Happy New Year from AMCI's 2021 Board Chair, Erin Fuller FASAE, CAE, MPA

“Happy New Year!” is a phrase that I am sure we have each uttered countless times throughout our lives, but have never truly felt the passion and relief behind those words like we have in the past few weeks.

Like many of you, I enter this new year hopeful, fatigued, concerned, and focused on continued growth, both for my own company and across our entire industry. I appreciate the confidence you have placed in me, during these challenging times, to serve as the chair of the AMC Institute in 2021.

There is no question that we all learned what does and does not hold value in 2020. For me, my collection of shoes, dresses, bags, and travel-sized items all grew neglected and dusty. Meanwhile, I have never appreciated my fire pit, upgraded wifi, leggings with pockets, and home office more. Some things that I valued prior to the pandemic became that much more precious: time with my sons, the walking path at our nearby park (which my younger son and I walked more than 100 times in 2020 alone), and of course, my Netflix subscription.

There is no question that the value that I placed on MCI’s AMCI membership increased last year. From the minute-by-minute updates on Cares Act legislation that impacts many of our companies to showcasing just-in-time acts of innovation performed for our clients to the regular happy hours and engagement lounges, I was so grateful to have such a strong, supportive community. Even more exciting was to see how each of us were able to share the importance of the AMC Institute with our colleagues. And a global pandemic didn’t seem to impact some incredible leaders within our organization, from the virtual AMCs Engaged! to the dynamos who are engaged with our new Emerging Leaders group, including the new mentorship service.

It is a challenging time for all of us. Existing clients are making hard decisions, often at our expense, due to the uncertainty of their business model. New clients can make our due diligence processes challenging – how can we compare past results with a new reality? Our talents are working so incredibly hard, and have learned more new skills over the past ten months than possibly over the past ten years.

But it is an important time for the AMC model as well. Associations have been shaken by the need to rely on products beyond the traditional annual meeting. Whenever an organization recognizes that its business model, staff skillset, and existing resources may no longer fit the current market, it is an incredible opportunity to showcase all that AMCs can deliver.

In 2021 I will celebrate my 19th year with MCI USA. I will also celebrate my 50th birthday, hopefully with many of you in person in Orlando. (Fingers crossed.) I believe the best is yet to come – for me and my family, for our company, and for our community of entrepreneurs. I look forward to working with, representing, and learning from each of you over the next year, and appreciate the opportunity to represent our amazing industry.

Get to know Erin Fuller

Erin is the President of Association Solutions at MCI USA. Erin got her start in Association Management in 2002 when she brought in to be the CEO for a client of the then-Association Management Bureau. In 2006, she launched the consulting practice for renamed Coulter and was made president in 2009. In 2015 Coulter merged with MCI Group. 

Erin currently oversees the DC and Chicago offices, with more than 150 talents focused on association management, consulting, and creative services. MCI USA has 300 talents across six offices in the US, and 2000 across 61 global offices.

Erin resides in Arlington, VA with two sons, Aidan and Colin, almost 16 and 13 respectively. She spends a lot of time watching them throw and kick balls around fields, discussing politics, and binge-watching shows. Pre-COVID, she spent about 25% of her time in Chicago, working out of MCI’s office there and spending time with her Chicago-based significant other. Her hobbies include a lot of reading, board games, and obsessive Peloton exercise. 'I was born to quarantine, with those hobbies,' says, Erin.

Erin got her CAE in 2002 and was named a Fellow of ASAE in 2011. She teaches a graduate class at American University’s School of Public Affairs titled, “Nonprofit Management in Times of Crisis” which was remarkably easy to teach in 2020. Erin is a former president of the AU Alumni Association (Go Eagles!) and also is on the founding board of The Clothesline for Arlington Kids, which provides low-income families with wardrobes for school-aged children.

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