WASHINGTON, D.C.— Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is pleased to announce that Paula Kreuzburg, IOM, Senior Account Executive, of Clemons & Associates, Inc., has graduated from the program and has received the recognition of IOM. Awarded to all graduates of the Institute program, the IOM Graduate Recognition signifies the individual’s completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management.

“Institute graduates are recognized across the country as leaders in their industries and organizations,” said Raymond P. Towle, IOM, CAE, the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s vice president of Institute for Organization Management. “These individuals have the knowledge, skills, and dedication necessary 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 for Organization Management is the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. It is the premier nonprofit professional development program for association and chamber professionals, fostering individual growth through interactive learning and networking opportunities.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy, and the global business environment.

institute.uschamber.com            @GetConnectedIN         

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With that in mind we asked Entrepreneur subscriber Crista LeGrand, CAE, CMP who is CEO and President of one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s premier association management firms (Clemons & Associates) to share her thoughts about board membership and some tips for a successful non-profit board member experience. This is what she had to say…

What does it mean to be a board member in the typical non-profit organization today?

First, I prefer to use the term “tax-exempt” organization rather than the misunderstood “non-profit” label.  Actually, the Internal Revenue Service has changed and is using tax-exempt in most of its publications and forms. It is a more descriptive term that actually defines the organization.  Non-profit implies “no profit” to many people and results in faulty decisions because of the misunderstanding.

Next, people are all busy these days.  Technology has made many of our tasks easier but also more complicated at the same time. For today’s director, it means that you must make the commitment to serve, and then actually live up to that commitment. It also means to become involved with the organization and learn what makes it tick. It means accepting responsibility and making hard, tough decisions.

Read the full Q&A here.

http://www.marriott.com/meetings/tools/space-session.mi

• Use that link figure out space for meeting rooms with either the room set you want or the number of attendees

http://www.marriott.com/meetings/tools/people-calc.mi

• Use that link if you know room dimensions

http://www.marriott.com/meetings/tools/space-exhibition.mi

• For exhibits

If you still need help with planning your meeting, conference, tradeshow or convention Clemons & Associates, Inc. can handle it all.  We have facilitated and produced hundreds of meetings of virtually any type, from a Board of Directors meeting to a major trade show with over 5,000 attendees.  No meeting is too small or too large.

Contact us today!  410.931.8100 or send an email to natalie@clemonsmgmt.com. 

Clemons & Associates, Inc. COO, Natalie Martz was named a Spirited Woman Rising by Mycity4her Media.  Check out the great article from the Baltimore Sun! The C&A team had a blast during the photo shoot!

Left to Right: Crista LeGrand, Natalie Martz, Ally Lancaster, Vince Mullhausen

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-gl-goodworks-spirited-women-20120812,0,1393650.story

1. Morguefile: This site is filled with amateur photos of anything you could ever want. Pizza? Check. Toys? Check. Bears? Yep. A closeup of a microwave? Yes, sir! I’m not sure what kinds of sites would use most of these photos, but I guess that’s up to you. While you do have to wade through some less-than-perfect shots, many photographs are actually quite good, and all of them are free.
2. FreeDigitalPhotos: Another great site, this one is filled with quality stock photos. You know the ones I am talking about: those white-background, static and professional-looking pictures that big site owners love to use so often. If you want to a professional, high-quality look, check FreeDigitalPhotos first. Only the small version is free with the appropriate photo credit, but sometimes, that’s all you need.
3. Woophy: A strange name for an exotic photo site. The name stands for “World of Photography,” and this site offers a map of the world splattered with photo locations. If you need a glimpse into a culture or an area, look no further. Whether you need photos of wild reindeer in Norway or Mongolians in traditional dress, they’re available. While photographers who upload pictures to Woophy retain their copyright, the site’s terms of use allow downloads of low-res images for personal or noncommercial use.
4. Stockvault: Have you uncovered a need for colorful, artistic photos? Then check out this site. Though there are not as many free photos as I would like, the ones available are well worth a look. See the “Most Downloaded” tab for photos used most frequently.
5. Unprofound: This oddball photo site is something to behold. What makes it different is that instead of searching for subjects, such as butterflies or cars, you search for photos by their dominant color. Need something green? There are eight pages of it. Blue? No problem. “Eclectic and odd” is the go-to phrase for this site.

No matter the subject of your blog, you can be sure to find a photo for your next post on one of these sites. Check them out and see whether they can make your blog a cooler, more visual experience for readers.

By Christine Kane on July 9th, 2012 from SmartBlog on Social Media http://smartblogs.com/

 If the board selects the option to perform an audit, it will cost approximately $5k - $10k.  The accountant will spend considerable time confirming information with outside parties, testing selected transactions by examining supporting documents, completing physical inspections and observations and considering and evaluating the internal control system of the organization.  This usually includes a visit to the headquarter office by the CPA, so there is the travel expense to consider as well.  Overall, there are not that many transactions with small budgets of less than $1 million where this investment would be valuable.

A review will serve the same purpose, an analysis for assurance about the financial statements, and will cost between $2k-$3k.  The CPA when performing the review will still look at significant matters affecting the financial statements.  The CPA doesn’t perform in-depth confirmations/testing as they do in an audit. They review for material issues and obvious deviations from GAAP, but they won’t go in and test unique individual transactions in the same way an audit is done.  The association will still receive a lengthy document, 20 pages or so, of information from the review, so the board of directors will feel comfortable with the information provided.  In addition, the association will save money on a process that isn’t necessary for an organization with a budget of less than $1 million.

 Though Lee is not an engineer, she has managed the MDSPE over the past two years and has played an integral role in transforming the society into a successful and high functioning organization. Some of Lee’s accomplishments with MDSPE include successfully executing their inaugural conference, transforming their financial position, and rebranding the society through a full website redesign. 

Crista LeGrand, CMP, CAE, CEO of Clemons & Associates, Inc. stated that "Amanda is a true leader.  She is dedicated to our customers, our company, and to the association management industry.  We are very proud of this recognition given to her by the MDSPE Board of Directors."

Amanda also serves as the Executive Director of the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers and the Midwest Association of Colleges & Employers.  

One of our focuses at Clemons & Associates, Inc. is to support charitable organizations through community service projects by volunteering our time and talents.  C&A believes in making a difference and encourages employees to give back to our communities through volunteerism. We are active in supporting a variety of non-profit organizations and charitable events.  

How do we choose which organization to support?  With a small staff of less than 14 we each have an opportunity to support the organization that is near and dear to our hearts.  Each quarter one team member gets to choose an organization and to support it through providing a team of volunteers to do whatever needs to be done.  Most recently, Allyson Lancaster, who has been with the C&A family for one and half years, chose to support the Duncan Street Miracle Garden in Baltimore, Maryland.  Lancaster organized the service project through the Baltimore Office of Sustainability and the C&A team got behind her in full support of her choice in charity.

On June 26, 2012 eight team members from C&A spent the morning at Duncan Street Miracle Gardens (North Avenue-Collington Avenue-Terrell Place-Chester Street block) in East Baltimore helping to beautify the community gardens.  C&A worked together to weed, pick up trash, sweep and clean the gardens so that area could support a future harvest.  Mr. Lewis Sharpe, the garden’s self-appointed manager, provided the knowledge and tools needed to get the job done.  Mr. Sharpe has been caring for the gardens for over twenty years.  He is well-known in the community and is responsible for the continuous success of the gardens.  The various beds contain strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli and watermelon, among many other things.   The C&A team also assisted Mr. Sharpe in cleaning a vacant lot not far from the Duncan Street Gardens.  This empty lot is not ready to be used for harvesting just yet, but according to Mr. Sharpe it is important to help keep the neighborhood clean.  The C&A team was happy to help Mr. Sharpe and the other community members in caring for the gardens.

Through our community service initiative C&A is able to focus on teamwork and fulfill our mission in helping our communities thrive. By supporting the choice in charity of our employees we are able to make a difference not only in the community, but also in the hearts of our team by coming together to support an organization that they care about. “We feel that we are all truly blessed, and that giving back to charitable communities is our duty,” says Natalie Villabon-Martz, Vice President and creator of the C&A Community Service Initiative.  “We want to be of service to others and especially to those that are less fortunate than ourselves. Giving builds relationships, character and is the meaning of life,” says Martz.  “Our team looks forward to not only a break in the day-to-day duties of our office, but also that feeling of satisfaction that one feels when giving back.  It is truly an important part of our mission as a company.”

Click here to view our slideshow of photos from this project!

For more information on the Duncan Street Miracle Garden, please contact the Baltimore Office of Sustainability at http://www.baltimoresustainability.org/successStoryDetail.aspx?id=44. 

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/. 

The evening began with a wine and hors d'oeuvres reception, followed by the panel discussion entitled "Mentors, Coaches and Sponsors--Your Support Team." Mary Pat Seurkamp, president of Notre Dame of Maryland University, as well as P.J. Mitchell '69, former vice president for IBM Global Sales and Operations, shared their thoughts and experiences along with:

- Shelonda Stokes, president/CEO of greiBo Media 
- Gayle Economos, owner/president, GVE Media/Public Relations LLC 
- Natalie Villabon-Martz, Vice President Clemons and Associates 
- Martina Martin, chief administrative officer, United Way of Central Maryland

The panel discussion was moderated by Luwanda Jenkins from the Governor’s Office of Minority Affairs.