Sara Downing, CPSM
Since 2009
Active
SMPS Charlotte member
AEC marketing professional
Sara brings exceptional corporate marketing leadership and strategic business development expertise to construction management, currently serving as Senior Director of Corporate Marketing at Clancy & Theys Construction Company, a 70+ year family-owned general contractor with offices throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida. In this executive role, she leads corporate marketing strategy, brand management, and business development initiatives across multiple markets and regional offices.
Her comprehensive expertise spans strategic planning, business development, proposal management, market research, client relationship cultivation, and team leadership with over 22 years of experience building relationships throughout the Greater Charlotte region since 2003. Sara specializes in positioning firms for emerging opportunities, pursuing targeted clients and projects, and fostering strategic relationships with architects, engineers, and developers.
Currently pursuing her MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School (2023-2025) to complement her BA in Corporate Communications from Elon University, Sara excels at aligning marketing campaigns with business objectives while managing multiple pursuits in deadline-driven environments. Her market intelligence and relationship-building expertise serve commercial, education, healthcare, institutional, and municipal sectors throughout the Carolinas and Mid-Atlantic region.
Sara demonstrates extraordinary professional leadership through both her CPSM certification (earned 2009) and her prestigious FSMPS designation, representing the highest level of achievement in AEC marketing. As a Fellow of SMPS, she has been recognized for sustained excellence and exceptional contributions to advancing the professional services marketing profession through transformative chapter leadership, regional conference governance, and national committee service spanning over two decades.
Her most significant leadership achievement came through her service as SMPS Charlotte Chapter President in 2012, where she provided strategic direction and fostered the collaborative, inclusive culture that continues to characterize the chapter today. Her presidential leadership established programming priorities focused on education, networking, and professional development that positioned SMPS Charlotte as one of the most active and engaged chapters in the Southeast region.
Beyond her presidential term, Sara’s regional leadership includes serving as SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference (SERC) Co-Chair and Chair of the SERC Advisory Board, where she shaped conference programming, selected speakers, and created educational content serving hundreds of AEC marketing professionals across multiple states. These regional governance roles demonstrate her ability to lead transformative initiatives beyond local chapter boundaries.
At the national level, Sara has contributed through sustained service on the SMPS CPSM Committee, where she advanced professional certification standards, supported exam development, and mentored aspiring CPSMs through the certification process. Her commitment to professional development extends to conference speaking engagements including the presentation “Making Moves: Marketing to Business Development” at SMPS SERC, where she shared insights on career transitions and relationship-focused business development strategies.
Sara’s thought leadership extends through published articles including “Request It! Writing RFQ/RFP’s to get the responses you want,” “Making Moves: Marketing to Business Development,” “BD: Don’t Call it Sales,” and “The Big Take Aways”—each offering practical frameworks for AEC professionals to improve proposal success and business development effectiveness.
Her community leadership demonstrates profound impact beyond SMPS. Sara was honored as one of the 2020 50 Most Influential Women in Mecklenburg County by The Mecklenburg Times, recognized for professional accomplishments and community involvement. She is nominee for the Charlotte ATHENA Leadership Award – Young Professional category, serves on the Construction Professionals Network (CPN) Board, chairs the ULI NEXT committee (Urban Land Institute’s emerging professionals group), chairs the ABC Carolinas Explorers Club, and serves on the Charlotte ToolBank Board. Additional community engagement includes Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and Caring Threads Cancer Ministry.
Sara also received the SMPS Charlotte Chapter Workforce Development Champion award, the Kurt Ryback Memorial Service Award, and Leadership in Action Honoree recognition—validating her sustained commitment to developing future AEC professionals and strengthening the Charlotte business community.
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