Our approach:

Michelle Czosek, CAE, an account executive at AMPED Association Management, has been appointed secretary on the Executive Committee of the Association Societies Alliance (ASA), a national federation of societies of association executives. Czosek serves as President/CEO of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives (WSAE).

As secretary of ASA, Czosek will represent the Alliance on issues of common interest to associations and guide the organization’s strategic initiatives.

“I’m pleased to be able serve in this position and give back to an organization that provides me with an opportunity to network with and learn from my peers. My participation enhances my ability to lead and grow WSAE,” says Czosek.

ASA provides opportunities for liaison and cooperation between association society executives for the purpose of sharing information, learning from the experience of others and improving the management quality provided to association executive organizations.

AMPED provides full-service association management services to a variety of national and international trade and professional associations from its offices in Washington, DC and Madison, Wis. More information is available on the AMPED website.

In a recent interview for the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA), AMPED President and Owner Lynda Patterson explained her role as president of CSIA and AMPED's involvement behind the scenes.

"My role as president of CSIA, is to head the staff team behind it all. Everything from membership, marketing, public relations, financial management, meetings management, working with the board of directors — everything it takes to run a successful association.

AMPED is the management arm and face of the operation. We work at a very high level to help articulate the strategic plan of the organization. We work closely with the board of directors and all the committees and volunteers from a governance and leadership perspective. We also work on more tactical things like financial statements and budgeting, webinars, answering the phones, helping people register for the conference, and working with our sponsors.

At AMPED, we help communicate the value of CSIA and why members should be a part of it!"

The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) is pleased to announce that Michelle Czosek, CAE has been appointed as its new managing director.

Czosek, who has been an associate director of SWS since 2013, succeeds Lynda J. Patterson, FASAE, CAE, president and owner of AMPED-Association Management Partners & Executive Directors, a full-service association management company that manages SWS. Patterson will continue supporting SWS in an advisory role.

“I’m excited for this opportunity to take on a leadership role and further my involvement with SWS,” said Czosek. “Being entrusted to work at a high level to advance an organization of this stature is a true honor.”

Czosek has nearly 25 years of experience managing a variety of professional and trade associations, including the North American Building Material Distribution Association, International Association for Human Resource Information Management, Information User Association, International Women in Boating, and The Harmonie Group.

She earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE®) credential from the American Society of Association Executives CAE Commission in spring, 2015. Czosek holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Illinois.

In addition to her role with SWS, Czosek is the president/CEO of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives, a regional association with over 500 members dedicated to the profession of association management. Czosek also represents the National Air Filtration Association as its executive director.

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About SWS: The Society of Wetland Scientists is an international organization of nearly 3,300 members dedicated to fostering sound wetland science, education and management. From its inception in 1980, the society has provided a forum for academic scientists, government employees and private consultants to meet and work together.

As technology rapidly changes and makes working from anywhere easier, more people work remotely than ever before. Working remotely can be a challenge. Trust me, I know this from experience, having worked almost 13 years from home in a previous association management life.

When AMPED recently transitioned in a new client, the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA), we were fortunate to add NAFA's long-time staff person, Terry, to our team. Terry happens to live in another state, over 1,000 miles away. In addition to everything associated with bringing on NAFA, we wanted to be sure that Terry felt like a part of the AMPED team right from the start, regardless of the fact that we didn't share office space.

How can you make a new, remote employee feel welcome? Here are a few tips:

Convo
Terry was included on our staff instant messaging system, Convo, right away. This allows us to quickly and easily communicate. It’s faster than email and means we don’t have to pick up the phone every time we need to share a bit of information.

Skype
No one looks good on the web cam, which is why I was hesitant when it came to making the leap from phone to Skype. But once we started holding our weekly check-in meetings via camera, I quickly realized the value of seeing the person on the other end. That one once-a-week, “in person” catch-up helps us feel more connected and strengthens our relationship.

The Cloud
Our cloud-based server through Egnyte allows Terry to access all of the NAFA files the same way we do in the office. We’ve moved to the cloud and already see the benefits. There’s no need to email files back and forth.

Meet the Team
It was important for Terry to see the new NAFA headquarters and meet her co-workers, so we invited her to Madison for an onboarding visit. We took advantage of the few days she was here by holding our annual AMPED photo shoot and rescheduling our weekly staff meeting so Terry could hear about all of the things the staff was working on. We also spent meal time with her, included her in our "$2 Latte Tuesday" tradition and got to know each other on a personal level – a big part of the AMPED culture.

In the end, the benefits of having a remote worker who is passionate about the organization far outweigh the challenges. Technology allows us to communicate just as effectively as if we were in the same office. As long as we remember the importance of incorporating the relationship building and the human touch into our daily routine, we can make the most distant worker feel like a part of the team.

Do you allow employees to work remotely? I’d love to hear how you’ve made them feel like a part of the team.

AMPED - Association Management Partners and Executive Directors an accredited full-service association management company (AMC) based in Madison, Wisconsin, has been selected to manage the National Air Filtration Association (NAFA).

AMPED's mission is to perfect operations and accelerate growth for the associations they manage, by creating a true partnership with them.

NAFA is a dynamic, non-profit trade association comprised of individuals and companies engaged in the sale, service and manufacture of the air filtration products. NAFA’s 900 members include air filter and component manufacturers, sales and service companies, and HVAC and indoor air quality professionals across the United States and in several foreign countries.

“What made AMPED different was the people,” said Jeron Downing, president of NAFA and member of the search committee that unanimously approved the hiring of AMPED. “AMPED President Lynda Patterson has assembled an all-star team to meet the needs of our growing association, including new NAFA Executive Director Michelle Czosek. Their energetic attitude is inspiring and contagious! There are three aspects that drive business: product, process and people. You can fix products and process, but without people you have nothing.”

Michelle Czosek, CAE, NAFA’s new executive director, has nearly 25 years of experience managing a variety of professional and trade associations. She is currently the president/CEO of the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives and associate director for the Society of Wetland Scientists.

Earlier this year, she earned her Certified Association Executive (CAE®) credential from the American Society of Association Executives CAE Commission. Czosek holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Illinois.

“One of the goals of NAFA is to continue to be the source for expertise, education and standards in air filtration” said Downing. “We believe AMPED will take us to the next level with their experience in online marketing and internal processes to engage our existing members. We look forward to building a long lasting relationship with AMPED.”

In addition to NAFA, AMPED’s client community also includes the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis, Control System Integrators Association, Environmental Design Research Association, National Association of Professional Allstate Agents, Society of Wetland Scientists, and Wisconsin Society of Association Executives.

Volunteer leaders can focus on advancing their association and its mission with confidence, knowing that management and operations are in experienced hands. AMPED’s services include membership management, governance, financial management, website development and maintenance, conference planning and management, communications and strategic planning.

For more information about NAFA, visit www.nafahq.org.