Name: Mary Kathryn Jackson

Position: Manager, Member Engagement

When did you join AACE?
I joined AACE in June 2022 – almost a year… time flies when you’re having fun! Within my first 2 weeks, I had some in-person onboarding at the AACE Conference & Expo in San Antonio and saw our members in action with Jenga blocks.

Why do you do what you do, professionally?
Like many association professionals, I fell into this career path. My undergraduate degree is in history and English, and I assumed I would continue working with children and become a teacher. Life had other plans. I was working as a preschool teacher and finally found a new opportunity in the certification department at an association based in my hometown of Memphis, TN. In my 10 years working there, I learned a lot about the association profession and grew my career. I worked in certification, membership, volunteer management, community engagement, and chapter relations. I consider myself a lifetime learner (and, if we’re being honest, probably a career college student), earning two masters degrees in business and accounting and then the credential of Certified Association Executive (CAE). 

Association management is unique and very much volunteer driven work. I do what I do professionally because I truly enjoy it. The work is purposeful and meaningful and allows you to directly see the effect of new initiatives and programs for our members. That’s what makes it all worthwhile! I can’t imagine working outside of the association world now and am thankful for my impromptu career path.

What have you learned working at AACE? Or What do you enjoy most about working at AACE?
I have learned so much from the AACE staff, volunteers, and members. The AACE staff is the best group of people I have ever worked with! Each person is extremely talented in their respective area, and they are such a fun group. There is an association for everything, and I knew nothing about cost engineering or project controls prior to working here. Some of what our members discuss is still a foreign language to me, but understanding what is important to our members and the different technical areas and career paths has been interesting and insightful.

Tell us about your interests, family, and/or a fun fact!
Outside of work, most of my time is spent with family. My husband, Brian, and I have been married for about 3 years, and he keeps me laughing. My kids, Isabella and Cooper, ensure life is always busy. Cooper is 11 years old, and Isabella is 1 – yes, a 10 year age gap! My evenings and weekends are consumed with chasing Isabella, who may very well be the fastest and most temperamental toddler I have ever met. Isabella enjoys singing Disney songs, screaming when she doesn’t get her way, and sometimes makes a cameo at staff meetings. Cooper has a love of history, science, and legos and is a straight A student. From 3 years old to present, he falls asleep each night watching a documentary. Cooper plays soccer twice each weekend, though I have a suspicion he is on the team because he likes to dress up in uniform. He asked for compression sleeves because they would complete his soccer outfit. He will either grow up to invent a new technology or become an actor – it’s a toss-up!

In a life before children (and on the rare occasion now), I spend time with friends and enjoy local bands and breweries, paint and wine night, or a drive-in movie. My family and I share a love of traveling too.

Fun facts: I have lived in Memphis most of my life and have a very southern double first name – Mary Kathryn. It’s a family tradition to have a daughter with a “Mary” double name, which I didn’t follow with my own children. I remember being out with friends on more than one occasion and meeting people for the first time. This was during the time when Mary Katherine Gallagher was popular on Saturday Night Live, so you can imagine the reactions when I shared my name – “Super Star”!

I live in midtown Memphis, which is a lively area in the center of the city with many old houses and an abundance of character. My house was built in the 1910’s and used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. The original artwork is still on the walls in the basement. Old houses come with a lot of problems, but that is one cool piece of history!