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A Love Letter to AMA Omaha

I want to close out my year as your AMA Omaha President with a round of thanks.

TO YOUR AMA OMAHA BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

For those that joined us for our Virtual Pinnacles Awards Celebration last night, the below will sound familiar. But the accomplishments of this year, made a reality by the AMAzing Board I was blessed to work with, bear repeating.

In the last 12 months, the AMA Omaha Board…

  • Rebranded our programming into three distinct and useful tracks (Power Lunch, Workshops, and Marketer’s Meetups)
  • Doubled down on AMA Omaha Cares efforts, supporting the Heart Ministry Center with AMA Omaha Cares Month, item drives and fundraising during the COVID-19 crisis
  • Launched a podcast, AMP by AMA Omaha, to share the perspective of the thought leaders in our area
  • Modernized the Pinnacle Awards with a new online submission platform
  • Hosted the AMA Midwest regional retreat, bringing chapters from our region to Omaha to learn, laugh, and explore our city
  • Assembled the AMA Omaha Executive Advisory Council to offer expert guidance on our programs and benefits
  • Kicked off the annual AMA Omaha Pub Quiz, complete with a winner’s trophy for the ages
  • Crushed our annual goals across the board, hitting and surpassing targets in sponsorship, finances, communication, programming, workshops and more
  • Continued to foster strong ties with the Creighton University Chapter
  • And most importantly, stayed true to our commitment to be THE essential community for marketers with a massive pivot, right on through the pandemic, by launching our first-ever remote learning opportunities, virtual happy hours, and the AMA Omaha PCM Perks Grant Program to encourage professional development during a time of social distance.

Not too shabby for a Board year that ran smack into the side of COVID-19. I can truly say serving alongside these fantastic and talented people has been a joy, an adventure, and a meaningful exercise in staying motivated and excited when faced with a monumental change of plans. Remember, each of the milestones described above is attributed solely to the time and talent of this volunteer Board, and I simply can’t thank them enough. I am truly grateful to all of you for your trust in me, and for your service to AMA Omaha.

TO YOUR AMA OMAHA EXECUTIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL:

While the second half of this year was somewhat shaken by the impacts of the pandemic, these marketing leaders still rallied around AMA Omaha with guidance and advice to keep our footing and answer the questions meaningful to marketers today. Thank you to Greg Daake, Paul Baltes, Megan Longo, Malorie Maddox and Brent Pohlman for helping us establish this group, and for agreeing to join us again for a second term – this time, we hope for a more predictable year!

TO OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

This was a record-breaking year for our Chapter, much of which was made possible by the partnership of local companies that believe in our mission and our ability to make an impact. We continued our strong track record of generous in-kind support, while seeing a significant bump in direct financial contributions. Our cash sponsorships allowed us to invest back in our Chapter and continue building a better infrastructure, from the purchase of A/V equipment to providing an online submission platform for the Pinnacle Awards. Our in-kind sponsorships offered facilities for our events and meetings, tokens of appreciation for our members, and the resources to launch new initiatives – like AMP by AMA Omaha. Thank you to Omaha Media Group, Firespring, Wave Interactive, Acoustic, Bergman, Barnhart Press, PlanitOmaha, Parkville Media, Envoy, Silverstone Group, Daake, Database USA, Midland University, Brightside Creative, Jon Film Photo, and Woodmen Life. Through your partnership, we all grow.

AND FINALLY, TO OUR MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS:

This year, more than ever, we felt the honest and tangible footholds of community. Our attendance at in-person events blossomed, and didn’t miss a beat even when we had to make the move online. Satisfaction scores shined. We witnessed “Answers in Action” through our programs and resources – where members of our community expanded their network, found new jobs, and deepened their marketing skillset. The energy we put in you all gave back, tenfold. For our Board, there is no greater measure of success. Every program we develop, every podcast we produce, every happy hour we host – we do so for all of you. Thank you for choosing AMA Omaha as a trusted local resource and a place invest your time. We honor that investment and look forward to serving you (in person AND online!) in the year ahead.

If this reads like a love letter to all things AMA, well – it is! This Board, this organization, and the people it brings together have given me more than I imagined possible. I very much look forward to continuing to serve our Chapter and AMA as a whole as Immediate Past President, starting tomorrow.

We hope you will continue to elevate with us – there are so many AMAzing things to come.

With gratitude,

Jordan Maddex-Kopp

2019/2020 AMA Omaha President