Little did we think when we started our blog in 2015 that 8 years later we’d have published more than 242 posts written by thought leaders from nearly every corner of AMC. If you’ve been following our blog for a while, one thing you may have noticed is that the majority of our thought leader contributors are women.

This year—in honor of Women’s History Month—we’ve compiled a list of the 25 blog posts by women thought leaders that resonated the most. If you’re looking for insights on association management; conferences and events; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); governance; marketing and membership; and professional development, check out these posts.

 “We have had great experiences with our past presidents. The expectations of what happens after service on the board is well understood and most past presidents don't get involved or try to influence after they have served.” — CEO of a large professional society

“I just don’t understand it. I would expect that of all people, our past presidents, who worked so hard, and gave so much, would be invested and supportive of moving the association forward. Instead, they are being obstructive, feel entitled, and are a source of constant headaches.” — CEO of a large professional society

These are actual quotes from real association executives, speaking on their very different experiences with the past presidents* of their association or society.

An association has been in the news in recent weeks, and not in the way that an association (or any organization) wants to be in the news. This association is an example of when bylaws, policies, procedures, traditions, and culture are not thoughtfully aligned.

Association Governance Experts Mark Engle and Debbie Trueblood will give real-world insights on effective governance and how to optimize boards when they present the workshop “Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team” March 20-21, 2023.

On February 16, AMC Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood will co-present Associations 101, a day-long session that provides the foundational knowledge needed for navigating and thriving in an association staff role.

Producing an annual conference for thousands of members of a national healthcare organization is no small feat. Fortunately, AMC has this down to an art. 

AMC CEO Steve Smith, MS CAE FAAMSE, will share insights on best practices for navigating the external executive director management model at the upcoming AMC Institute Annual Meeting on January 27.

Association Governance Expert Mark Engle, DM CAE FASAE, will give real-world insights on effective governance and how to optimize boards when he co-leads the workshop “Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team” with Mary Byers January 23-24.

We’re pleased to announce that AMC has been selected as the new management partner for the Cord Blood Association (CBA). We began providing management services to CBA on January 1, 2023.

It is with the utmost sadness that we announce co-founder and former president, Dagny Engle, passed away on January 2, 2023.

It is with deep sadness we share that Association Management Center (AMC) co-founder and first President, Art Engle, passed away on November 19, 2022.

On December 1, AMC Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood will represent AMC thought leadership at Association Forum’s Holiday Showcase when she presents the session Leading with Ethics and Creating an Ethical Environment.

You’re committed to increasing understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within your organization and want to plan a week of events that celebrate and educate, but where do you start? What type of events should you include?

Why Data Analytics?

Data helps associations better understand their members. We can use data to find efficiencies, lower expenses, validate trends, communicate effectively, and drive innovation.

On September 27, AMC CEO Steve Smith and DEI & Membership Engagement Manager Linda Sterling will lead a session at Association Forum’s Summit on Welcoming Environment on how to be a more effective and authentic ally to BIPOC (Black, indigenous, and people of color) colleagues, association members, and board volunteers.

We’re thrilled to be recognized for the second year in a row with a Diversity in Business Award from the Daily Herald.

Association governance change is fraught with the wall of membership or House of Delegates (HOD) approval. A task force spends months working on a strategic governance issue, researching solutions, gathering data, and reviewing leading practices before presenting their recommendations to the board.  After a healthy discussion, the board approves the recommendations. In some cases, the board can then amend the bylaws and staff are then able to implement the change in their procedures.

We’re excited to announce that Zinat Ali and Katherine Ast have been named as co-leads of AMC’s DEI Advisory Group. Formed in 2019, the DEI Advisory Group was created to expand opportunities for education, dialogue, and understanding about diverse experiences and perspectives within our workplace.

We’re pleased to announce that Matt Croll of Vector CFO will be working with us as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) consultant.

AMC CEO Steve Smith will share insights on how to be a more effective ally and advocate to BIPOC colleagues, leaders, and members who face obstacles, injustice, and racism daily at the AAMSE Annual Conference on July 28. Co-presenting the session “Conversations in DEI: Allyship and Advocacy," Steve will draw on his experience as past chair of Association Forum's Welcoming Environments Committee and executive leader of AMC’s DEI Advisory Group to highlight ways to be a more present, visible, and committed ally in professional medical societies, workplaces, and communities. 

Five AMC leaders in governance, board development, and DEI will be sharing their expertise this August at the ASAE Annual Meeting, August 20-23, 2022.

How many times have you heard an association executive say that they are having trouble finding volunteers for leadership positions?

Senior leaders Wendy-Jo Toyama and Han Zetterstrom will be sharing their expertise on data-based decision-making for associations and boards at the AMCI AMC’s Engaged Conference on July 20.

AMC leaders in ethics, board-staff partnerships, and governance will be sharing their expertise this July at the ACCESSE22 Leadership Conference. Hosted by the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE), ACCESSE22 is a 3-day conference that combines leadership development, peer-to-peer connections, and expertise in managing science, technology, engineering, and math societies.

Balancing a mission-driven board while ensuring financial sustainability for the association can be a challenge during the best of economic times. But add in a pandemic and ever-increasing inflation, and it can seem like an insurmountable uphill climb.

We’re proud to congratulate Amy Sherwood, CAE, AMC executive director, for being selected as the recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Leaders Award by Association Forum.

Wendy-Jo Toyama, CEO and executive director of AAHPM, and Debbie Trueblood, senior consultant, have been selected as the keynote speakers for this year’s Forum Forward in June. In their session titled Institutionalizing Inclusion and Operationalizing DEI as a Value, Wendy and Debbie will share strategies for how associations can budget for DEI, incorporate it into their strategic plans, and implement DEI practices in their organizations.

Like many relationships in life, the board-staff relationship can be really great, with the board and staff working as a cohesive and collaborative team. Or, they can be more challenged, potentially leading to feelings of distrust and disillusionment and suboptimal performance.

We are delighted to announce that Debbie Trueblood, MSW IOM CAE FASAE—senior consultant at AMC—is being recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives (FASAE). 

Many associations have recently begun their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) journeys, or double downed on their DEI efforts in significant ways. This has been a long time coming and is an important evolution of the value associations bring to our industries and professional communities.

We are very pleased to announce that Susan Farrell Stock, MPS, has returned to AMC in a new role as  Chief Operating Officer (COO).

We’re excited to announce that Carol Pape, CAE, has been hired as an executive director and will serve two of our client partners: the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) and the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS).

We’re proud to announce that we have been awarded a 2022 Presidential Citation from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).

Here we go again. As associations plan their conferences for 2022, many are experiencing 2020 COVID déjà vu.

Move forward with an in-person format? Switch to virtual as positive case counts tick up? What will the COVID landscape be like when the conference actually kicks off months from now? The uncertainty abounds.

This past week AMC celebrated our second annual diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) week. Though DEI is a focus all year long, DEI Week gives us the chance to participate in multiple events each day to celebrate what makes us all unique, take a deeper dive into learning about DEI and fostering an inclusive culture, and step away from our day to day to have some fun.

We’re thrilled that AMC marketing staff enabled two of our association partners to win Gold Awards in the 2021 Association Trends Trendy Awards!

We are very pleased to  announce that Hans Zetterstrom will join AMC in the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO) on December 1, 2021.

Colin Powell, a retired four-star general, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the first Black U.S. Secretary of State, died earlier last week at the age of 84, leaving an important legacy of leadership.

We’re excited to announce that Lauren Krauth and Michelle Whitworth have been selected as Forty Under 40 honorees by Connect Association and Association Forum, respectively.

We’re pleased to announce that AMC has been selected as the new management partner for the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP). We began providing management services to ACVP on October 1, 2021.

Since March of 2020, association board leaders have been confronted with leadership challenges that few could have anticipated when elected to serve in volunteer positions. From conference cancellations, member distress, and financial uncertainty, to virtual meetings, burnout, and even grief, association boards and staff have to lead differently.

We’re excited to announce we have earned re-accreditation by the AMC Institute, the global trade association representing the association management industry.

It happened again. I was participating in a board of directors’ meeting and directors were discussing a critical issue. Discussion was flowing. Directors were offering good ideas, observations, and opinions, and suddenly everything stopped. This board was trying to run their board meeting using Robert’s Rules of Order, and one of the directors had just made not one, but two motions, one of which he explained “...was a main motion and the other one a subsidiary motion.” 

We’re pleased to announce that Allison Lundberg, CAE—who serves as the manager of marketing and communications for our client partner the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine—has been elected to the board of the American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE) in the role of director. She will serve on the board in that role until 2024.

We’re proud to congratulate Wendy-Jo Toyama, MBA CAE FASAE, on being recognized as a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives (FASAE). Wendy is a member of AMC’s executive team and serves as the CEO of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (AAHPM).

We're excited to announce we've been recognized with a Diversity in Business Award by the Daily Herald Business Ledger.

To succeed, associations depend on good governance practices and association staff are critical to implementing and promoting them. Drawing on its rich history of establishing frameworks in which boards of directors are able to function at a high level, AMC has developed Governance Essentials, a half-day workshop that provides  core governance practices with a focus on the "nuts and bolts" of good governance.  

Two AMC DEI, association leadership, and membership experts will be sharing their expertise at the  American Association of Medical Society Executives (AAMSE) Annual Meeting this week.

Excellent editorial work is invisible to readers, but errors are not

I often joke that to be an editor is to have an invisible profession—after all, the editor’s role is only apparent to everyone else when it is done poorly.

Join AMC Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood, MSW IOM CAE, on July 15 at 1 pm CDT for a session on Association Ethics Best Practices: Handling Difficult Conversations with Members.