Membership marketing directors of private clubs are first and foremost responsible for the matriculation of new members and for the retention of current members in good standing. As the communication center of the club, it is crucial for the membership director to establish relationships with members that lay the groundwork for the referral of new members.

As the go-to person most members turn to, the membership director must be knowledgeable of the history, policies, activities, and culture of the club. In addition, the director must stay informed of the private club industry as a whole. To assist in this process, an organization was created as a forum for membership directors.

In April of 1990, founder Linda Stageberg was hired by North Oaks Country Club as the first full-time membership director for a private country club in the state of Minnesota. Up until that time, marketing and membership sales had been a behind-the-scenes effort for most clubs, as they preferred that the need for members was not known to the outside world. Other clubs began hiring membership directors and inquiring about membership marketing.

The Upper Midwest Membership Directors Association (UMMDA) began as a small group of membership directors from private clubs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. In 1994, Linda invited area membership directors to a coffee break to discuss responsibilities and answer questions about the position. The meeting proved to be a huge success and a valuable source of information. The group decided to meet on a monthly basis at 2:00 pm at various clubs September through June. Linda served as the chairperson until 1998. That same year, Betty Muckle assumed the position of Treasurer, which she held until 2005.