There's no single way to measure a year well spent in association management. You can look at numbers, and this year's numbers are worth celebrating. But the real story of 2025 isn't found in any spreadsheet. It's found in the nurse who earned her certification. The first-time convention attendee who received valuable education or training. The small association that started the year wondering how to sustain itself and ended it with a sold-out event and a waiting list.
This report is for them. And for every volunteer leader, staff member, and AH team member who showed up to make those moments possible.
Leadership and Impact in Association Management
Associations don't exist to file paperwork or maintain bylaws. They exist because a group of individuals decided that a profession or a cause deserved a champion. Everything that follows is a testament to that conviction.
In 2025, our client partners didn't just grow; they leaned into what they were built to do. Here's what that looked like:
National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA)
NADCA ran custom training events across North America this year, expanding into Canada for the first time, not because it was required, but because the industry needed it. When tradespeople walk away from a training with skills they'll use on Monday morning, that's what workforce development means.
Restoration Industry Association (RIA)
A sold-out convention is a wonderful thing. A sold-out convention where 42% of attendees are attending for the very first time? That's a movement. RIA grew membership by nearly 25% in 2025 and boosted sponsorship revenue by 39%, proof that when an association demonstrates value, the industry takes notice.
Read the full case study on RIA’s success.
Canadian Society of Medical Evaluators (CSME)
For years, CSME gathered its members once a year offering continuing education. In 2025, they changed that. They built a year-round learning community to keep members engaged, support their growth, and give them reasons to stay connected. The result: 24.5% membership growth and a 38% revenue increase in a single year.
REMS Industry Consortium (RIC)
RIC decided to invest more in their marketing efforts and the numbers don't lie. LinkedIn engagement climbed 181%. Email click-through rates jumped nearly 50%. Event registrations grew by 30%. This is clear evidence that when you invest in communicating clearly and consistently, the ROI is evident.
National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN)
School nurses are sometimes the only healthcare professional a child sees all year. NBCSN has been investing in programs/services for the profession since 2018. A certification that says their expertise matters and their patients deserve nothing less. In 2025, that work crossed a milestone that once might have seemed impossibly far away: more than 6,000 certified school nurses. That's not a statistic. That's a generation of kids in better hands.
The Team That Makes It Possible
None of this happens on its own. Behind every conference, every membership campaign, every advocacy win, there's a team of people who chose this work because it matters to them.
In 2025, the Association Headquarters team looked like this:
- 200 total active employees
- 145+ professional designations across the AH team
- 70+ client partners supported
- 200+ events planned and executed
And beyond the work itself: 500+ volunteer hours given to 11 nonprofit organizations across the communities where AH team members live and work. Because the Red Chair philosophy has never been limited to the organizations we serve. It extends to the neighbors, the schools, the food banks, the families who need a hand.
A Year of Intentional Growth at AH
2025 was also a year of quiet, deliberate investment in what we do and how we do it.
We welcomed Sam Leone as President, bringing steady operational leadership at a moment when our growth demanded it. We launched a new Delivery Operations Department, not because it sounded good on paper, but because our clients deserve seamless delivery of service and our team deserves the infrastructure to deliver it.
Managing Matters and the Association Executives Group joined the AH family, bringing with them decades of expertise and a shared commitment to the mission.
Every one of these moves was made in keeping with our vision “To be the most innovative and trusted management partner to our client organizations.”
Partnerships Worth Celebrating
Some of our most meaningful moments in 2025 had nothing to do with new growth. They had to do with how long we've been at this together.
Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society (WOCN®) and Medical Dosimetrist Certification Board (MDCB) marked 20 years of partnership with AH. Twenty years of shared mission, shared challenges, and shared wins. And American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN Foundation), Drywall & Interior Systems Contractors Association of NJ (DISCA), and Geothermal Rising celebrated five years, joining other of AH’s long tenured client partners.
These partnerships don't stay strong by accident. It takes strong volunteer engagement, with world class staff support to ensure an organizations long term success.
The full story, every milestone, every partnership, and highlights of the team who made it happen, is in our 2025 Annual Report.
What We're Focused on Next
We don't believe in strategic plans that gather dust. The work ahead is specific:
- Helping organizations grow membership that sticks
- Developing the next generation of association leaders
- Putting technology to work without losing the human touch
- Finding new and sustainable revenue for the organizations we serve
- Strengthening the industries and professions that depend on association leadership
Strong association management turns mission-driven organizations into lasting forces for change. We don't take lightly what this work does, and neither do the people we do it with.
Ready to Tell Your Association's Story?
An effective annual report doesn’t just document the past, it strengthens stakeholder trust, showcases impact, and inspires future growth.
If your organization is ready to elevate its storytelling, Association Headquarters brings deep expertise in association management and can help you create an annual report that highlights your impact and advances your mission.
Get in touch to start the conversation.
