Annette Medlin, IOM

Senior Consultant

I began my professional career in the arts and then shifted into nonprofit management. Most of my time has been spent either managing or consulting with chambers of commerce both in the U.S. and internationally. While arts and business nonprofits are very different communities, there is actually a very common connection! First, all nonprofits, regardless of their area of focus, are passionate about their work or cause and about the belief that what they do is having a lasting effect on the community of people they serve. Second, successful events, engaged volunteers, and fundraising are critical for success and to ensure the lasting impact they desire. The fundamental language of nonprofits is the same. People, passion, and the power of a community, fueled by the investments of that community through time, talent, and capital.

Two of my top five strengths in the CliftonStrengths Assessment are connectedness and activator. Those are exactly what I do and why I love it. I love communities of all kinds; I love making connections with people, and between people who are passionately engaged in a nonprofit community. Then, I love digging in and working with my own passion and commitment to see those people achieve the goals they have set for success!

Annette is a skilled nonprofit organization management professional with 20+ years in the field. She is a resource for associations, nonprofits, and chambers of commerce in the areas of membership development, engagement and retention, fundraising strategies, tiered benefits development, board and staff development, collaborative leadership, strategic planning, effective communications, systems assessment and development, and volunteer recruitment and management.

Having successfully led three chambers of commerce, Annette has a quick eye for assessing an organization, its challenges and obstacles, and identifying solutions for new efficiencies and success. When meeting with diverse organization constituencies, from board leadership and community leaders to event volunteers and staff, Annette can fluidly adapt to the audience and deliver the exact message appropriate to the situation.

A common thread through all of Annette’s work is her passion around communities of people and connecting them with the solutions they need to succeed. In her work as a consultant on a special project for the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Annette worked in country with the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry to collaboratively build a sustainable budget, develop strategies to increase membership and other revenue streams, and develop systems for efficient organization management.

Annette has been a speaker and workshop facilitator for many state chamber of commerce associations, individual chambers, and other nonprofits, as well as the U.S. Chamber Institute for Organization Management program, and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

Summary of Experience

  • Served as President and CEO for three chambers of commerce in South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.
  • Consultant for a special project with the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • Conducted membership campaigns for chambers of commerce all over the U.S. and Canada resulting in significant growth in members and new revenue.
  • Board member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Southeast Institute Board of Regents, the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (Chair), the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and numerous social and civic nonprofit organizations.
  • Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum, Waccamaw Chapter.
  • Fellow with the Business Leads Fellowship Program through US Chamber Foundation Workforce and Education Division.
  • Awarded “Chamber Executive of the Year” in South Carolina.