David Saunders, President
David is a veteran of association management with a 25+ year track record of leading several national and international nonprofit associations as the chief staff officer.
In July 2020, the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators (AARMR) selected Summit for full-service management and appointed David as their Executive Director. He previously served in this role for 14 years, from 2004-2018. AARMR is an organization consisting of state agencies responsible for regulating mortgage lenders, brokers, loan servicers, and other industry members.
For nearly two decades, David also led the International Oxygen Manufacturers Association, an international CEO group with members from over 100 manufacturing companies in the global industrial, medical, and specialty gas industry. The organization’s mission includes the harmonization of safety and operating standards, as well as C-suite strategic networking.
In addition, he served for 11 years as Executive Director of the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, a think tank association of medical professionals and industry partners in the field of wound care and prevention, whose mission includes research, education, and public policy.
Earlier in his association management career, David served for eight years as President of the American Coke and Coal Chemicals Institute, whose member companies are manufacturers of metallurgical foundry and blast furnace coke and coking byproducts, and for six years as the Executive Director of the Soy Protein Council, whose members manufacture soy protein flour, concentrate, and isolate.
David brings a strong background in strategic planning and governance, combined with a detail-oriented, intense focus on day-to-day operations, especially as it relates to financial management and meeting planning.
He provides practical and proven leadership qualities and has been routinely called upon to convey the image and represent the interests of his association clients to various audiences, including government officials.
Some of David's other core capabilities include skillful negotiating to reduce his clients’ expenses, particularly with law firms, hotels, and other meeting vendors, clear and effective communications with association members, and an adeptness at fostering relationships between association members and with other stakeholders.
Prior to his work in association management, David served for 10 years as a mechanical engineer in facilities and global corporate safety for Texas Instruments (TI), a semiconductor and defense systems manufacturer. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University and an MBA in Business Management from the University of Dallas.
Sarah Saunders, Vice President of Marketing & Operations
Sarah has worked with numerous associations and other nonprofits in industry, high tech, alternative fuels including hydrogen, science, cooperatives, and financial services.
Most recently, she served as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Compressed Gas Association, where she provided strategic vision, leadership, and implementation of marketing, branding and strategic messaging, non-dues revenue generation, and public relations. CGA is a trade association and standards developing organization dedicated to the development and promotion of safety standards and safe practices in the industrial and medical gases industry.
Previously, Sarah ran communications for a major international nonprofit dedicated to scientific research, and provided consulting services to numerous cause-driven organizations. She also has 20+ years of private sector experience in marketing, sales, and business development.
Sarah has extensive experience managing publications and communications projects, including e-newsletters, blogs, and social media – providing project management, editorial planning, and content development services.
In the early days of the web, she served on the team that successfully used the Internet to sell enterprise software to Cisco Systems, the self-styled “Internet Company,” by creating a then unheard-of microsite as a part of their sales proposal. A number of years later, she led the development of a major new nonprofit website, overseeing the graphic design, technical implementation, and migration of more than 20 years of legacy content.
Sarah led a global branding initiative sponsored by the US National Science Foundation, which was directly credited with helping generate $350M in new funding for one of the world’s largest international marine research programs. She also managed port call events around the world for a US-funded research vessel, including the ship’s high profile visit to Lisbon, Portugal, which attracted hundreds of visitors from dozens of European countries.
She holds a BA in English and a BFA in Theatre from Southern Methodist University, and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Josh Wolf
With over 20 years of experience in digital marketing, Josh has consistently taken on key roles that drive client success and advance web property development. His career is marked by a dynamic evolution, adapting to new technologies and methods to stay at the forefront of the industry.
Most recently, Josh served as Director of Web Operations, where he prioritized building a cohesive team and establishing streamlined standards and protocols in a high-paced marketing agency environment.
Josh is highly skilled in web development and adept at deploying innovative solutions to tackle complex client challenges. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively across diverse platforms and integrations, to fulfill client objectives. Technologies include Zapier, WordPress + WooCommerce, Shopify, Wix, BigCommerce, DotNetNuke, Intuit Mailchimp, and Salesforce.
An expert in solution-based strategies, Josh has expanded his focus to include modern practices like AI prompting, website security, and WCAG/ADA accessibility compliance. Frequently, he is called upon as a project advisor to lend his expertise and help teams successfully reach project completion.
Mary Reagan
A seasoned professional, Mary Reagan provides our clients with services including managing and supporting Boards and committees; event management; financial management; membership support; marketing; and day-to-day operations.
Past clients include a range of nonprofit, educational, and commercial organizations, including an outsourced accounting and financial management firm serving large trade associations, and the Fulbright Association, which is dedicated to promoting international education and exchange.
For 25 years, Mary provided comprehensive project management services for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, one of the world's largest marine science research programs. She supervised four communications and administrative staff, and coordinated budget reporting across her group of scientists, engineers, and administrators in the UK, France, Germany, and Japan. For many years, Mary also planned and managed her organization’s presence at the nonprofit American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, which regularly attracts over 20,000 attendees.
While working with IODP, she maintained a large Excel file as a database to track and report on millions of dollars in US National Science Foundation-funded research. Mary prepared budgets for an ongoing research project with a budget of approximately $7 million per year, and prepared the detailed budget for one proposal worth $70M annually.
Mary has a BA in History from Wheaton College and an MS in Geophysics from Purdue University.
