Nationally recognized association executive Robert C. Fernley, 85, died May 8. Fernley was Chairman of the Board from 1962 to 1988 of Fernley &Fernley, a fifth-generation association management firm now run by G.A. Taylor Fernley.
The firm was started by T. James Fernley, a hardware wholesaler, in Philadelphia. T. James’son, Thomas A. Fernley Sr., joined his father when, in 1909, a number of other national associations approached them to serve as their organizations’management team. Fernley &Fernley manages several distribution associations, including the Industrial Supply Association and the Gases and Welding Distributors Association. The Association Management Company Institute presented Fernley with its Distinguished Service Award in 2004.
Fernley was active in …
