On October 12, Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood will lead the session, “The CEO’s Role in the Contemporary Landscape of Association Leadership,” at the ASAE CEO Issues Forum.

We’re very pleased to announce that Nicole Wallace, MBA, has been named executive director for the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF).

We’re pleased to announce that AMC has been selected as the new management partner for the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation (RNRF). We began providing management services to RNRF on August 14, 2023.

A few weeks ago, AMC celebrated its fourth annual DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) Week.

Association Governance experts Mark Engle, DM CAE FASAE, and Debbie Trueblood, MSW IOM CAE FASAE, will provide hands-on guidance and real-world insights on effective governance and how to optimize the board-staff governance team as they lead the workshop “Exceptional Boards: Strengthening the Governance Team” October 2-3, 2023.

We’re happy to announce that Julie Nemmer, CPA, has been promoted to vice president of accounting and financial services.

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

Mark Engle and Wendy-Jo Toyama—AMC leaders in governance, strategic leadership, and DEI—have been selected to speak at the ASAE Annual Meeting, August 5-8.

Many organizations have a structured onboarding program for new board members. But, significantly fewer have an effective program for transitioning leaders off of the board.

We are pleased to announce that we’ve expanded our Client Success Team to include 3 executives from within AMC who have been promoted to Vice President of Client Success.

For associations to thrive, they need to demonstrate ethical leadership within their respective industries. But, what does it mean to be an ethical leader in 2023?

On June 6, Vice President of Strategic Events and Industry Relations Collen Bagnasco and Director of Strategic Events Stephanie Dylkiewicz will lead an interactive session on the future of conferences and events at the AMC’s Engaged Conference hosted by the AMC Institute.

Boards of directors face many challenges that compete for their time and strategic focus.

On May 24, AMC Vice President of Client Relations Dave Bergeson will lead a session on best practices for leveraging hybrid board meetings.

On May 3, Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood will lead the session, “The CEO’s Role in the Contemporary Landscape of Association Leadership,” at the ASAE CEO Issues Forum.

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 May 8-9.

Selecting the ideal location for your conference or event can be difficult, but in recent years social justice, equality, and political issues have emerged that have made the decision even more challenging.

On April 19, Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood will present the session “Post Pandemic Society Strategy & Management” at the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) Spring Meeting.

AMC Senior Consultant Debbie Trueblood is leading a webinar series on Courageous Ethical Leadership in Associations April 17-19.

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).