Key Personnel

KSG has an extremely high rate of employee retention, providing our clients with consistent staff teams, especially at the Executive level. We're proud of our 100% retention rate for Executive/Management level associates, and our nearly 90% retention rate for administrative-level staff members, throughout our 10+ years of client service.

Steve King, CAE Co-CEO Steven King has worked in association management and government relations for almost 30 years. He was awarded ASAE's Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1994 and has been recertified every three years since that time. In 2000, King formed King Stringfellow Group with his business partner, Fred Stringfellow, and has served as President of the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA) since that time. In addition, King represents PIDA on the Association Executives Council of the National Association of Wholesaler Distributors; is Past President of the Maryland Society of Association Executives; is past-chairman of the Association Education Alliance; and is Chairman of the Small Business Legislative Council.
Fred Stringfellow, CAE Co-CEO Fred Stringfellow started his career in association management almost 20 years ago. In 2000, Stringfellow joined with business partner Steve King to form King Stringfellow Group. Stringfellow currently serves as Executive Director of Web Sling and Tie Down Association (WSTDA), National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), and American Sports Builders Association (ASBA). Stringfellow was awarded ASAE's Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1998, and has been recertified every three years since that time. Stringfellow is a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management at the University of Delaware; is Past President of the Maryland Society of Association Executives; and is a past chair of the Association Management Section Council for the American Society of Association Executives. He is currently a Director for AMC Institute, and is Chairman of AMC Institute's Content and Delivery Task Force. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennis Industry Association.
Jackie King Association Executive Jackie King currently serves as Executive Director for the American Veterinary Distributors Association (AVDA) and the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART). King started her career in association management when she joined KSG in April 2002. Prior to joining KSG, King worked in law firms and law-related environments for over 15 years where she developed a strong customer service orientation, and keen management, information-gathering and organizational skills that are invaluable to association management. Her background as a practicing attorney also serves her associations well in recognizing and averting potential legal pitfalls. King is an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Maryland Society of Association Executives (MSAE), and is the current Chair of the Association Education Alliance.
Diane Schafer, CMP Association Executive After two years as Director of Meetings & Member Services for the Flexographic Pre-Press Platemakers Association, Diane Schafer recently assumed the role of Executive Director of the organization. Schafer also serves as Director of Meetings & Member Services for the National States Geographic Information Council, where she is responsible for all aspects of planning association meetings and conventions and member services, and Administrative Manager for the American Association of Obstetricians & Gynecologists Foundation Inc. Schafer earned the Certified Meeting Professional designation (CMP) from the Convention Industry Council (CIC). Throughout her fifteen years in the industry she has planned successful events in both domestic and international locales for clients across various disciplines through professional foresight and attention to detail. Shafter is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA); the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma; and has served on the Board of Directors for the PCMA Chesapeake Chapter.
Marci L. Hickey, CMP Association Executive Marci L. Hickey, CMP has over 10 years of association management and meeting planning experience. She serves as Executive Vice President for Souvenir Wholesale Distributor Association (SWDA); as Chapter Administrator for Fundraising Professionals-Maryland Chapter (AFP-MD), and as Director of Meetings and Member Services for the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). Hickey is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), as designated by the Convention Industry Council (CIC), since 2004, and recertified in 2009. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications, Summa Cum Laude from Towson University, Maryland; is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Maryland Society of Association Executives, and served on the Board of Directors for the PCMA Chesapeake Chapter as a Director, Treasurer and President.
Kaymie Thompson Owen, CMP Association Executive Kaymie Thompson Owen serves as Executive Director for Safety Equipment Distributors Association and as Associate Director for American Veterinary Distributors Association and Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association. Thompson Owen holds the Certified Meeting Professional designation (CMP) from the Convention Industry Council; is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association, the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Alumni, and Maryland Sigma Kappa Alumnae Chapter. She currently services as President for the PCMA Chesapeake Chapter Board of Directors. A well-versed association practitioner, Owen has experience in all aspects of event planning and membership management. She has 17 years of experience organizing educational seminars, charity events, trade shows, conferences and meetings within the U.S. as well as internationally.
Kathleen A. DeMarco Association Executive Kathleen (Kathy) DeMarco serves as Executive Director for Spill Control Association of America (SCAA), Generic Animal Drug Alliance (GADA), and DistraNet, and as Associate Director for Web Sling and & Tie Down Association (WSTDA). She has worked in association management for over 22 years, encompassing advancing roles in project and program management, strategic planning and implementation, budgeting and financial management, meeting and event logistics, and communications on behalf of client organizations, while holding corporate-level responsibilities for client development and retention. DeMarco earned a Certificate in Industrial Distribution from Indiana University/Purdue University-Indianapolis in 2008 as a means to deepen her knowledge in the industrial distribution industry and to better serve association clients based in that industry sector; she is an active Member of ASAE — The Center for Association Leadership (ASAE), and is currently pursuing Certification as an Association Executive. She has also served in leadership roles for the Association Education Alliance (AEA), the University of Industrial Distribution (UID) Steering Committee, and the Delaware Valley Society of Association Executives (DVSAE).
Cynthia Jordan Director of Meetings & Membership Services Cynthia Jordan serves as Director of Meetings and Membership Services for the American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) and Web Sling & Tie Down Association (WSTDA). Jordan handles all aspects for planning and coordinating ASBA's Technical Meeting and Winter Meeting; and WSTDA's Annual and Fall Meetings. She is responsible for administering two certification programs for ASBA: one for Certified Tennis Court Builders and one for Certified Track Builders. Jordan is a 2002 graduate of the Institutes for Organization Management; has served on the Board of Directors for the Maryland Society of Association Executives, and served in the US Navy from 1989-2002 on the US Hunley (AS-31).
Amy Chetelat, CAE Financial Director Amy Chetelat, CAE is experienced in both corporate accounting and association management, and is responsible for KSG's accounting and financial management, as well as the financial management of 16 trade and professional associations. In her role as KSG's Financial Director, Chetelat is responsible for all areas of accounting and financial management as well as information technology and building operations. Chetelat is supported by two staff members in KSG's Financial Department. Chetelat earned her Masters of Business Administration from University of Phoenix; received her Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives in 2003, and was recertified in 2005 and 2008; is a member of the Finance Section Committee of the American Society of Association Executives; is Immediate Past President of the Maryland Society of Association Executives.; is a member of the Institute for Managerial Accountants, and has passed both the SEC Series 7 and Series 63 licensing exams.
Barbara Signorelli, CPA Barb Signorelli is a Certified Public Accountant and part of the KSG Financial Management Team, working with KSG's Financial Director in performing the daily accounting operations and financial activities for KSG and its client associations. Barb has over 10 years of accounting experience. She was previously Assistant Controller for Key Operations managing the accounting for the bank credit card subsidiary and was also an accounting manager with MBNA Corporation preparing month end financial statements, reports and analyses for MBNA Bank and subsidiaries. In addition, Barb has served as a project leader/analyst with USF&G directing agency profit sharing and special accounting projects. She began her career as an auditor with Ernst & Young specializing in financial services, insurance and manufacturing.