Dennison & Associates is a boutique consulting firm providing tailored business analysis and project management services to associations and non-profit organizations, ranging from 2 to 200 staff.
Our primary mission is to become your most trusted partner. We build a close connection with each of our clients, forming a partnership you can rely on to help you solve your operational problems to achieve your strategic goals.
Our team combines decades of association support with expert business analysis, project management and facilitation skills to provide you with flexible, cost-effective services fit to your needs. Each of our consultants is hand-picked specifically because they share an absolute focus on client success.
Whether you need help with a quick strategic assessment, technology selection or implementation, a top-to-bottom digital strategy or organizational assessment, or just part-time business analysis and project management, we can help you find fresh solutions to your stubborn problems.
Our Team
Our team members all have at least 10+ years’ experience working with associations, and include certified association executives (CAE), business analysts (CBAP) and project managers (PMP).
Vanessa Dennison, CAE, CBAP
Organizational optimization, technology strategy, business analysis, project management
Vanessa Dennison, owner of Dennison & Associates, is a Certified Association Executive and Certified Business Analyst Professional. She has more than 20 years’ experience working with dozens of trade and professional associations and unions, both as a staff member and an industry vendor. She applies proven expertise, industry best practices, and a deep commitment to each client to deliver superior results.
Vanessa leads a growing team of leading association consultants with a variety of skills. Together we share a singular focus on serving our clients, and delivering value no matter your size, budget, or needs.
Susannah Mechem
Chief Operations Officer
With over 20 years of experience supporting professional societies and trade associations, Susannah Mechem brings unparalleled expertise to the Dennison & Associates team. Specializing in technology implementation projects, Susannah’s skill set includes project management, requirements gathering, data conversion, reporting, and staff training. Her passion for technical training and education drives her commitment to improving business processes, promoting industry best practices, and empowering users to achieve their goals.
Susannah’s approach is rooted in collaboration, building strong relationships to deliver exceptional results for clients. Before joining Dennison & Associates, she served as the Director of Professional Services at Personify, where she led a team of consultants and project managers to deliver enterprise association management software solutions. Her ability to oversee complex projects while ensuring client expectations are exceeded is a hallmark of her professional success.
Outside of work, Susannah resides in Falls Church, VA, with her husband and two daughters. A lifelong fan of Washington, D.C. sports teams, she’s especially passionate about cheering on the Commanders and Nationals.
Liane Radford, PMP
Operations Manager, Principal Consultant
Business Analysis, Project Management
Liane is a results-driven IT manager with over 20 years of experience in managing projects and technology operations in the association space. Liane holds her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and has extensive project management experience with an emphasis on IT solutions, business processes and system implementations.
With her industry background, Liane understands associations and provides support to our clients for projects such as software implementations, website upgrades, product evaluation and selection, data conversion and reporting.
Nardos Tsegie, PMP
Data Analysis, Business Analysis, Project Management
An Information Technology professional/Database developer by trade, Nardos has made the professional societies and trade associations her professional home since 2007. Through the years, she has gained ample experience taking various roles on multiple system upgrades, implementations, integrations and digital transformation projects. Her industry experience oscillates between both the client and vendor-side.
Nardos has a master’s degree in Technology Management and is a PMP certified Project Manager.
A self proclaimed life-long learner, Nardos believes growth mindset is the key to a successful and fulfilling professional career. Her biggest forte is data analysis. She aspires to be a Chief Data Officer/Data scientist someday and contribute to the association industry as a thought leader with special focus on prediction and Decision Support Systems.
Sharon Clarke
Business Analysis, Accounting
Sharon brings over 20 years’ association experience to Dennison & Associates. Sharon has worked with dozens of associations assisting with technology implementations, solving deep technology problems, and analyzing business processes and best practices. Sharon brings a practical, results-oriented view to her projects, guiding clients with a sure hand toward achieving their goals.
She has an extensive background in database management, operations, and accounting. Sharon served as CTO for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and as a Principal Business Consultant for Personify, a leading association technology company.
Joel Ohringer, PMP, CBAP
Business Analysis, Project Management
Joel is a Senior Technology Project Manager (PMP) & Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) with decades of experience in effectively driving technology projects to successful completion. He utilizes strong analytical, conceptual skills to achieve results and exceed customer expectations. Joel is a Master in Business Analytics (MSBA) and a Prosci® Change Practitioner. Joel has been supporting Dennison & Associates in AMS selections and other projects for non-profits and associations for several years. Previously, he has experience in government, legal and technology industries.
Elizabeth Sherrill
Business Analysis, Project Management
Elizabeth is an experienced technology consultant, project manager, and business analyst specializing in the association and non-profit sector. With over 25 years in the industry, she is well-versed in assisting member based organizations of all sizes assess their needs, identify the right solution, and implement and manage new systems. Her goal is to help clients use technology to support their strategic and business goals. Elizabeth has experience on both sides of the table, both as an association consultant with Cooper Consulting, and as the IT Director for AIAA, before working with Dennison & Associates.
When she is not working on technology projects, she enjoys equestrian sports photography, spending time outside, and making a mess in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes.
Jay Daughtry, M.Ed.
Business Development Manager
A former teacher, Jay earned a Masters degree in Educational Administration. He has worked primarily in the association space since 2002 and has held positions with responsibilities for business development, account management, communications, and partnerships with Wells Fargo, ISG Solutions, Personify, and Results Direct.