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The 'go-girls' of Association
Management Ltd.
You might call the women who report to the office on the third floor of the Blood Center of Iowa building at 431 E. Locust St. the "go-girls" of Association Management Ltd. They get the job done. The company, which provides management services to non-profit trade and professional organizations, isn't just owned by a woman; it's run by women. Molly Lopez, who joined AML as an account executive in 1996 and bought the company in 1999, said her all-female staff is a fortuitous accident. "It is certainly not a requirement for AML's account executives to be female," she said. "I am just fortunate to have six intelligent, experienced, enthusiastic, committed professionals on my team - and they all happen to be women." Some of the non-profit groups contracting with AML for association management services are dominated by men. Though clients are "sometimes surprised we're an all-woman company," Lopez said, it's not an issue for them. It's not AML's knowledge of their specific industries that draws them to the Des Moines-based company, but the staff's expertise in association management, including office administration; financial management; board management; arranging meetings, trade shows and conferences; membership development; and communications, she said. Consider, for example, the Iowa Water Well Association, whose members are exclusively men. Kelly Kipping, the account executive overseeing the IWWA, said her gender isn't a concern among members. "I grew up on a farm," Kipping joked. "I know how to prime the pump, and where the water comes from in the well. "They know my background, that I grew up on a farm in a farming community, but what they look at is the way we provide service here as an overall management company." Kipping's familiarity with the water-related issues farmers and other rural residents face every day may have made her a particularly good match for the well drillers. That's something Lopez strives for, both in hiring account executives and assigning them to specific clients. Each person brings a different skill set or talent that seems to provide a balance," Lopez said. "One might be great at meeting planning or communications; someone else might be great at technology or financial management. "We're experts in association management," she said. "That's what we do best." The association management professionals at AML have combined experience in the field totaling about 80 years. Since buying the company, Lopez has hired three new account executives: Julie Garrison, Lynn Harkin and Terry McConnell. She bases her hiring decisions are based not only on the individual's experience in association management and specific areas of expertise, but also on how well the candidate's personality meshes with those of others in the office. Lopez and her six staff members - Linda Odson, Darcy Watson, Garrison, Kipping, McConnell and Harkin - say their experiences while working at AML don't match the horror stories they've heard about all-female workplaces. "I didn't know what it would be like to work in an all-female office," Harkin admitted. "I wasn't sure how our different styles would work together, but everybody brings a lot of energy and new ideas." McConnell said members of the groups AML contracts with "need a lot of care," something women are uniquely qualified to provide. "Women can handle that," she said. "We handle it, rather than push it off," Garrison added. The women who work at AML said the all-woman atmosphere creates a better understanding of the importance of maintaining a balance between work and home life. "If you have a personal problem," Garrison said, "it's much easier to go to Molly. She helps us keep our focus on families." Lopez's emphasis on staff development - the employees either have earned or are working toward advanced certification - has created an environment in which the employees stand on an equal plane and their ideas are incorporated regardless of "rank," the women said. When a deadline is looming, it's also not unusual for Lopez to stuff envelopes or complete other tasks not normally performed by the president and CEO of a company. "When somebody has a project that is overwhelming or is under deadline, everybody pulls together," McConnell said. "I think that means a lot that you can get people to pitch in and get something done." "All of us do the same thing for different clients," Harkin added. "If you talk about having a hard time with a hotel, everybody around the table knows what you are talking about." Harkin said she sometimes wonders how the dynamics of office would change with coworkers who are males. "The difference is in the details," she said. "I've watched this group be really good at that, at managing the details." Association Management Ltd. has provided management services to non-profit trade and professional associations since 1976. Its 11 clients include one international association, one national association, six state associations and three local associations. Hundreds of companies and thousands of individuals make up the membership of the clients AML serves. The staff of seven has more than 80 years of combined association experience in all facets of volunteer and organizational management. Current clients include:
AML Association
Management, Ltd. Phone: (515) 243-1558 |
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