Prepared for the Private Directors Association
in response to the RFP issued October 21, 2026
Dear Ms. Aldworth and the PDA selection committee,
Thank you for the opportunity to propose on PDA's Three-Year Membership Growth Strategy. Your Board has set a bold goal, 50% growth from 3,500 members, and asked for a plan staff can actually run. That is exactly the work I have done for two decades.
At a global trade association, I helped grow membership from 4,000 to more than 10,000, raised retention from the mid-70% range to over 90%, and led a network of regional programs across Latin America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA that works much like a chapter system. I did it with lean teams and tight budgets, which is why my recommendations start with what you can do with the people and tools you already have.
Tejido Advisory is principal-led: you work directly with me from kickoff to the Board presentation, with no hand-off to junior staff. My proposal is built around PDA's priorities: a cost-efficient diagnostic, right-sized research, honest growth scenarios, and a 2027 operating plan you can start using in the first weeks of the engagement, not at the end of it.
I would welcome the chance to discuss it at the November 16 finalist interviews.
PDA needs a three-year growth plan that is ambitious enough for the Board and realistic enough for a lean staff to carry out. The numbers in the RFP frame the challenge.
| Target | Members | What it implies |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 3,500 | Baseline |
| 2027 goal (27%, set at the Annual Conference) | ~4,445 | ~945 net new members in year one |
| Board aspiration (50% over three years) | ~5,250 | ~14.5% net growth every year for three years |
The 50% goal is reachable on paper if growth is spread evenly. The 27% first-year goal is much steeper, and it lands while staff are still settling into a new AMS. Retention is the fastest and cheapest lever: every member PDA keeps is one it does not have to replace. Our plan treats retention as the foundation and acquisition as the accelerator.
Growth depends on what chapters can replicate, not on national campaigns alone.
PDA has upgraded its AMS and started lifecycle communications. We build on that work, not start over.
Recommendations work with today's team, and any investment ties clearly to multi-year results.
We deliver the full strategy January through mid-April 2027. Because 2027 is already underway when we start, PDA gets fast-start retention actions in Week 4 instead of waiting for the final report.
The new AMS holds the answers to most retention and acquisition questions. We analyze it before spending a dollar on outside research.
We assess the onboarding, retention and lifecycle communications staff have already started, and recommend focused fixes.
The strategy names the few moves most likely to change membership, ranked by impact, cost, effort and feasibility.
Every recommendation is tagged: doable now, doable with light help, or requiring targeted investment.
Right-sized research that answers PDA's questions without a large survey budget:
We build a simple, transparent model that works from the drivers that actually move membership, by member type and by chapter.
Dates assume a January 6, 2027 kickoff and shift with it. We are glad to compress the schedule if PDA wants the strategy before its spring Board meeting.
| Week | Deliverable | What PDA gets |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2027 Fast-Start Retention Actions (added) | 5–7 immediate retention and renewal fixes staff can run in Q1 |
| 5 | Membership Diagnostic | Where PDA wins and loses members today, by type, chapter and join source |
| 8 | Member/Market Research Summary | Survey, interview and roundtable findings: what members value and why they leave |
| 9 | Three-Year Growth Scenarios | Baseline, enhanced and aspirational trajectories, plus the working model |
| 12 | Three-Year Membership Growth Strategy & Roadmap | Prioritized acquisition, retention, chapter and positioning strategies, year by year |
| 12 | 2027 Operating Plan | First-year priorities by quarter, with owners and the tools to run them |
| 12 | Resource & Investment Implications | What today's team can do, and where targeted investment pays off |
| 12 | Membership KPI Framework | A short dashboard of leading and lagging measures, with targets |
| 13–14 | Board presentation & staff working session | Final review with the Board and a hands-on planning session with staff |
Tejido Advisory helps associations and growing companies turn stalled growth into systems that scale. Founded in 2020 by Rocio (Rosie) Rangel, the firm brings hands-on association leadership, from the front desk to Chief Operating Officer, to every engagement.
Grew a global trade association's membership in a shrinking core market, across 130+ countries.
Raised renewals from the mid-70% range through better processes, engagement and one unified strategy.
Led membership, education and partnerships across Latin America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA.
Led the move to Salesforce, with cleaner data and automated lifecycle communications.
Built a merged program with no business model into $5M+ in annual revenue within two years.
ASAE Best Marketing Campaign; PR Daily Nonprofit PR Award for Best Membership/Recruiting Campaign.
Also served as Executive Director of the Association Executives Council at the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, setting strategic priorities and running member-value programs for trade association CEOs.
Former COO of a global trade association with 10,000+ members. Helped scale that organization from about 20 to more than 110 employees, built its operations department and led membership, technology, regional growth and learning. Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, ASAE University certificate in association management, bilingual English/Spanish. Rosie leads every phase personally.
We keep PDA's time commitment light because your team is already stretched.
| Who | What we need | When |
|---|---|---|
| Director of Membership (project lead) | 30-minute weekly check-in; review drafts | Weeks 1–14 |
| Membership / AMS staff | Export of join, renewal and lapse data (last five years); walkthrough of current lifecycle communications | Weeks 1–2 |
| President & CEO | 60-minute kickoff interview; review of scenarios and strategy | Weeks 1, 9, 12 |
| Chapter leaders | Introductions and invitations to two 60-minute roundtables | Weeks 3–6 |
| Communications | Send the survey and two reminders using PDA's email tools | Weeks 4–6 |
| Board of Directors | Mid-point scenario review and final presentation | Weeks 9, 13 |
As the RFP requests, consulting fees, research costs and optional implementation support are listed separately, and PDA can choose a streamlined option.
| Item | Includes | Fee |
|---|
Optional implementation support: monthly advisory after hand-off, at $2,500 per month for 3–6 months, covering priority check-ins, campaign reviews and KPI tracking.
No travel costs are expected; all work is virtual. If PDA wants an in-person Board presentation, travel is billed at cost with prior approval.
| Reference | Relationship |
|---|---|
| John Barrett Chairman Emeritus, ISSA – The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association | Former CEO during Rosie's tenure; can speak to membership growth, retention and operations leadership |
| Jay Founder & Owner, CoreEdge Solutions | Tejido Advisory client: brand identity, website repositioning, SEO and outreach strategy |
Contact information available upon request.
I look forward to discussing this proposal at the November 16 finalist interviews.