Monica Ackerson Ware, APR
President
Integrated Association Solutions
DEWITT, Michigan
Applying for: At-Large Director
Alternate Position(s):
Biography
Monica Ackerson Ware, APR
Integrated Association Solutions
3462 Parkwood Drive, DeWitt, MI 48820
Direct: 517-749-2322 ~ Office: 517-624-2911
E-mail: monicaackersonware@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/in/monicaackersonware
Professional Summary:
• Nationally accredited communication professional with 20+ years of diverse expertise in public policy, public relations, fund development and association service.
• Strategic association leader with experience guiding the reinvention of associations with budgets under $100,000 to more than $1 million. This includes rebranding; improving internal and external communications; enhancing educational opportunities; revitalizing stale events; building relationships with key partners; and the creation of diversified revenue programs including sponsorship programs, trade shows, PAC events, and directory and magazine advertising sales.
• Two-time recipient of the Michigan Society of Association Executives Diamond Award for Diversified Revenue. Signifies excellence in creating and implementing sponsorship and non-dues revenue programs.
• Committed to teamwork and providing right-size solutions to prevent employee churn.
• Named by peers as the 2017 Central Michigan PRSA PACE Maker of the Year.
Employment History:
Integrated Association Solutions Dec. 2015 - present
Owner/Innovator/Developer of Right-sized Solutions
• Provide comprehensive association management services to Michigan Road Preservation Association, including conference planning, technical services, and daily operations.
• Provide fund development solutions to clients including design and implementation of conference sponsorship programs; execution of major trade shows, including heavy equipment and main stage; conducting advertising sales for directory/magazine; and designing and implementing a full range of non-dues revenue (development) programs.
• Deliver comprehensive public relations services for organizations large and small.
County Road Association (CRA) of Michigan Nov. 2007- Jan. 2016
Communications and Development Manager
• Collaborated with the leadership team to develop and implement the Association’s public relations and fund development strategies.
• Responsible for management of all internal and external communications, including digital platforms, web, email marketing and social media.
• Provided public relations resources, training, and counsel to 83 county road agencies.
• Coordinated workshops and delivered presentations at conferences to educate the membership on emerging PR trends and the execution of local road millage campaigns.
• Established and grew diversified revenue programs, including sponsor programs, the CRA Road Show, and advertising opportunities now generating $200,000 annually.
• Designed and implemented PR campaigns that tell a story and help audiences connect with Michigan’s county road agencies.
• Developed messaging and creative government relations projects to educate lawmakers, the media and the public on the legislative positions and policies of the Association.
Fletcher, Evans and Associates, LLC Jan. 2007- Nov. 2007
Associate
• Coordinated fundraising activities for clients on a contractual basis.
• Prepared and delivered presentations on various subjects including developing a strategic fundraising plan, campaign fundraising, and campaign finance compliance.
Courtesy Ford and Courtesy Lincoln Mercury Feb. 2007- May 2007
Director of Marketing
• Designed and implemented marketing plans for the sales, service, parts and body shop divisions of two busy dealerships; including the introduction of an outside sales strategy to build relationships between the dealership and employees of local businesses.
First City Corporation, River Wind Apartments May 1998- May 2007
Resident Manager
• Responsible for the operations of a 24-unit Rural Development apartment community.
Michigan House of Representatives
State Representative Kevin Green, Majority Whip Jan. 2005- Jan. 2007
Chief of Staff
State Representative Gary Woronchak Jan. 2003- Dec. 2004
Chief of Staff
State Representative Paul DeWeese, M.D., Majority Whip Jan. 1999- Dec. 2002
Chief of Staff
State Representative Dan Gustafson, Minority Floor Leader Jan. 1996- Dec. 1998
Legislative Assistant
• Developed and implemented incumbency plans; including media relations, brand and image development, legislative plans and management of constituent relations.
• Prepared legislation for introduction and managed bills throughout the legislative process; including preparing detailed analyses, co-sponsorship memos, requests for committee action and committee testimony; and negotiated points of difference with legislators, staff, interest groups and state departments.
• Facilitated Republican whip counts for the 1999-2000 and 2005-2006 legislative sessions. Trusted with confidential caucus information.
• Selected by Director of House Business Office to help develop staff training programs.
• Organized committee agenda and prepared policy for the House Committee on Senior Health, Security, and Retirement (2003-2004). Coordinated activities of the Health Policy Subcommittee on Costs (2005) and the House Republican Task Force on Access to Health Care (1999), including drafting final reports.
• Managed daily operation of the office including human resources, constituent relations, coordinating special events, drafting specialized mailings, database management, and administration of the office budget.
• On a volunteer basis, coordinated political fundraising for legislators and leadership PACs.
• Served three members to end of Legislative careers and the fourth to the end of the first term.
Michigan Republican State Committee Aug. 1995- Jan. 1996
Operations Assistant
• Assisted in coordination of state committee meetings and 1995 Mackinac Conference.
Education and Certifications:
Hope College; Holland, Michigan 1995
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communications
• Washington, D.C. Honors Semester, Spring 1995
• Internships: Herman Miller, Inc. and U.S. Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers
• Hope College Dean’s List
• Pi Kappa Alpha, National Political Science Honor Society
• Kappa Beta Phi Sorority
Accreditation and Certifications:
• A.P.R. - Nationally Accredited Public Relations Professional, Public Relations Society of America, 2011- present.
• C.P.S.T. - Child Passenger Safety Technician, by Safe Kids Worldwide, 2007-present.
PRSA Accomplishments
PRSA Leadership Positions
Public Relations Society of America, Central Michigan Chapter Board of Directors 2010- present
• Elected to serve as Secretary 2010-2012; Vice President 2013; President 2014; Past President 2015 and Treasurer 2016-2017.
• Serve as PRSA East Central District liaison, 2015 to present. This is equivalent to a committee chairmanship.
• Past chair and member of the Programming Committee and a member of the PACE Awards Committee. Co-chair of the East Central District Diamond Awards Committee.
PRSA Related Awards
• 2017, PACE Maker of the Year, Central Michigan Public Relations Society of America.
• 2011, Central Michigan PRSA (CM-PRSA) PACE Awards, Award of Achievement in the Creative Tactics Category, “Cost of Legislative Inaction,” coordinated with the Michigan Transportation Team.
• 2011, CM-PRSA PACE Awards, Pinnacle Award for Special Purpose Publication, “PR Tips.”
• 2011, CM-PRSA PACE Awards, Pinnacle Award for Research, “Using Research to Tell the Story.”
• 2010, East Central District PRSA Diamond Award, Public Affairs Tactic, 2010, CM- PRSA PACE Awards, Pinnacle Award and 2010 People’s Choice Award- Favorite Tactic for, “Message in a Bottle,” joint project with the Michigan Transportation Team.
Governance Skills
Good governance is one of the fundamental best practices of associations. Over the past 10 years, I have served as a volunteer board member; have served on staff for a 501c6 member-driven association where I was responsible for developing and reporting communication and development metrics to the board of directors; and have provided comprehensive management services to a 501c6 association as the owner of an association management firm.
I currently serve as director of the Michigan Road Preservation Association, a 501c6 association. Over the last 16 months, I have led MRPA through the strategic planning process and a complete rebranding, and completely rebuilt the association’s financial structure. I am currently working with the board to update policies, develop a procedure manual, and update the association's by-laws.
Over the past several years, I have worked with the Central Michigan PRSA board to help rebuild the governance structure of the Chapter. The chapter had very little fiscal control and few written policies. When I took over as treasurer, a check register wasn’t even available. At my recommendation, CM-PRSA has made many positive changes including the adoption of a record retention schedule; adoption of new financial management structures and processes; and adoption of a new budget process that looks at actual annual expenses and both short and long-term needs. In addition to other policy-related changes, CM-PRSA is now licensed to operate as a 501c6 chapter unit in the State of Michigan.
In September of 2016, I was asked to share about CM-PRSA’s reinvention of financial and governance processes to help chapter leaders from the East Central District better evaluate their processes and identify necessary changes. While ASAE and other groups have model policies, resources were not available from PRSA. I believe this is a way service to members could be improved.
Leadership Skills
I have served in a variety of leadership roles including chief of staff for state lawmakers; director of communications and development for a statewide association, and I now operate an association management firm where I serve as the chief staff executive (CSE) for an association.
Because my career path is to help strengthen associations, I am currently studying for CAE, certified association executive, certification. I have recently completed the Michigan Society of Association Executives (MSAE) Academy of Association Management and plan to take the CAE exam within the next two years.
As I continue to study the best practices of association management, I have learned as much from watching poor leadership and its devastating impact on organizations as I have from observing positive leadership models.
In a volunteer board, such as PRSA, everyone must row in the same direction for the organization to meet its goals and serve its members. Board members must be willing to lead the pack, mobilizing the chapter and district leaders behind the shared vision of the Association.
Leaders must understand the trends within the PR industry and be professionally curious. Board members serve an advisory role and must be aware of changing industry trends and willing to advocate for any necessary changes to ensure the long-term health of the Association, the professionals, and the profession.
The job of an association executive and staff can be very difficult without board members who ask the right questions. From simple questions like, what do you need to be successful in meeting the strategic objectives, to the more difficult issues like are we doing the right things to meet member needs, being willing to ask questions and acting on the answers is crucial. My background has given me the training to know what questions to ask.
Strengths
In my recent career reinvention, I made the decision to focus my strategic communication skills on helping associations improve their member services. In addition to more traditional public relations skills, I bring a diverse background in public policy, fund development, and association service.
My background in providing training programs for associations and experience helping to strengthen the Central Michigan chapter have given me a keen understanding of the issues volunteer leaders across the country struggle with as they seek to provide the best possible services to chapter, district, and section members. There are low and no-cost resources that can be provided, such as toolkits to streamline chapter, district and section operations. PRSA has started to tackle this need by providing regional liaisons.
I am a two-time recipient of the MSAE Diamond Award, an award that signifies excellence in creating and implementing diversified revenue (non-dues revenue) programs. As PRSA seeks to expand the value of membership without increasing member dues, diversified revenue and affinity programs will play an important role.
Having worked with several member organizations, I understand the continual challenge of remaining relevant. Where associations used to be the primary resource for education and networking, there are now virtually unlimited avenues for training and connection. As more people transition to communication and public relations from non-traditional paths, they bypass PRSSA and the traditional membership feeding avenues. I am eager to work with the board of directors and staff at PRSA to implement the strategic plan and consider creative avenues of outreach and member engagement.
My strengths as a potential board member are that I am interested in serving; I will ask the difficult questions in a respectful manner, and I am willing to do the work that needs to be done to advance PRSA’s strategic plan.
Volunteer Commitment
Since 2010, I have been an active member of the Central Michigan PRSA Board of Directors. I have been working to train others to step into my former roles and set systems in place that will allow me to transition out of chapter service in 2017 and consider a different role within PRSA. It was a member of the East Central District Board who started me thinking about National Board service.
As a small business owner, I have flexibility with my schedule to be able to attend meetings for PRSA when required and to work outside of traditional office hours when necessary to ensure my client’s needs are met.
Volunteerism is very important to me and now that I no longer have a young family, I can take on this type of position requiring additional time and travel.
Position Statement #1
Prompt: The lines continue to blur among the disciplines of public relations, marketing, IT and customer service, and the need increases to create more collaborative teams and hybrid professionals. PRSA has continued to evolve and respond to these issues in support of our members, partners and colleagues. What do you believe are the strongest components of PRSA’s strategic plan that will help our members address these challenges, and how will PRSA remain relevant and sustainable for the future?
Public relations is, now more than ever before, a multi-disciplinary profession. Where a doctor or nurse is likely to specialize in a specific area of their profession, PR practitioners are often asked to be the proverbial jack-of-all-trades.
As journalists transition to public relations, for example, they may have a background that allows them to quickly acclimate to media relations, social media, and writing or editing positions, but no experience with research, measurement or even public affairs that could be a component of their job responsibilities.
The four-step process of communications and other core competencies of public relations are not something that those transitioning into the career from non-traditional avenues are familiar with.
I love the concept of the adaptive professional. That is exactly what PR professionals need to be if we are to stay at the top of our field. With the pace of change, continued professional development is a must for PR pros at all levels. This means that PRSA must offer diverse training options that meet the needs of practitioners of all ages and career stages and feeds into the goal of enhancing professional growth.
It is not enough for PR pros to be reactive. Adaptive professionals are proactive in seeking out professional development opportunities that keep them at the forefront of the profession. Specialized training for the “adaptive” professional will help to engage current members (member retention) and should serve as a motivator for member growth (member recruitment.)
As PRSA competes with other communication training programs for member dollars, the focus on those core competencies of public relations sets PRSA apart. The APR should be a benchmark that professionals are measured against. This lends itself nicely to 101 to 401 level preparatory classes.
A forward-thinking and progressive board is vital for PRSA to remain relevant.
Position Statement # 2
Prompt: PRSA has become more complex and diverse in recent years. While the Society must become nimbler, we also are cognizant that we must help prepare our members to meet tomorrow’s challenges as leaders at every level. The role of the communications professional will continue to evolve, and PRSA will anticipate future trends, and support our members at every stage of their career. As a member of PRSA’s national board, what do you see as your role in contributing to helping our membership meet tomorrow’s challenges as leaders?
The challenge of the PRSA Board of Directors and really most associations moving forward is going to be staying ahead of the curve. Remaining relevant in a fast-paced and constantly-changing environment. Associations must strive to be nimble and be able to react quickly to change in the industry. I think the 2017-2019 PRSA Strategic Plan recognizes that.
As a director-at-large, my role would be to model the strategic plan and lead others in embracing the plan components.
Chapters are frequently in search of professional development (programming) material. A meeting-in-a-box with templates for programming on the adaptive professional, the evolving industry, thought leadership and other key concepts would likely be widely used and have the dual benefit of providing a valuable member service and helping to gain support for PRSA Strategic Plan.
Ideally, those interested in leadership would become actively involved at the chapter, district and/or section level. PRSA is equipped to be able to have a vital network of future leaders by investing in providing leadership resources and training programs for those who serve as volunteers. While some chapters send their president-elect to Leadership Assembly, much of the information provided could be packaged and made available to a wider swath of the board. The millennial generation wants to have the opportunity for this type of connection and they are the ultimate future of the industry.
Monica Ackerson Ware, APR
Category
At-Large Director