Mission Statement

Association Business Solutions, Inc. (ABS) provides Association Management and Business Development solutions to help clients achieve greater success.

The ABS team uses best business practices based on respect, responsiveness and high ethical standards.

Leadership

Karla Pollack and Paula Hartman are the founders and principals.  ABS has demonstrated a proven track record with clients in the public and private sectors on a wide variety of association management and marketing projects.

ABS thrives on helping organizations succeed in their goals.  ABS assists clients in a number of ways, including:

• Newsletter production – ABS guides the project from concept, design and writing to print and mailing house or to email blast and follow-up tracking
• Media relations – ABS writes the initial Press Backgrounder telling your story, writes press releases, develops relationships with target media outlets and prepares press kits
• Website design – ABS provides the high-end functionality and professional look desired by clients; ABS manages the content development, site navigation and launch.
• Database management – ABS has created online databases providing multiple layers of access and integration into clients’ websites
• Membership development – ABS achieved net member growth of 30% for an international professional society over a two-year span
• Event management – ABS doubled annual conference attendance for a national convention.  ABS coordinates site planning through onsite support for meetings, seminars, conventions and receptions.
• Sponsorship solicitation – organizes sponsorship outreach and support, so critical to a program’s success.

Karla Pollack has a deep understanding of all aspects of Association Management. Prior to founding ABS, she served as Director of Member Services and Marketing Manager for a 21,000 Member Business Association. She brings solid marketing experience and creative approaches to recruitment and retention, event sponsorship and trade show coordination.

Whether working with Board Members, Executive Directors or Association Members, Karla's expertise in problem solving will bring the needed effectiveness to meet management goals.

Karla has served as a board member of the Trenton Rotary Foundation, the Trenton Rotary Club and as President in 2004/2005. She currently serves on the Trenton Club Board of Governors.  She also owned Varsity Liquors, a fine wine shop in Princeton, NJ for six years, adding another level to her business management experience.

Paula Hartman has 20 years of project management and project planning experience in both the public and private sectors.  Paula has demonstrated the ability to keep organizations focused on important outcomes.  She has also helped create new systems and approaches that have enabled organizations to act quickly and decisively.

Her experience with budget preparation ensures all initiatives support an organization’s mission and facilitates effective use of resources.

Paula is a member of the Legislative Committee for the AMC Institute, as well as the Technology Committee of the New Jersey Society of Association Executives (NJSAE).

Prior to founding ABS, she served as a member of the Executive Branch, providing project management services for the NJ Department of Labor. In that role, she worked on the first statewide business plan, a major reorganization of state agencies for the purpose of consolidating administration and other common business resources.

Prior to public service, Paula spent five years working at the state's top lobbying and association management group in Trenton, NJ. Her experience with Event Planning for major corporations, such as Bell Atlantic and the Marriott Corporation include coordinating all logistics from contract negotiations, budgets, media relations and marketing.

The ABS Team

Dr. Fred J. Abbate, Strategic Planning
Complete Bio

Catherine Campbell, Events and Sponsor Relations Manager
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Kim Eresia, Membership Development

Gudrun Frank, Web Designer, Internet Consultant

Heidi Gelentser, Office Manager

Jeanne Jespersen, Vice President
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Hal Levenson, CPA

Kim Moriak, Event Planner

April M. Sette, Project Manager
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Eric Szantai, Graphic Designer

Elizabeth (Libby) Vinson, Communications & Government Affairs
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Bob Welsh, Marketing, Finance, Managed Care Specialist

Barry Wise, IT/Database
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Sampling of clients ABS has helped:

• 200 Club of Mercer County, www.mercer200club.com
• Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, www.aath.org
• Allies, Inc., www.alliesnj.org
• Burlington Camden County Association of REALTORS®, www.bccar.us
• Hispanic Education Resource Alliance
• MantaCole, TheELawFirm.com, www.theelawfirm.com
• Mercer County Association of REALTORS®, www.mercerrealtors.com
• Mercer County Clerk’s Office, http://nj.gov/counties/mercer/officials/clerk/index.html
• Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, www.mercerchamber.org
• NJ Business and Industry Association (NJBIA), www.njbia.org
• New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, www.njhcqi.com
• New Jersey Retail Merchants Association, www.njrma.org
• New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, www.njsacop.org
• New Jersey Utilities Association, www.njua.org
• NEW JOBS, www.newjobspac.net
• SEPA SHRM, www.sepashrm.org
• The Cayemitte Group, www.cayemittegroup.com
• The Trenton Club, www.trentonclub.org
• Trenton Housing Authority, www.tha-nj.org
• U.S. Green Building Council - NJ Chapter (USGBC-NJ), http://chapters.usgbc.org/newjersey
• Women's Health and Counseling Center of Somerset, www.womenandhealth.org