Success Stories
Click here for a list of current and past clients.
Here's a sampling of what our clients have had to say about our help.
“Working with Wes has been very valuable to us. Wes helped to validate many of our assumptions about our current data management system, which gave us the confidence to move forward. And his recommendation to create a data governance team was a stroke of brilliance. We already see a positive change in behavior and attitude from our staff toward our data management system. This wouldn't have happened without the data governance team.”
Mary Bowie Vice President, Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer
American Association of Museums
“We came to Wes because we were very frustrated with our existing AMS and we wanted to improve our capabilities as soon as practicable. Wes very quickly helped us through a process of identifying our needs, identifying potential vendors, and selecting a new system that we’ll be able to move into very quickly. I especially appreciated Wes’s candor about our processes as well as the systems we were looking at. He was a great resource to have in a period of high anxiety for our organization. I would highly recommend Wes for any similar project.”
Jack Chiasson, CMP Executive Director
National Association of Life Brokerage Agencies
“Wes did an outstanding job of analyzing the needs of the Ohio Library Council and working with staff to identify the requirements of a new association management software system necessary to satisfy a myriad of wants and needs. His systematic yet personable approach made for a very productive process. The staff really enjoyed working with Wes and found his method to be very effective and relatively painless – and without a lot of tech-talk and IT-babble. Wes was able to accomplish in a matter of a few weeks what would have taken the OLC staff literally months to complete. His time and expertise is well worth the investment.”
Doug Evans, CAE Executive Director
Ohio Library Council
“We knew we needed a new database, but couldn’t stomach the hassle and stress of navigating the process. With Wes taking the lead, the process was virtually painless, but more importantly, he identified the issues we didn’t consider, asked questions we didn’t think of and considered scenarios we couldn’t imagine. That’s exactly the type of partner you want to help you through a process like this. Wes is one of the most valuable resources an association can have when even thinking about a database conversion.”
Larry Hoffer, CAE Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer
Industrial Designers Society of America
"Just a quick word to say 'thanks' for the great work you did for us. As you surely recall, we were faced with a dizzying array of cascading decisions for our database, communications, and IT needs; each decision affected the other in ways that were tough to predict. What we needed - and what you provided - was clear and concise direction on what steps to take first. Your Remote Consulting package allowed us to use you as a sounding board during a critical time in our organization's development and evolution. You're great to work with."
Chris Stelzig Director, Membership & Marketing
Entomological Society of America
"I didn't know that a database conversion could be manageable, informative, and fairly painless until we hired Wes. His ability to push the conversations about the business processes and staff structure while also considering the practical implementation steps really helped take operations at NAGC to the next level. Further, his conversational style put everyone at ease, and demystified what can be an intimidating process. I hope I never have to go through another conversion without him!"
Nancy Green, CAE Executive Director
National Association for Gifted Children
"We found ourselves forced to make an unexpected switch to a new financial and membership database, virtually overnight. Wes assisted us with a rapid selection and implementation of a new provider. Because of his efforts,
we successfully implemented the new system and were operational in only six weeks! We are now in our third year with the system and it is the centerpiece of our data integration efforts. Wes's recommendations are validated literally every single day."
Kyle Vickers Chief Information Officer
American Health Care Association
"Wes was invaluable in guiding our decision making process with regard to the standard operating procedures that would best serve our association's needs. He has a wonderful manner that encouraged our staff through what could have been a tense installation process. He also did a superb job in writing our SOP's and delivering training to
all of our staff."
Miriam Hair Deputy Executive Director
Municipal Association of South Carolina
"I can trust Wes to provide solutions that are realistic and consistent with our business priorities. He is able to bring additional partners to the table as needed. Wes presents multiple options for action, including those that would not necessarily increase our business levels with him."
Annette Hinkle Deputy Executive Director
Hostelling International - USA
"Wes has always been mindful of what our association has been trying to accomplish and has always offered sound advice. His knowledge of the association management software market and business relationships has yielded NGCOA indispensable assistance and saved us hours of work and thousands of dollars."
Jay Karen Director of Corporate Programs
National Golf Course Owners Association
"Wes's analysis of our needs and guidance in choosing a new data management system were invaluable. His honesty and sense of humor helped create an immediate rapport with our staff, which was critical to gaining buy-in.
Thanks to his expertise, our AMS system was deployed on time and under budget."
Theresa Roman Senior Manager, Database Systems
New Jersey School Boards Association
"What makes Wes such an asset as our consultant is that he is not only well-equipped to understand the technical underpinnings, but that he can communicate these highly complex issues in an easy to understand manner."
Holly Ross Director of Programs
Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network
"With Wes as our project manager, I felt very comfortable knowing he had the expertise to help MCCA sort through our numerous data management issues. We now have the tools we need to better manage our data and serve our
membership consitituency."
Shawn Boynes Director of Programs
Minority Corporate Counsel Association
"With EDM's help on documentation, training, and general consulting, we were able to get our newly implemented AMS up and running quickly and smoothly. In less than four months EDM helped us get more than 30 new users into our system."
Tom Osterbind Director of Software Development & Internal Systems
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators
"EDM was invaluable in our search for a new AMS. Through interviews with staff and applying their own experience in association management, they steered us through the many choices we had for software and helped us choose a system that was right for us. I shudder to think what might have happened if we had tried to manage this project without their help."
Jill Perla Vice President
Finance and Administration, International Sign Association
"The documentation that EDM provided has helped to make our new database more useful than any database we've ever worked in."
Mark Brown Senior Project Manager
Professional Golfers Association
"We're very pleased with the help Wes has been able to provide us. He has been very patient with our staff and has helped to develop new reports that have saved us hours of time. His documentation of our membership and exhibits processes will help us to use our temporary staff more effectively and to get our future full-time staff up to speed on our database."
George Melnykovich President
Food Processing Machinery Association
"The training Wes provided has been invaluable to our staff. He prepared sessions appropriate for the daily user and the casual user as well. After hearing about Wes' training, even our executive staff requested a session! I received very favorable remarks from the attendees at Wes' training sessions. He clearly understands databases and is able to communicate that to the users."
Mary Pat Paris Director, Membership & Association Support Services
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
"Tapping Wes' experience in membership issues, we were able to avoid performing some costly database customizations. Someone who understands both membership administration and database functions is a great resource to have!"
Yolande Nanayakkara Director of Membership and Marketing
National Institute of Governmental Purchasing
If you'd like to learn how EDM can help your organization manage its data more effectively and more profitably, contact us at 540-338-9404 or wes at effectivedatabase dot com or by completing this form.
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