AMCI Charges into Q2: Celebrating Our Members,

Growing Our Community, and Advancing the Industry

Tina Wehmeir, CMP-Fellow, CAE, President & CEO, AMC Institute

As we move into Q2 of 2026, the energy across the AMC Institute is unmistakable. April brought new members, new educational milestones, exciting event momentum, and perhaps most meaningfully, a new initiative to formally recognize the remarkable firms that make AMCI what it is. The 50 by 50 Strategic Plan continues to gather strength, and every step forward is a testament to the dedication of this community.

At its core, AMCI exists because of its members. AMCs are the backbone of the association world, delivering professional expertise, operational efficiency, and strategic vision to thousands of associations across the country and around the globe. Every day, AMC professionals show up for their clients by navigating governance challenges, designing impactful programs, stewarding finances, and ensuring that associations continue to serve their members and advance their missions. We are a mighty community doing greater good for the association industry every day.

And yet, many of these contributions go quietly uncelebrated.

That changes now. AMCI is proud to launch the ‘Member Excellence Spotlight’, a new quarterly feature designed to shine a well-deserved light on the AMC member firms that go above and beyond: not just for their association clients, but for the broader AMC community and the shared goals of AMCI’s 50 by 50 Strategic Plan.

What Is the Member Excellence Spotlight?

Each quarter, AMCI will select one member firm that has demonstrated exceptional engagement with AMCI and meaningful contributions to the AMC industry. Spotlighted firms will be recognized on AMCI’s LinkedIn channel and featured in Member Matters, giving your firm valuable visibility with peers, associations, and industry partners.

The AMC model is widely recognized for its ability to deliver high-quality association management in a more cost-effective manner than standalone staffing, while even more importantly giving associations access to a depth of expertise, thought leadership, and shared resources. Spotlighting firms that champion this model, and actively strengthen the profession through education, accreditation, and community, helps tell our story more powerfully to the broader association marketplace.

How Firms Are Selected

Spotlighted firms will be selected based on a holistic view of their AMCI engagement. To be considered, firms should demonstrate involvement across the following areas:

If your firm would like to be considered for a future spotlight, we invite you to submit your information via this FORM. This is your opportunity to share your story and let the community know about the outstanding work your team is doing.

Why This Matters

The association management profession is at an inflection point. As associations increasingly evaluate the build-vs.-buy decision for management services, the data has never been clearer. According to AMCI's own AMC Model Performance Study (Valmont Research, 2020), client associations have been with their AMCs an average of nearly 13 years, and one in five has been a client for 20 years or longer. In the first year under AMC management alone, associations realized an average revenue increase of 9.6% and a net income increase of 13.7%. Over the full course of AMC relationships, client associations have grown total gross revenue by an average of 90%. These aren’t just numbers; they are proof of what happens when professional association management is done well.

Member Excellence Spotlight is more than recognition; it’s a tool. It helps AMCI tell a richer, more compelling story about what AMCs do and why the model works. It gives prospective association clients a window into the quality and commitment of our member community, and it gives our member firms a meaningful reason to deepen their engagement with AMCI.

We look forward to celebrating our first spotlight honoree and sharing their story with the community. Watch Member Matters and AMCI’s LinkedIn for the announcement!

Join me in welcoming three new member firms in April, bringing our YTD total to ten new members. Feel free to give them a warm AMCI welcome! We are thrilled to introduce:

• NextGen Association Management
  • Located: Albany, NY
  • Owner: Thomas Cote, [email protected]
  • Catalyst Management Solutions LLC
    • Located: Arlington, TX
    • Owner: Michele Byers, [email protected]
  • Ten One Strategies
    • Located: Jackson, MS
    • Owner: LaDarion Ammons, [email protected]

And the momentum continues: AMCI staff are actively onboarding two additional new members in the coming days. This growth reflects the increasing demand for peer community credentialing, face-to-face education, and the shared resources that AMCI provides.

Two more AMCs began the accreditation process in April, with the goal of securing their accreditations by year’s end. AMCI accreditation remains the gold standard of professional excellence for AMC firms, and we are proud to see continued commitment to this rigorous standard. The Accreditation Subcommittee has also submitted final comments for the Accreditation violations review process, an important step in maintaining the integrity and credibility of the credential.

AMCI’s professional development calendar is packed with relevant, timely content for the AMC community. Don’t miss these upcoming sessions:

• 5/13 @ 2:00 PM ET - AMCs by Size: REGISTER
• 5/14 @ 1:00 PM ET - Emerging AMC Executives Roundtable (for non-owners/non-C-Suite AMC staff); REGISTER
• 5/19 @ 2:00 PM ET - Accelerating AI Thinking and Readiness at AMCs; presented by Rich Vallaster with Momentive Software; REGISTER
• 6/10 @ 2:00 PM ET - From Batch-and-Blast to 1:1 Messaging: How AI is Redefining Email Marketing for AMCs; Presented by Rasa.IO; REGISTER
• 6/18 @ 2:00 PM ET - Safeguarding Your Association: Governing and Managing Cyber & AI Risks; Presented by Chris Hetner, sponsored by GrowthZone; REGISTER

A special thank you to all our AMC firms that have invested in their team’s professional advancement through our certificate and specialty badging courses. Your commitment to growing talent within the AMC community is exactly the spirit the 50 by 50 plan is built on.

Registrations for AMCs Engaged, July 27 - 29 in Milwaukee, WI, are trending ahead of 2025. If you haven’t registered or reserved your hotel room yet, now is the time. We cannot wait to unite our community in Milwaukee under the theme “Architects of What’s Next.” Learn more and register HERE.

The Awards of Excellence winners will be announced the week of May 18th, and we will celebrate honorees at the Awards of Excellence Celebration during AMCs Engaged at the Baird Center in Milwaukee on July 28th. The program continues to attract strong participation and highlights the extraordinary work AMCs deliver for their clients and the broader association sector.

April was a landmark month for AMCI’s marketing and communications work. Highlights include:

• The Digital Marketing Toolkit launched on April 28, equipping members with clear positioning, stronger messaging, and practical tools to support business development. Over 100 people registered for the launch webinar! The BeautifulBeast team and Jeanne Sheehy will follow up with a general session, “The Intelligence Advantage,” at AMCs Engaged in July.
• Strategic Plan communications continue to roll out strongly, with featured board member updates in Member Matters, including contributions from Sarah Timm and Mike Dwyer.

We are actively seeking new case studies on cost reduction, purchasing power, and staff optimization in our digital marketing efforts. If your firm has a compelling story to share, please contact Bethany Jordan at [email protected] with questions and submissions.

Board of Director and Officer nominations will open on May 15. Immediate Past Chair, Nick Ruffin will lead the Nomination Committee through this important process. We are grateful for the engaged, visionary leadership that guides AMCI forward and look forward to the nominations ahead.

AMCI’s Business Exchange continues to deliver meaningful value to members through exclusive, vetted partner discounts across technology, digital services, destinations, venues, meeting services, and insurance and benefits. Please share the partner contact list with your teams to ensure they are fully leveraging this member benefit.

April demonstrated what is possible when a committed community comes together around a shared vision. Whether it’s welcoming new members, honoring accredited firms, equipping professionals with career-advancing education, or launching initiatives like the Member Excellence Spotlight; every action we take moving forward is a down payment on what AMCI and our members will become by 2050.

Thank you to all our leadership, our volunteers, our partners, and our members who make this work possible. Together, we are not only navigating change; we are defining what comes next!

Tina Wehmeir, CAE, CMP Fellow and President & CEO, AMC Institute