Testimonials
John Bozzella
President and CEO, Alliance for Automotive Innovation
“Alliance for Automotive Innovation represents the entire auto industry – manufacturers, suppliers, semiconductor and battery producers, and technology providers. The auto industry is the country’s largest manufacturing sector – supporting 10 million jobs coast-to-coast and five percent of GDP. It’s also a sector undergoing a 100-year transformation – grappling with the mega trends of electrification, automation and connectivity – unfolding in a high stakes policy environment. To prepare the association for the exciting but unpredictable future, we turned to Dan Varroney and Potomac Core to assess the association from top-to-bottom and help reimagine our role supporting the auto industry in the years ahead. Dan thoughtfully guided us through a six-month process ultimately producing a plan to expand the association’s core offerings and update its business model. Trade associations looking to build agenda setting organizations are in good hands with Dan and the Potomac Core team.”
Jim Viola
President & CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association, former President & CEO Vertical Aviation International
“As a new CEO, it was a great opportunity to meet Dan as soon as I took over at HAI. It helped a lot to get engaged in the Strategic Guidance Lab CEO group that he moderates. Once I evaluated the challenges of the Industry we serve, I wanted a meaningful Strategic Planning Process to help us more closely align with our members and a rapidly changing landscape. Dan and the Potomac Core team captured the key elements of his book “Remaining Industry Growth” and help us build even stronger Strategic Partnership with Vertical Aviation.”
Stephen Sears
Chief Executive Officer, EIFS Industry Members Association
“On the heels of a global pandemic that forced entire sectors of the economy to curtail economic activity in the name of health and safety, Potomac Core’s association consulting services proved to be extremely timely. Dan’s approach gives association members tangible yet out-of-the-box ways to enable an industry to move forward in an impactful way that benefits all parties throughout the value chain. Dan’s decades of experience in numerous industries also provide the breadth and depth of perspective that gives our members the confidence to know that this approach will work. For anyone who desires to develop and launch a plan that will advance an entire industry, I wholeheartedly recommend Dan Varroney and Potomac Core Association Consulting.”
Jeff Webb (U.S.N.A. ‘95)
President & CEO, U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation
“Dan Varroney was instrumental in the development of the Naval Academy Alumni Association’s Strategic Plan 2030. Dan quickly learned the culture and nuances of our organization, as well as the strengths and expertise of the planning committee that we assembled. He elegantly led us through his process and framework, while allowing for deviations from that framework when we came upon areas that needed special attention. Over the course of nine months, the plan ownership shifted from Dan, to the committee, and ultimately to us staff members who put the final details together. We are grateful for Dan’s commitment to our organization and thoroughly enjoyed working with him. He’s a true professional and a wonderful person!”
Audrey Copeland
President & CEO, National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)
“When I was appointed the President & CEO of the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) in 2019, the Board seized the opportunity to increase and align member and stakeholder engagement with the asphalt pavement industry’s challenges, priorities, and strategies. Dan Varroney and the Potomac Core team focused on our unique members and industry partners, deftly applying a process that enabled input and analysis across the association. As a result, we’ve implemented a modern governance structure designed to encourage engagement from members nationwide, as well as regionally and at the state level. Most notably, industry leaders, stakeholders, and partners have stepped up their engagement with NAPA and the asphalt pavement industry. Dan’s data-driven process continues to provide value, guiding our strategies to achieve outcomes for NAPA members and to advance our industry.”
Catharine Perry
Senior Vice President, The Fertilizer Institute, former Executive Director, American Dairy Science AssociationNAPA)
“The leading-edge research component was central to ADSA’s strategic planning process and what drew our organization to Potomac Core. Their market research approach combined with the technical skills of the research team made for an impactful set of data to build ADSA’s new strategic plan off of. Potomac Core was also a great cultural fit for both our executive team and our board. It was especially important for me to have a person that I could partner with in this process to advance the big picture goals of the organization while bringing clarity to operational and governance components as well. Because of Dan’s extensive experience in the association community, Dan has been a tremendous resource and colleague in that process. ADSA is now better positioned to be impactful for its members thanks to Dan and his team.”
Alison Bodor
President & CEO, American Frozen Food Institute
“Conducting strategic planning in the middle of a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, and an election year was challenging. We needed a fresh approach to determine how the Association could evolve into a valuable strategic resource in new areas affecting the business of frozen food in addition to our core strengths of advocacy and food safety. Dan Varroney and his Team at Potomac Core – Association Consulting did an impressive job implementing a thorough, iterative, and data driven planning process. Their energetic, collaborative, and results driven approach was highly effective, and it energized our Board and staff. Our new strategic plan reflects Industry challenges and outcomes, and now AFFI is even better positioned to deliver long term strategic solutions for our members.”
Marc Cadin
Chief Executive Officer, Finseca
“Merging two Associations in any environment is challenging. To do it during a pandemic and related economic collapse, amidst societal unrest, during a particularly challenging election year, presented numerous challenges. To leverage our new organization, Finseca worked with Dan Varroney of Potomac Core – Association Consulting. Their robust and engaging process helped us develop a strategic plan that focuses on how we can help our members achieve their business outcomes in any environment. Dan did an outstanding job helping to reorient our thinking away from the traditional internally focused strategic plan to an outside in strategic plan. Our Board and the staff team are energized and ready to implement the new plan.“
David Holt
President, Consumer Energy Alliance
“Many thanks to Dan Varroney and the team at Potomac Core for their detailed and diligent research, and strategic guidance helping Consumer Energy Alliance chart a path for our future communications, member engagement, and market strategies. The Potomac Core process helped bring the diverse CEA membership together, offered the CEA Board strong and creative recommendations, and it energized the organization.”
Thom Dammrich
President (retired), National Marine Manufacturers Association
“Potomac Core’s research capabilities were very impressive and insightful. The Board Task Force and Our Senior Leadership team spent eight months digesting a 100-page report from the research, looking at alternatives and settling on a final plan. Dan and his team delivered a unique and insightful Strategic Industry Planning Process and we highly recommend it to any Association.”
Robb MacKie
Former President & CEO, American Bakers Association (January 2006 – December 2022)
“Way beyond due to write up a strong recommendation for Dan and his team at Potomac Core. ABA was looking for someone who would work with our board to transform our organization. We needed to move from reactive and staff focused to proactive and aligned with our members’ business outcomes. Dan and Potomac Core spent a year working from the outside in and from a data driven process instead of what we thought we knew. We are still transforming ourselves, but have made significant progress.“
James Wilkinson
Former CEO, American College Health Association
“Dan and his team at Potomac Core team led our Board of Directors into a data-driven strategic planning process. The deep insights we were able to gain through our member survey, combined with the analytics of Dan and his team, delivered a top-notch strategic plan with 3 year implementation roadmap. Our direction and decisions were validated through member data and board feedback, and our association’s message and plan constantly refined and honed as the plan neared finalization. Now we are poised to deliver greater member value than ever before. The staff, the Board and the members are all excited – it’s full speed ahead now for ACHA!“
David J. Bonaparte
President & CEO, Jewelers of America
“Potomac Core did an excellent job helping the senior management team of Jewelers of America conduct extensive research to uncover the “Up at Night” issues that retail jewelers and suppliers experience on a day-to-day basis. Dan Varroney helped us identify actionable strategic initiatives that will allow Jewelers of America to help members improve their operating excellence. Dan’s style is engaging, thought provoking and his listening skills helped us begin development of a three-year roadmap that will achieve the Association goals by addressing our member’s needs.“
Joel Dandrea
Chief Executive Officer, Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association
“SC&RA engaged Potomac Core to facilitate our 2024 strategic planning process and found the initiative to be thoughtful, insightful, efficient, and very effective. The strategic planning committee recognized Dan Varroney’s practical experience in the trade association community, combined with his advocacy, communications, and membership engagement ideas to align well with the association’s forward-thinking agenda. Dan maintains a broad network of association contacts and remains actively engaged in a host of benchmarking exercises that help provide a solid basis for sound association management practices.”
Jeff Morgan, FASAE, CAE
Chief Executive Officer, Club Managers Association of America and former President & CEO, NIRI
“Dan and Potomac Core did an excellent job. They were well organized, and did their research on understanding our challenges. He was very engaging, created excitement, and energized our leaders.”
Kevin H. Brown, Esq., CAE
Former Senior Vice President, General Counsel, The Institutes and Executive Director, CPCU Society (NAPA)
“Our team highly values Dan and Potomac Core for the keen research and growth insights they provide. Their skill and determination to help us grow opened potential pathways we hadn’t previously considered.”
Corey Rosenbusch
President & CEO, The Fertilizer Institute (formerly President & CEO, Global Cold Chain Alliance)
“Potomac Core’s insights invigorated our team. The impact beyond driving revenue was shifting our mindset and strategic plan from an inward focus to an outward focus, with an intended impact on member’s business outcomes.”