Executive Director

Role Summary

The Executive Director leads the strategy, operations, staff, communications, governance support, member experience, meetings, programs, and external presence of a high-touch professional association. This hands‑on role requires an experienced association executive who can translate Board direction into clear plans, manage a small team, oversee complex deliverables, and step into execution when needed.

Communications and organization are central to success. The right candidate will bring a proven record of success with association management. The Executive Director is ultimately responsible for ensuring the organization operates with consistency, polish, responsiveness, and accountability, and that its voice, brand, materials, reports, public‑facing content, and member communications are accurate, timely, and professionally executed.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Organizational Management

• Lead the development, execution, and tracking of strategic plans, annual goals, operational priorities, and long‑range initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen member value, organizational visibility, operational efficiency, financial sustainability, and mission impact.
• Anticipate organizational risks, staffing needs, process gaps, and resource constraints, and recommend solutions.
• Ensure the organization’s programs, communications, meetings, and member services are aligned with strategic priorities.
• Maintain a high standard of professionalism, responsiveness, accuracy, and follow‑through across all organizational functions.

Financial Stewardship and Vendor Management

• Develop, monitor, and manage operating budgets in partnership with appropriate financial leaders.
• Review financial reports, monitor budget performance, forecast variances, and recommend corrective actions.
• Oversee financial processes related to dues, sponsorships, fundraising, non‑dues revenue, vendor expenses, and program budgets as applicable.

Governance, Board, and Committee Leadership

• Serve as a trusted advisor and primary staff partner to the Board, officers, committee chairs, and volunteer leaders.
• Ensure governance processes are organized, accurate, timely, and aligned with bylaws, policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Keep leadership informed of significant issues, opportunities, risks, deadlines, and decisions requiring attention.
• Guide volunteer leaders with professionalism, discretion, clarity, and sound judgment.

Operations and Process Oversight

• Oversee day‑to‑day operations and ensure work is executed according to priorities, timelines, budgets, and approved processes.
• Build, maintain, and improve systems, calendars, trackers, workflows, templates, archives, and approval processes.
• Ensure operational continuity across staff, vendors, committees, meetings, communications, and member‑facing services.

Communications and Marketing

• Oversee the organization’s communications strategy and ensure consistency across internal and external communications.
• Create and advise on executive communications, formal messages, public statements, newsletters, announcements, annual reports, and other institutional materials.
• Ensure communication channels remain current, coordinated, and useful to members, leaders, partners, and external audiences.
• Ensure marketing efforts across all internal and external channels are aligned and timely.
• Use available engagement data and communication metrics to improve reach, clarity, usefulness, and impact.
• Ensure all marketing materials are accurate, polished, and delivered on time.

Membership and Member Experience

• Oversee membership operations, member records, engagement strategy, recruitment, retention, onboarding, and member service.
• Ensure members receive responsive, accurate, professional, and helpful support.
• Oversee member communications, directories, data integrity, engagement pathways, and member‑facing resources.
• Address escalated member concerns with discretion, judgment, and professionalism.

Meetings, Programs, Education, and Events

• Oversee planning and execution of meetings, programs, and related initiatives.
• Working with Meeting planners, oversee logistics, vendor relationships, registration, materials, production timelines, and on‑site execution.
• Ensure meetings and programs are aligned with strategic goals and deliver strong value to members and stakeholders.
• Gather feedback and use it to improve future programs, meetings, communications, and member experience.
• Represent the organization professionally at meetings and events.

Partnerships, Innovation, and Growth

• Build and maintain relationships with members, volunteer leaders, partners, vendors, sponsors, allied organizations, and external stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for partnerships, collaborations, programs, services, visibility, and revenue growth.
• Stay informed about association management trends, member expectations, communications best practices, technology tools, and emerging issues.
• Recommend new approaches that improve operations, strengthen engagement, and advance the organization’s mission.
• Support innovation while maintaining the level of quality, trust, and professionalism expected by members and leaders.

Staff Development & Operations

• Oversee the Clients’ management contract, scope of services, and utilization of support hours.
• Identify, propose, and develop processes and systems that promote efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws as well as policies established by GMP.
• Maintain continuous open communication with the Board to ensure client satisfaction and participate in the annual evaluation and contract review.
• Ensure employees understand their duties, responsibilities, and performance expectations for both the client and GMP, and monitor team productivity.
• Provide performance evaluations, including but not limited to, constructive feedback, mentorship, annual reviews and stay interview, and disciplinary action when necessary.
• Provide opportunities for growth and development through planning, coaching and feedback, rewards and recognition and opportunities for learning and skill development.
• Participate in recruiting, onboarding, and training as necessary.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, and emerging issues to inform strategic decision‑making and organizational priorities.
• Attend required GMP meetings and events and participate in GMP training.
• Displays GMP values.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment encourages teamwork, creativity, and continuous learning.
• Perform other tasks as assigned.

Minimum Skills, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business, non‑profit management, communications, or related field.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in operations, governance, meeting and event management, budgeting, and strategic planning.
• Proficient computer literacy skills (Microsoft Office: Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Outlook).
• Strong understanding of nonprofit/association governance, finance, risk management, and operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic planning processes and translate vision into executable operational plans.
• Advanced financial literacy, including budgeting frameworks, forecasting, and sustainability planning.
• Strong executive communication skills, including facilitation of complex Board and stakeholder discussions.
• Proven ability to assess organizational risk, resolve complex issues, and make high‑impact decisions.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills; ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast paced environment.
• High attention to detail while maintaining a strategic perspective.
• Demonstrated success building partnerships and guiding innovation initiatives.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and align staff, volunteers, and stakeholders toward shared goals.
• Strong coaching, mentorship, and leadership development capabilities.
• Ability to work outside standard hours occasionally, including evenings and weekends.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Association/Society experience
• Supervisory or team leadership experience
• CAE or another relevant professional credential