The Principals

Jeffrey Arnold, MAM, CAE
President

Jeff Arnold brings a combination of association experience and formal education to Leading Associations. His present responsibilities include dealing with both the strategic and tactical aspects of running associations. His special areas of expertise include working with boards and committees, certification, training programs, and membership systems.

In addition to his role as President of Leading Associations, Jeff serves as Executive Director for two clients, the North American Transportation Management Institute (NATMI), and The Sales Association.

NATMI is an international professional association of trucking industry management professionals. In December 2000, Jeff decided to return to his native Colorado and NATMI’s parent organization, the American Trucking Associations (ATA), did not want to lose his expertise. So, ATA contracted with Jeff to move NATMI from Alexandria, Virginia to Denver. Jeff started Leading Associations to support these efforts. Although the parent organization of NATMI changed to the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) in 2001, that association has continued a contractual relationship with Leading Associations to the present. Leading Associations is responsible for the entirety of NATMI’s operations.

Under Jeff’s leadership, NATMI’s professional certification program has grown 400% since 2000 and is certifying more individuals annually than it has since the organization’s founding in 1944. Membership has grown steadily at a rate of approximately 10-20% per year since Leading Associations assumed management. In recent years, NATMI training program attendance and scope has increased, including both new content and expansion of training into four Canadian provinces.

In 2008 Jeff, his business partner Rob Spangler, and Troy Davis co-founded The Sales Association, a national association for sales and business development professionals. The sales association began with the establishment of a successful Colorado Chapter, and expanded to offer programs in eight more major metro areas. More than 16,000 sales professionals participate in the organization.

Previous to Leading Associations, Jeff worked for the American Trucking Associations, Theta Xi Fraternity National Headquarters, the National Society of Fund Raising Executives (now the Association of Fundraising Professionals), and the Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area Council. 

Jeff earned a Masters in Association Management (MAM) from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and a Bachelors of Science in journalism from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  He also holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). He is past President of the Colorado Society of Association Executives (CSAE), and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives. He was elected to the “Young and Aspiring Association Executive” class of 1999 by Association Trends Magazine. Jeff also served on the national Board of Directors for the Theta Xi Fraternity and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI).

Robert D. Spangler, MPA
Chief Operating Officer

Rob Spangler offers Leading Associations clients a combination of nonprofit and for-profit organizational management experience as well as formal education. Rob's areas of expertise are organizational strategic planning, financial management, member services/recruitment, public/media relations, publications, event management and volunteer management.

Under Rob's leadership, the Colorado Human Resource Association has achieved tremendous gains since retaining Leading Associations for their management company in July 2003. Rob has helped CHRA achieve increases in member retention, member satisfaction, event participation and association image. The quality of events is markedly improved. CHRA's increased revenue is accompanied by sound cost controls. Member service, image management, quality programming and striving for excellence are keys to Leading Associations' success with CHRA. There is a new enthusiasm within the association.

Previous to CHRA, Rob served as the Director of Member Services for Leading Associations' first client, NATMI. He redesigned all publications to better meet membership needs and to enhance organizational image. He headed up an extensive curriculum and exam upgrade, and designed and initiated an innovative nationwide partnership marketing and sales program.

In 2008 Rob, Jeff Arnold and Troy Davis co-founded The Sales Association, a national association for sales and business development professionals. The sales association began with the establishment of a successful Colorado Chapter, and expanded to offer programs in eight more major metro areas. More than 16,000 sales professionals participate in the organization.

Over the years, Rob worked for the Adult Learning Source, Community College of Denver and Center for the New West. He has worked extensively with boards of directors, planned high-profile events and served as spokesperson for print, radio and television, as well as directed a public affairs television show on PBS-KBDI channel 12.

Rob earned a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver and two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Fort Lewis College. He is involved with the Colorado Society of Association Executives, American Society of Public Administration and previously with Directors of Volunteers in Agencies (DOVIA), and the Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations (CANPO). He remains is an active volunteer in the Denver community. Rob served as treasurer for his homeowners association, overseeing investments and an annual budget, which combined totaled more than one million dollars annually.