Bob Bershad

About Bob Bershad

As a leader, I employ a team approach, current technology, and strategic thinking to advance organizational processes, communications, and revenue generation, often exceeding expectations. My leadership style is marked by empathy, accountability, collaboration, and decisiveness. Examples include:+ Achieved 104% of a bar association’s FY24 membership renewal budget goal and 99% of the FY25 $3,187,845 goal after identifying and resolving membership platform technology challenges that hindered organizational efficiency and threatened membership goal attainment.+ Led the implementation of a bar association’s first-time enterprise membership program with four leading government organizations, securing 950 memberships that generated $144,025 in revenue.+ Improved the predictability and reliability of a bar association’s 25 practice sections’ budget by developing and implementing a communications plan that resulted in the completion of the budgeting process before the beginning of the fiscal year, for the first time, which resulted in early board approval and effective program planning.My leadership style is distinguished by my ability to see the big picture while supporting my team with an understanding of the mechanics, details, and daily challenges of organizational operations. Developed over time from varied first-hand work experience, my leadership style is invaluable in setting realistic expectations for my direct reports’ job performance, in being an understanding and collaborative problem-solver, and in being a gracious spreader of credit for team success.In my spare time I enjoy swimming, weight training, intensive cardio, and non-competitive boxing. Other activities I enjoy are reading fiction and non-fiction, typically involving history, walking my dog, watching movies, spending time with friends, and volunteering to plant sidewalk trees in Philadelphia.If you would like to share best practices about organizational leadership, please contact me at b••••••••@gmail.com.

Experience

1. Director of Membership

   Maryland State Bar Association Msba

   May 2023 — Present · Baltimore, MD, US

   Promoted to lead a five-person team to develop and implement strategies that attract new members, retain existing members, and enhance programming for Maryland’s top Bar Association which serves members. Lead the implementation of IT infrastructure initiatives to improve efficiency, drive innovation, and optimize user experience.+ Emergent technological challenges of new association management platforms hindered organizational efficiency and threatened membership goal attainment. Developed a real-time, collaborative remediation process. Achieved 104% of the FY24 membership renewal budget goal and association is on pace to meet the FY25 $3,250,822 goal.+ Led the implementation of an first-time enterprise membership program with four leading government organizations in FY25, which depended on data management, customer service, and digital marketing. The result was securing 950 memberships that generated $144,025 in revenue.+ Improved the budgeting process of the 25 practice sections by standardizing the planning and costing process. Implemented a communication plan that set clear expectations and accountabilities. Completed the sections’ budgets prior to the fiscal year, for the first time, enabling early board approval and effective program planning.+ Instituted a more aggressive approach to connect existing association members with local law school students for in-person networking, relationship development, and expected long term membership growth.

Education

• Villanova University

  JD, Law

  1989 — 1992

• Boston University

  BA, English Literature

  1984 — 1988

Skills

• Newsletters
• Strategic Planning
• Articles
• Strategy
• Messaging
• Content Development
• Newsletter Production
• Microsoft Office
• Copywriting
• Journalism
• Strategic Partnerships
• Strategic Communications
• Public Relations
• Press Releases
• Proofreading
• Editing
• Publications
• Copy Editing
• Brand Management
• Powerpoint
• Publishing
• Message Development
• Social Media
• Writing
• Editorial
• Project Management
• Corporate Communications
• Marketing Communications