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AMPED selected to manage the Fantasy Sports Trade Association

signing contract II

AMPED Association Management, an accredited full-service association management company with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Metro Washington, DC, has been selected to manage the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA).

As a partner with FSTA, AMPED brings a wealth of trade association experience and provides full management services, including leadership/best practices, strategic planning, governance, policy, membership development, meeting planning, financial management, and communications.

“AMPED is very excited to be working with FSTA,” said Christina McCoy, FSTA’s new managing director. “We look forward to communicating the value of FSTA and working in partnership with the volunteer leaders so that they can focus on advancing FSTA and its mission with confidence, knowing that management and operations are in experienced hands.”

“AMPED brings dozens of skilled association professionals to our membership,” said FSTA President Paul Charchian. “AMPED was chosen after a lengthy search determined that AMPED provided an ideal fit for our needs. Over time, our member companies will see myriad changes and improvements, and we're excited to grow with AMPED.”

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AMPED selected to manage NIBA – The Belting Association

NIBA
AMPED Association Management, an accredited full-service association management company with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Metro Washington, DC, has been selected to manage NIBA - The Belting Association.

As a partner with NIBA, AMPED will bring a wealth of trade association experience and provide full management services, including leadership, strategic planning, governance, policy, membership development, meeting planning, financial management, and communications.

Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, owner and president of AMPED, will serve initially as NIBA’s executive director. Michael Battaglia will be NIBA’s associate executive director, based in Washington, D.C.

“The process of interviewing and searching for strong, talented and dynamic management for NIBA was no easy task. Among the many companies we interviewed, AMPED was the clear standout,” said John Green, chair of the management search task force and vice president of Green Rubber-Kennedy Ag. “With strong leadership and enthusiasm from the top down, we knew immediately that Lynda Patterson and her staff were exactly what NIBA needed to lead us into the future. With AMPED, we will have the strength in technology, creativity, and focused management that will ensure NIBA’s value and relevance for years to come. I’m honored to have been part of the search, and very excited to now see some very positive changes that will greatly benefit our entire membership.”

In a prepared statement, the NIBA Executive Team said, “We are grateful to the Search Task Force for bringing several excellent association management companies to the table for consideration and making the final decision difficult. In the end, we unanimously selected AMPED because of the progressive style, fresh ideas and well-rounded and talented staff. Our selection was fully supported by the Board, and together, we are very excited to partner with Lynda and her team to take NIBA to new heights and build on the great foundation that has been established in the past.”

NIBA—The Belting Association is focused on promoting the common business interests of all distributor/fabricators and manufacturers of conveyor and flat power transmission belting and materials. Founded in 1927, NIBA is a trade association representing 145 distributor/fabricator companies and over 125 additional manufacturing-based companies, that produce belting and components and supply the conveyor belting industry.

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When your association moves to a new AMC . . . and so do you: Tips to stay focused, positive

NAFA team
No one likes change…or do they? Recently, our group, The National Air Filtration Association (NAFA) transitioned to a new management team — AMPED! Luckily, I was asked to join the AMPED team so I could continue to support NAFA, where I have worked for over 10 years [photo: Core NAFA team]. This is a great group of people, dedicated to education and professionalism in the air filtration industry.

Was I scared? You bet! But excited too. I was determined to make this change with a positive attitude, so I developed a mental check list:

Embrace new technology. It keeps you young! Learning new programs and apps is like going back to school. It increases your value and worth and, in the end, it usually does make your job easier.

Own up to your mistakes. Admit to them, fix them and move on. This is hardest for me. I don’t like to be embarrassed by acknowledging a mistake. But I actually found a comradery in having a team that can help you fix an error. You learn something new. Be thankful for the talented and educated team in your arsenal.

Never let them see you sweat. I knew some in the organization were concerned about my future. I let them know right away what a great team we were getting with AMPED. Projecting a positive attitude about a new situation is infectious.

Don’t forget the past, but don’t dwell in it. Explain procedures, listen to the team suggest new and better ways of doing things. Get the phrase “We’ve always done it this way” out of your head.

Jump in with both feet. I knew I had to do things I may not be comfortable with (writing a blog, for one!), but I took my nervousness, set it aside and plunged in. Sure the water was cold, but I soon warmed up and was able to start enjoying the swim.

Finally, appreciate your value. Stop focusing on all the ways things are changing and, instead, embrace the positive that you are getting from your new team. I had to set my ego aside quite a few times as more experienced people made changes and implemented new ideas. I focused on the positive comments. I found there were quite a few if I listened hard enough. I keep those in the forefront of my mind like a mantra; this allows me to keep from getting in a negative mood.

There will be bumps along the way, but negativity will affect the people around you. Give your team members the respect they deserve. Even if you aren’t feeling particularly positive, focus on the bigger picture. You’re a part of the team and your attitude matters. A little effort goes a long way.

If you project a positive attitude, chances are it will be reciprocated. Negative people see walls, but positive people look for and find solutions. Instead of seeing a problem, see a puzzle; move the pieces and solve it.

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Communication is key to transitioning back from work leave

with NorahOver the past few months I have been transitioning back to work after having been on maternity leave. When it comes to welcoming a new baby to the family there is a lot of excitement and joy. There is also a fair amount of stress and anxiety. I have been very fortunate to have some flexibility in my transition back to work. The encouragement I’ve received from my AMPED colleagues has been really incredible and I can’t thank them enough for their support!

Going back to work after maternity leave is a deeply personal experience and there is certainly no “one-size-fits-all” approach. However, there are a few things I’ve done that have helped make it a little easier.

Frequent and honest communication has made all the difference. Prior to going on leave my coworkers and I made a point of meeting several times. These meetings served as an opportunity to figure out who would cover my workload while I was out and to formulate a plan for my return. We made sure to spread these meetings out throughout my pregnancy — not just at the end — so that we had plenty of time to plan for everything that needed to be covered. While I was on leave, my focus was on my new baby, recovery and family, but as the date of my return to work approached my anxiety level increased, so I made a point of checking in with the office. Getting a quick update on what had been happening while I was out made my first few days back less stressful.

I have been extremely fortunate in my transition. One thing that helped was to come back to work gradually in the first few weeks. I’ve known several people who have taken this approach in different ways. A friend of mine who was going back to work full-time made her first day back in the office a Thursday which gave her a couple of days to readjust to the office, a few days for her baby to adjust to day care, and a weekend to work out any schedule adjustments. Another friend whose day care was nearer her home than her office arranged to work from home the first week back at work. Her son went to day care and she followed a normal work schedule from home. That way if her son needed her during those first few days she was close by. This decreased her stress and she was able to get more work done. I realize that this gradual approach may not be a realistic option in all cases but, if it is possible, it can be extremely beneficial.

As I mentioned a “one-size-fits-all” approach to returning to work post maternity leave doesn’t exist; everyone’s situation is different and unique. But, my final suggestion for everyone going through this experience is to be patient. Figuring out a new routine and a workable balance between family and professional obligations takes time and it won’t be without its challenges. For me, it has definitely been an eventful few months and I’m still adjusting to my new “normal.” But so far, it’s been a smooth transition.

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AMPED retained to manage national insurance agents association

The National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Inc. (NAPAA) has retained AMPED to provide all association management services, effective July 1, according to Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, president and owner of AMPED. Nancy Fish will continue to serve as the association’s executive director.

NAPAA, founded in 1990, is dedicated to the success of Allstate exclusive agency owners and to advance the independence and entrepreneurial spirit of its members. NAPAA offers a variety of resources for members, including an annual conference, education, an online forum, member-to-member referrals, and a quarterly magazine distributed to more than 9,000 Allstate insurance agents.

The association’s current headquarters will move from Gulfport, Miss., to Madison, Wis.

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Heavy lifting: Helping associations "move in"

moving-office

This past weekend, I helped my cousin and his wife pack up and move to a new house. It reminded me of how much work goes in to moving!

First, you have to pack up your old place and keep track of what items are going in to what boxes. Then, you have to haul it to the new place, unpack, make sure everything survived the move, and find new places for it all. On top of that, you need to change your address, forward your old mail and set up for internet, TV and phone service.
It was a lot of work—I was drained, both physically and mentally. That’s when I realized I would be coming to work Monday morning and starting a similar process: I’m currently taking the lead on transitioning on a new client! Thankfully, we’ve developed some tools, tips and tricks at AMPED to ensure that all transitions are a smooth one.

Transition Checklist
We’ve developed a really thorough Excel-based transition checklist that is constantly updated to ensure we are getting the needed information, files and materials from the incoming organization to keep them running. It also keeps us on track with getting them set up with phone and fax numbers, email addresses, new print materials, changes of address, etc. There are four main columns that identify the task, who is responsible for it (The new client? AMPED? If AMPED, which employee?), a due date, a place for notes and a completion check box. To make things even easier, we’ve filed each item under a larger category like Administration, Database/Membership, Meetings, and so on. As soon as we know we are bringing on a new client organization, we take the generic template and spend time customizing it to meet the needs of the incoming client, going through item by item to determine if it is relevant or if anything is missing. We make sure to share this with the client right away so that they have a chance to go through and identify missing items as well. 

Scope of Services
While this should be finalized in the negotiation process, it is important to go through usual services offered and those the organization is requesting to ensure they align. I like to paste the scope into Excel and add columns for staff assignments and questions/ notes.

Face Time
We find it extremely beneficial to sit down and have face to face meetings with either the current association staff or the transitioning AMC. If this is not possible, an e-conference like GoToMeeting works great. I set an agenda using the Scope of Services Excel document I mentioned before, adding a column for how much time should be dedicated to each item and highlighting the specific questions and processes I want to review. This ensures that every process and task that we will be doing for the organization is covered. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about how the organization is run and identify ways we can help make it more efficient.

Creating thorough documents like the ones I’ve discussed along with setting aside some face-to-face meeting time helps ensure all of our client transitions are painless and that nothing slips through the cracks. Now, if only I could be this organized for my next house move!

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