.

For additional information about Fire Suppression Systems Association, please visit http://fssa.net/. 

Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to announce that Natalie Villabon-Martz,  Chief Operating Officer (COO), of Clemons & Associates, Inc has recently completed her second year at Institute for Organization Management, a four-year nonprofit leadership training program at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

“Institute participants are recognized across the country as leaders in their communities,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, the U.S. Chamber’s vice president of Institute for Organization Management. “These individuals have the knowledge, skills, and dedication to achieve professional and organizational success in the dynamic association and chamber industries.”

Since its commencement in 1921, the Institute program has been educating tens of thousands of association, chamber, and other nonprofit leaders on how to build stronger organizations, better serve their members and become strong business advocates.  Institute’s curriculum consists of four weeklong sessions at five different university locations throughout the country.  Through a combination of required courses and electives in areas such as leadership, advocacy, marketing, finance, and membership, Institute participants are able to enhance their own organizational management skills and add new fuel to their organizations, making them run more efficiently and effectively.

Graduates of Institute receive the IOM recognition, signifying completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management. In addition, participants can earn credit hours toward the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) or Certified Association Executive (CAE) certifications. Nearly 1,000 individuals attend Institute annually.

Institute is a 501(c) (3) affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is the premier nonprofit professional development program for nonprofit professionals, fostering individual growth through interactive learning and networking opportunities.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Allyson Paul, 410-931-8100, ally@clemonsmgmt.com

Baltimore, MD December 29, 2011 ~ Natalie Villabon-Martz has been named to The Daily Record’s 2011 list of Maryland’s Leading Women. 

The Daily Record’s list of Leading Women identifies 50 women who are 40 years of age or younger for the tremendous accomplishments they have made so far in their careers. A panel of judges selected the honorees based on their professional experience, community involvement and commitment to inspiring change. 

“Since 1996, The Daily Record has recognized more than 800 high-achieving women who are making an impact in the state with its annual list of Maryland’s Top 100 Women,” Daily Record Publisher Suzanne Fischer-Huettner said. “We are committed to growing women leaders, which is why we introduced the Leading Women event in 2010.  Leading Women shines the spotlight on the next generation of this state’s outstanding women, who represent Maryland’s future. It is our honor to recognize both their accomplishments to date and the promise they hold for the future.”  

The Daily Record earlier this year also established the Path to Excellence speakers program to connect the current generation of Maryland’s high-achieving women, Top 100 Women, with the next generation, Leading Women, Fisher-Huettner said. Previous winners of The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women and members of the annual list of Leading Women will be invited to meet several times each year to discuss specific issues of concern to the women and the state. 

“It was a true honor to have the opportunity to stand beside other awardees and together be recognized as the future of MD leadership.  Many of these ladies are not only established leaders within their companies and industries, but also balancing a successful home life.  It was a pleasure to meet and network with the fellow leading women.  The connections made at this event will surely grow into rewarding business relationships and lasting friendships,” said Natalie Villabon-Martz, 2011 Maryland Leading Women winner.   

The Daily Record receives more than 150 nominations each year for the Leading Women list.  Nominations are solicited from previous winners of The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women, area economic development agencies, women’s organizations, chambers of commerce and the business community at large.

Nominees were asked to complete an application that outlined their educational and career history; examples of mentoring; career-related officer and board memberships in professional, business or trade organizations; volunteer involvement in civic and nonprofit organizations; awards and honors; professional accomplishments; and commitment to inspiring change in their organization or the community.

A panel of judges comprised of past Top 100 Women winners from across Maryland reviewed all of the Leading Women applications submitted, then narrowed the list to the 50 Leading Women who best represent Maryland’s future.

Sponsors of The Daily Record’s Leading Women include title sponsor Chimes, awards sponsor Kaiser Permanente, leadership sponsor Wells Fargo, inspirational sponsor Alexander & Cleaver P.A. and visionary sponsors PNC and VPC Inc.

Table sponsors include Ballard Spahr LLP, Gordon Feinblatt, Legg Mason, Linowes and Blocher LLP, Saul Ewing LLP

For more information about The Daily Record’s Leading Women and a complete list of winners, visit www.TheDailyRecord.com. 

About Clemons & Associates, Inc.

Clemons and Associates, Inc. is a family-owned association management business in its 33rd year of service.  We are committed to building leadership skills in our people.  Our President/CEO and Chairman are Certified Association Executives as designated by ASAE. The company’s primary business is association management. Clemons & Associates, Inc. was incorporated in 1982 in the state of Maryland. An Association Management Company is a professional service firm that provides executive, administrative, and financial management; strategic planning; membership development; public affairs and lobbying; education and professional development; statistical research; meetings management; trade shows; and marketing and communication services. The firm also serves as a strategic advisor and consultant, and provides management and headquarters services to international, national, regional, state and local nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations. We also encourage volunteerism amongst our staff. Clemons & Associates, Inc. representatives have held leadership roles in various organizations, such as AMCInstitute and the National Association of Women Business Owners.

About The Daily Record

For more than 123 years, The Daily Record Company has provided trusted legal and business information to Maryland readers. In addition to the daily newspaper published five days a week, The Daily Record publishes its website, www.TheDailyRecord.com; four blogs, On the Record, Eye on Annapolis, Maryland Business, and Generation JD; four e-newsletters, TDR Insider, Real Estate Weekly, In-house Counsel, and Auction Notices and a variety of special publications on topics of interest to Maryland business and legal professionals.

The Daily Record also honors leading Marylanders through events such as Heath Care Heroes, Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Influential Marylanders, 20 in Their Twenties, VIP List, Innovator of the Year, Leadership in Law and Innovator of the Year. The Daily Record is owned by The Dolan Company, trading as DM, of Minneapolis, Minn.

According to the DLLR website, the law requires that all licensed Professional Land Surveyors are required to obtain 24 Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) credits to renew their licenses. A land surveyor’s job is to find and measure certain locations on land. They record specific information and provide detailed land maps that can be used by many professionals in the engineering field. Becoming an approved provider for Professional Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors enables MDSPE to create and maintain a connection between the intertwining professions. MDSPE is proud to assist professionals in their specified fields to achieve the necessary requirements needed to maintain their credentials.

BALTIMORE:   November 18, 2011 – Graduation is the completion and celebration of a period of time that enables a person to gain knowledge and experience in a particular area of study. The number of times a person experiences a graduation can vary.  At 5pm on November 18, 2011, Natalie Villabon-Martz will walk across the stage at the University of Baltimore as a graduate of the SBA Emerging Leaders Program.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has a prestigious program known as the SBA Emerging 200 Initiative. According to their website, “the SBA Emerging 200 Initiative will enable the participating small businesses to engage in an intensive curriculum focused on developing a winning, expansion strategy for their business, including options for capital access and contracting. The program participants will have the opportunity to work with experienced mentors, attend workshops and develop connections with their peers, city leaders, and financial community”.

Natalie Villabon-Martz explained, “the SBA program was 8 months of work, but the end result was a positive, rewarding experience”.

The class Villabon-Martz participated in included 14 other CEOs and C-Level executives, or managing partners of a variety of companies. They met every other Wednesday and on the Wednesday they did not have class, they were expected to meet with their CEO mentoring group to discuss different topics. A few of the Wednesday classes were held at the Clemons and Associates, Inc. office. “I developed friendships with those in my CEO mentoring group and we are working on continuing to meet after graduation”, said Villabon-Martz.

This is a federally funded program with the purpose of teaching small businesses how to succeed in a tough economy and grow their businesses. Clemons and Associates, Inc. applied for the program and was one of the selective few that had the opportunity to participate.

The culmination of the program involved each participant creating a strategic growth action plan the spanned over the next three years. This detailed plan needed to explain what is taking place in the business right now and how the business will be moving forward. The participants also had to present their plan to a panel that would offer constructive criticism, as well as their fellow program peers.

“I met interesting and dynamic people that shared the same business-related issues. Throughout the previous 8 months we were able to share ideas and learn from one another”, said Villabon-Martz.

The National Restaurant Association this month congratulated the Council of State Restaurant Associations on its 75^th anniversary in business.

"The National Restaurant Association is proud of our continuing partnership with the Council of State Restaurant Associations and the mission to ensure our industry's prosperity and growth," said Dawn Sweeney, the NRA's president and CEO, in a full-page advertisement in the Nov. 21 issue of Nation's Restaurant News. "Together we are improving the quality of life for all we serve. Congratulations!"

Established in 1936, the Baltimore-based CSRA's mission is to foster goodwill and promote the success of state restaurant associations and its members.

First formed as the International Society of Restaurant Association Executives, the organization was developed as an educational tool to help restaurant association leaders share information and experiences and develop skills to effectively lead their individual state associations and, subsequently, the members of those associations. That goal, according to board member Peter M. Meersman, president and chief executive of the Colorado Restaurant Association, is the same today.

"It's been kind of training ground for many successful state restaurant executives," said Meersman, who's also an NRA board member, of the CSRA. I know it's been extremely helpful in providing the opportunity to meet other people who do the same job in different areas. We're not competitors, so we're not only are able to learn from each other, but if there's a good idea out there we are able to share it. That's the one word to describe it: share. I can tell you it's been very helpful to me, and I've been a member for more than 25 years."

“Since this was the first Maryland Engineers Conference, the challenge was to create everything from scratch. Though working with MDSPE leaders who have the passion, experience, and altruistic devotion turned this challenge into an exciting endeavor,” said Amanda Lee, MDSPE Executive Director.

In light of recent Maryland regulations that now require continuing professional competency (CPC) for a licensee as a condition of PE license renewal, offering opportunities to fulfill credits is now of utmost importance for MDSPE. Karen Moran, Vice President of Education for MDPSE, sat in on all the professional track sessions which included, PE Code of Ethics and the New Maryland PE Laws for Continuing Education. Ms. Moran explained that a conference such as this one is a valuable benefit for professional engineers because “it provides attendees with some worthwhile opportunities for obtaining continuing education credits at a reasonable cost”.  The attendees will receive certificates denoting their participation and the number of credits they have received.

The overall satisfaction and success of this inaugural conference was evident throughout the day. Ms. Lee explained, “now that the framework and foundation of a MDSPE conference is established, we can shape the content around what the attendees want most out of a future conference. “We would like to see a diversification of offerings so engineers in many disciplines would be interested in attending in the future,” said Ms. Moran.

MDSPE President Ed Hubner explains that “we at the state level work to protect the engineering profession and inspire the next generation of engineers through a multitude of activities hosted by our Society”.

The IAICDV 2011 42^nd Annual Convention is projected to have approximately 200 attendees at the Green Valley Ranch in Las Vegas, Nevada. This amount of attendees is an increase from the 2010 41^st Annual Convention and more people made sure they registered early.

Mrs. Dubord explained the increase in attendee numbers and booths quickly selling could be because of all the various marketing techniques implemented for this convention. “We utilized our social media tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, sent multiple e-blasts, posted on our website (http://iaicdv.org/), and mailed out information. We are also mindful of the great location we have for the convention this year and that was certainly a wonderful selling point for our members.”

It is safe to say that at this year’s convention, the exhibitor booths were gone as fast as an ice cream cone in the hot, Vegas sun.