Introducing Clemons & Associates, Inc.
In 1977, Cal Clemons founded Clemons & Associates, Inc. in Baltimore, Maryland as a sole proprietorship. The company’s primary business at that time was, and continues to be, 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.
The company grew in its early stages and managed organizations in fire protection, pet products distribution, offices products distribution, wholesale distribution, shoe service and repair and insurance fraud investigators. Clemons & Associates, Inc. was able to respond to the computer era via a veteran-preference Small Business Administration (SBA) loan and purchased an IBM System 36, and as a result became a very competitive company within the Association Management industry.
In 1984, Cal Clemons received the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation. The Certified Association Executive program is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and designate association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of association management, and stands as a mark of excellence and has evolved to reflect what it takes to manage an association in today's challenging climate.
Clemons was elected president of the Maryland Society of Association Executives (MSAE) in 1986. He served as a director of the Association Management Company Institute (AMCi) and as a chairman of the Association Executives Council of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW).
In 2001, Clemons & Associates, Inc. was accredited by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). ASAE's Association Management Company Accreditation program is designed to elevate professional standards and designate firms that demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of association management. The ASAE AMC Accreditation program assists the association community by identifying the standards and criteria that are indicative of quality management service providers. Clemons & Associates, Inc. was among the first association management companies to become accredited by the American Society of Association Executives. As a charter accredited company, we subscribe to the required 15 high standards of practice. Click here to view.
Crista LeGrand joined the company in 2000 as an account executive and senior advisor. She was responsible for obtaining new clients and restructuring the company to reflect the changing workforce and telecommuting. In 2008, Crista LeGrand became majority stock holder and was named President/CEO. Cal Clemons was elected Chairman of the firm. Cassandra J. Summers became a minority stock holder and Vice President.
Clemons & Associates, Inc. announced its certification as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council in November 2009. The WBENC certification for women-owned businesses is one of the most widely recognized and respected certifications in the country. WBENC is the only national organization that brings WBEs and corporations together to work toward the mutual goal of improving marketing opportunities for resourceful women-owned businesses as vendors and suppliers to the nation's corporate and non-profit sectors.