By Meredith Parker, account associate
If I were being honest with you, I would have to admit that I had never heard of an Association Management Company (AMC) before I happened upon IMI Association Executives in my post-college job search.
I am the youngest member on the IMI staff; at the ripe old age of 22, I have just graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I will be the first to admit that I am still growing into my shiny, new adult shoes; however, I already feel that working at an association for the past 90 days has given me the type of fulfillment that I have always desired and will always crave in my daily work.
Ever since my childhood, I have completed countless hours of service through church, school, and various service organizations. When I first began college, I put so much pressure on myself to succeed academically that I did not take time for service work. After failing the third test in my Chemistry class, and expending countless hours of fruitless work on this subject, I had a life-affirming, crystallizing moment: I realized that I needed to find work that impassioned me and also for which I had an aptitude.
I quickly joined Student United Way, a volunteer organization on campus, and it felt like coming home. Completing service with this group allowed me to use my communication skills to connect with individual people and also helped me make a corner of the world a little better, a goal that has driven me for my entire life. I knew, then, that I wanted service to play a key role in my life.
I am thankful that the stars aligned and I was given the opportunity to work at IMI because it is founded upon the fundamental principle of service. In my work for my client, the International Lactation Consultant Association, my efforts serve to ameliorate global health through empowering lactation consultants to continue, improve, and expand their breastfeeding practice, which is the cause that excites me about coming to work every day. In addition, I have found an amazing community of like-minded, service-oriented individuals from which to learn. Since we are a company that manages many associations, everyone in our office has different work experiences and can offer unique insight into every topic from the best way to run a webinar to broader career advice. I feel like we are less a group of random people who happen to work together than a passionate, collaborative, caring community.
I am still a “spring chicken,” as we say in the South. As a fresh college graduate, I know that I have a lot to learn about being an adult, being an employee, and planning a career. It can be intimidating to look at the decades that I have in front of me and wonder how I can live my life to be fulfilling for me; however, instead of being afraid, I am excited. I think that IMI is a fertile field to plant my roots; I can’t wait to see how much I grow here.
Want to know more about association management? Contact us at info@imiae.com to find out more about what IMI Association Executives can do for your organization.
Nice job, Meredith.