Professional Chapters Council (PCC)

Professional Chapters Council (PCC) Vision

To create thriving, diverse, and inclusive communities essential to the growth and progression of marketers and the marketing profession. 

PCC Mission

To support and advocate for professional chapter leaders, increasing their effectiveness in leading volunteer boards in order to meet their chapter goals and thrive through change.

How We Make It Happen

• Mentor, teach, and lead

• • • Uphold and help chapters execute equitable and inclusive practices and beliefs so that the “One” in One AMA includes everyone wishing to be a part of our vision.
    • Provide one-on-one mentorship and guidance for any chapter leader.
    • Lead, create and execute leadership and board management development programs, such as AMA Leadership Summit and Professional Chapter Mid-Year Retreats.
    • Lead, create, and execute board management materials like Board In A Box, Strategic Planning guidance, and Knowledge Articles.
    • Demonstrate the value of servant leadership.
    • Reinforce the importance and value of effective chapter management (i.e., meeting reporting deadlines, following Board In A Box practices, attending Leadership Summit, submitting CEAs, and so on).

• Communicate and connect

• • • Listen to chapter leaders: understand their needs, challenges, and opportunities.
    • Collect best practices from chapters and share broadly with appropriate stakeholders.
    • Facilitate open communication channels between Support Center and chapters.
    • Advocate for chapter needs to the Support Center.
    • Facilitate cross-chapter and cross-community communications to ignite collaboration and emerging, real-time opportunities and best practices.

• Celebrate and innovate

• • Continually seek new and innovative ways to achieve our mission and deliver value to the AMA and its professional chapters.
  • Promote professional chapter success through recognition programs, including Chapter Excellence Awards (CEA), the Ric Sweeney Professional Chapter Volunteer of the Year, and ongoing Leadership Advisory interactions.
  • Stay versed with emerging best practices, such as diversity, equity, and inclusion standards.

Current PCC

Terms

Each PCC member agrees to serve for three years unless they accept a leadership track: President-Elect, President, and Immediate Past President. This adds 2-3 additional years, depending on when they accept President-Elect’s role. Terms are from July 1-June 30.

The Council Selection Criteria 

The PCC is an extremely high-performing team of doers: We don’t just advise. We move the needle and sometimes mountains through actions, not just planning. We are a model throughout the AMA and its other councils. We have long been a group with strong social ties to which we feel accountable. We’re intentional about the selection process: each year’s group is responsible for carrying on this tradition.

The role of a PCC member is truly one of serving chapter leaders. The PCC has a tradition of relying on social contracts—trust, friendships, and connections—to hold each other accountable for the work we do. These certainly result in bonds that deliver value to the PCC networks, but selfless work is ahead of resume builders. As such, the PCC chooses leaders that reflect this ethic.

Each year, the President-Elect is charged with selecting the number of PCC members required to fill 12 slots. This is what they look for:

• Award-winning (any recognition from the Chapter Excellence Awards: Gold, Silver, Bronze, Turn It Up, Excellence, or Special Merit) past presidents (typically not immediate past presidents since past presidents often have enough of a workload on their current boards).
• Representative of a chapter not currently represented on the council (avoid chapter overlap when possible).
• Recent or continued chapter involvement is preferred.
• National volunteer involvement and contributions beyond the local chapter.
• Provides the PCC’s ability to represent diverse personal backgrounds—the PCC deliberately works to create an inclusive environment that captures the value of a variety of race, gender, ethnicity, geographic, and other backgrounds.
  • In other words, a council that reflects the communities we serve.
• Willingness and ability to present in front of and facilitate groups.
• A new and/or innovative dimension to the AMA and PCC, and/or
• Pushes the boundaries of ideas for our marketers in the modern marketing landscape.
• Willingness and availability to travel for 3-4 in-person meetings/events each year (Summer meeting, Fall meeting, Regional Retreats, Leadership Summit).
  • All travel is contingent upon the ability to do so safely and the availability of a budget from the Support Center. If either travel safety or budget is in jeopardy, meetings occur virtually.
  • The Support Center budget normally covers travel expenses, but this is not guaranteed. There is no expectation that PCC members will pay expenses out-of-pocket or through chapters, and there is no other cost nor compensation for participation.  
• Demonstrated values:
  • Service-Oriented Leadership
  • Diversity of Thought
  • Active Listening 
  • Collaboration
  • Accountability
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Critical Thinking

Evaluation Process

1. Each year the PCC Executive Team compiles a list of Chapter Presidents from Award-Winning Chapters.
2. This list is then shared with the greater PCC team for review. 
3. Individuals are then evaluated throughout the year based on the criteria listed above as they volunteer on PCC committees or through past exposure to PCC members and the AMA community as a whole.
4. Candidates may then be invited to guest present at Leadership Summit as an additional way to gauge interest from both sides.
   1. Note: Individuals invited to present are not automatically invited to join the PCC. We also consider those who aren’t on the presenting team based on other involvement and merit. 
5. The PCC has open dialogs about candidates, providing input to the President-Elect.
6. The President-Elect then has a dialog with potential candidates to explore mutual interests as the final part of the process before offering invitations in late Spring.

PCC Succession Planning Process, Roles and Responsibilities, and Timing

Ongoing/Year-Round: Consideration of potential candidates happens continuously as PCC members interact with Chapter Leaders throughout the year. This happens through Leadership Advisor interactions, fireside chats, Slack activity, and national volunteer opportunities (including CEA judging, DEI, Chapter Mentoring, committee volunteering, etc.). 

Nov-Feb: Other formal consideration occurs through guest presenter selection for the next Leadership Summit (a collaboration between Summit Co-Chairs and Presidents-Elect), immediately following the announcement of CEA winners, which usually takes place in October. 

Feb-April: PCC members gain experience working directly with candidates on the Presenting Team and collect information and input on all other candidates through conversations and interactions. This information is shared with the entire PCC team in a shared document. 

May: The current PCC and selected Presenting Team members to serve as presenters and facilitators, delivering content and experience at Leadership Summit. Registration fees are waived for the full Presenting Team, including the PCC members.

May-June: The current PCC and Support Center review candidates in the weeks following Leadership Summit to create a prioritized list of candidates. The Incoming PCC President determines which candidates best round out the continuing team and explores interests with candidates in June to discuss opportunities. There are usually 2-4 open spots in any given year as the Immediate Past President, and those members who are not embarking on a leadership track complete their 3-year terms. 

June-July: Leadership Advisor assignments are made, and the transition begins between the current year and next year’s advisors. The primary role for all incoming PCC members is a Leadership Advisor, with each person advising approximately 10-12 chapters across the country. Incoming PCC members also have additional opportunities to serve on and/or lead other committees as determined during the Summer Planning Meeting in July, in addition to expectations to serve on presenting teams for Regional Retreat and Leadership Summit presenting teams.

July-Nov: The PCC Term begins July 1st in alignment with the AMA Fiscal year and continues for a minimum of three years. The incoming committee’s first planning meeting usually happens in Chicago in July. There is a second in-person meeting (to review progress to plan and prepare for Regional/Midyear Retreat) traditionally in the President’s home town in October, an extended virtual meeting in January, and an extended in-person meeting in Chicago the week leading up to Summit. 

Nov: All PCC members whose primary role is Leadership Advisor typically facilitate the Regional/Midyear Retreat (planned and managed by the PCC Regional/Midyear Retreat Chair). The PCC member serves as the emcee for the assigned retreat, managing the host chapter, selecting panelists, and delivering content. This may involve travel and/or virtual facilitation. If travel is required, costs will be covered by the Support Center. Registration fees are waived for PCC facilitators.