Name: Deb Lally

Position: Executive Director / CEO

When did you join AACE?

July 2020. What better time to start a new job than at the beginning of a global pandemic?!

Why do you do what you do, professionally?

To help people do better and be better.

When I was a kid, I loved going into work with my mom. I would empty out the backgammon case and use that as my briefcase (hey, it was the 80s). I couldn’t wait to have a career, but I didn’t know “why” until I discovered association management. By their very nature, not-for-profit associations exist to help improve an industry and those in the profession. I love that. Leading a mission driven organization grounds both members and staff in the purpose of the work. Since I started at AACE, I’ve asked “why” a lot. It’s sparked a lot of conversation around how we work and how we could serve members even better. And that all starts with developing ourselves.

What have you learned working at AACE? Or What do you enjoy most about working at AACE?

So much! While I like to challenge myself, let me tell you, starting a new job as a CEO at the beginning of Covid was by far my biggest professional challenge to date. There was no book or podcast or mentor to tell me how to lead when there were so many unknowns. I’ve learned a lot about adapting, resilience, and empathy. In 2020, we made the decision to close our physical office. Operationally, the move to a virtual workplace has been pretty seamless and we’ve created a lot of efficiencies. Culturally? It’s tricky. (Although so is leading an in-person workplace.) Figuring out how to make this paradigm shift work for me and our team has taught me to be more intentional around communication. I’ve paid attention. We need to meet people where they’re at and that doesn’t change based on where our desks happen to be. That phrase “it’s not personal, it’s business” needs to stay in the 80s where it probably originated. Because business is personal. When you put the people first, results will follow. Which brings me to what I enjoy most about working at AACE: the people! And how much I’ve laughed with our team over the last two years.

Tell us about your interests, family, and/or a fun fact!

I’m a mom to two teenagers, and one puppy, who all entertain and exhaust me. I spend a lot of non-work hours at athletic fields. I’m a proud Bostonian, get antsy if I don’t spend part of the day outdoors, and love the adventure and humility of travel (I just got back from Portugal!).

Fun fact: I’m a word nerd. My first job was in my hometown’s public library, the first part of my career was in publishing as an editor, I’m usually the first one to spot a typo, I have a word of the day app, and I’m always in the middle of one or two books. My bookshelf at home is organized by the Dewey Decimal System (I told you: nerd). And a parenting tip – read what your kids are reading in school. It keeps them interested and they actually read some pretty cool stuff.