For an incoming AAF President there is one thing that is certain: You can’t run your club alone.

When leading any grass roots organization you need help from trusted partners to make you time as president a success. The benefits of surrounding yourself with people with different strengths, personalities, and talents cannot be understated. I would even recommend filling board seats with employees from various companies in and out of the ad business. Having a lawyer on the board, or a 501-3(c) Non Profit employee or a financial guru will round out the talents and allow the board to foster fresh perspectives to shape your club. For an incoming AAF President there is one thing that is certain: You can’t run your club alone.

The annual ADMERICA conference is a great resource for incoming presidents getting ready to embark on leading their local club. The National ADMERICA! Conference showcases this knowledge base in the form of roundtable discussions led by experienced AAF leaders, spanning from Governors to past presidents, who are eager to share their experiences leading clubs. There is a pay-it-forward mentality that links the members of the AAF. The ability to share knowledge and gain insight from your peers is there for the taking if you want it. You just have to know its there. Last year, Carol Montoya, the Executive Director for the DC Ad Club from District 2 facilitated the nine table discussions along with Sara Yoskoski, the Club Services Coordinator also from the DC Ad Club. The discussions featured nine essential topics to effectively run and manage your club. They are:

Financial and Fiscal Responsibilities
Programs
Communications
Public Service
Government Relations
Working With Your Board of Directors
Special Events
Membership Growth and Retention
Successful Committees

Next year ADMERICA is in Anaheim, California at the Disneyland resort June 4-7th. If you're an incoming president for your AAF club, a must stop are the round table discussions. Trust me, Mickey will wait.