Partners in Association Management was founded by Bennett Napier in 1998, after a year of operating under a different business name in 1997. The firm has been a Chamber member for over twenty years.
The company is a professional services firm; however, it’s a very specific niche. A good way to describe the business model is compare Partners to a staff leasing firm for associations. Not for profit association’s contract with the firm to secure turnkey staffing solutions whereby Partners employees provide CEO leadership and manage the day to day operations of each client organization. Partners also serves as the headquarters location and provides the infrastructure for all of its full service clients.
Partner’s focuses on trade associations. However, it also manages industry certification programs and 501 (c)(3) foundations. The array of industries served is vast including, but not limited to, dentistry, insurance, funeral services, fire protection, long term care, environmental and extension programs.
Given the company’s expertise in association management, its executives stay abreast of key association management trends and practices. With that knowledge and experience, the firm has a consulting arm, Partners Strategic Solutions that provides consulting services to stand alone non-profits that have their own direct employees in areas such as strategic planning, board governance, operational audits and change management.
The firm is a strong believer in professional development. All employees have an annual training/professional development budget that they can use for external continuing education. Partners also pays 100% of costs towards industry certifications.
Many team members hone their volunteer management skills serving as volunteers themselves (committee members and board leaders) for other non-profits including the Florida Society of Association Executives; Boys and Girls Club of Florida, local high school board’s and Big Bend Hospice.
The firm has thirty five employees and eight other full time equivalents through subcontracts.
Partners is a seven time winner of the Best Companies to Work For with Florida Trend Magazine and a two time Seminole 100 honoree recognizing the Fastest Growing Firms owned by Florida State University alumni.
Partners has a strong executive management team with many years of diverse experience in association management, legislative/regulatory affairs and event planning.
Bennett Napier serves as CEO of Partners and he currently serves as Membership Committee Chair and a member of the Executive Committee for the Tallahassee Chamber. He has been involved in Chamber Membership activities since the mid 1990’s when he first served on the Association Industry Target Sector Task Force. He is also a Graduate of Leadership Tallahassee, Class XVI.
