{"id":4447,"date":"2015-06-22T09:23:22","date_gmt":"2015-06-22T13:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/?p=4447"},"modified":"2015-06-22T09:23:22","modified_gmt":"2015-06-22T13:23:22","slug":"mick-fleming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naylor.com\/associationadviser\/mick-fleming\/","title":{"rendered":"You Get All of Me\u2014I Hope You Like It"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mick
Mick Fleming,\u00a0ACCE<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Our Corner Office spotlight shines on Mick Fleming<\/strong>, president of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives<\/a> (ACCE) which serves 1,400 chambers of commerce nationwide and 7,000 individuals.<\/p>\n

\"Tweetables\"<\/p>\n

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Communicating via the written word is essential today. Every single ACCE job applicant must take a timed writing test.\u00a0\"LilTweetablesSmall\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the not-for-profit world you must lead people who don\u2019t work for you. It\u2019s about relationships and buying in to your way of doing things.\u00a0\"LilTweetablesSmall\"<\/a><\/p>\n

High-performing chambers don\u2019t let a small group of people\u2014\u201cThe Gang of 13\u201d\u2014run everything in town.\u00a0\"LilTweetablesSmall\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Hire for culture fit and then train for job function.\u00a0\"LilTweetablesSmall\"<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Association Adviser<\/strong>: Mick, tell us a little about ACCE and its core activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mick Fleming<\/strong>: <\/strong>For ACCE members, we offer a wealth of information, professional development opportunities, management techniques and best practices through publications, online education, conferences and networking. I\u2019ve got 24 great staff members focused on helping member organizations with certifications, employee benefit plans, consulting and networking opportunities for community leaders throughout North America. I\u2019m pleased to say we have representation in 130 of the top 150 markets\u2014that\u2019s pretty strong penetration.<\/p>\n

AA: Nearly everyone has a chamber in their area, but not everyone understands what a chamber of commerce really does.<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>That\u2019s right. A business-led civic and economic advancement entity operating in a specific space may call itself any number of things \u2013 board of trade, business council, etc. \u2013 but they are all chambers of commerce. They\u2019re organizations of businesses seeking to further their collective interests while also advancing their community, region, state or even nation. Business owners in towns, cities and other territories voluntarily form these local societies\/networks to advocate on behalf of the community at large. Chambers have existed in the U.S. for more than 200 years \u2014 we\u2019ve been around since 1914.<\/p>\n

AA<\/strong>: Sounds pretty diverse. What do chambers of commerce have in common?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>Five primary goals:
\n1. Building communities to which residents, visitors and investors are attracted.
\n2. Promoting those communities.
\n3. Ensuring future prosperity via a pro-business climate.
\n4. Representing the unified voice of the employer community.
\n5. Reducing transactional friction through well-functioning networks.<\/p>\n

AA: <\/strong>Tell us a little about your career path and how you came to the helm of ACCE.<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>I\u2019ve been here since 2001. Previously, I was chief executive of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York representing companies and facilities all over upstate New York and spent a decade and a half with the Business Council of New York State.<\/p>\n

AA: <\/strong>That\u2019s a logical progression, but you also taught school, coached football and published newspapers. How have those experiences helped you in your current role?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>In the not-for-profit world you have to lead people who don\u2019t technically work for you. It\u2019s all about relationships and buying in to your way of doing things. That certainly came into play during my teaching and coaching days. It was especially important in football, because I was put in charge of a prep-school startup team. I had to set the foundation not just follow an existing program. The small newspaper I worked at was a startup too. It was very tough sometimes. It wasn\u2019t exactly the New York Times<\/em>. I was selling ads. It was all relationship sales\u2014you\u2019re selling dust. People are buying you as much as they\u2019re buying the ads.<\/p>\n

AA: <\/strong>So, how would you describe your leadership and management style?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>Being vulnerable. That\u2019s the way I work. That\u2019s the way I write. As you can tell, I don\u2019t hold back a lot. You get all of me [whether you want it or not]. I hope you like it.<\/p>\n

AA: You\u2019ve been with ACCE since 2001. What are biggest changes you\u2019ve seen during your tenure, especially with regard to membership?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>Membership has been remarkably stable\u2014maybe a 7 percent drop in accounts during the depths of the recession, but only a minor reduction in dues money. There have always been waves in how civic-minded corporations are. If anything, I\u2019d say today there\u2019s less overt \u201clapel grabbing.\u201d It\u2019s more subtle advocacy for the advancement of business. Also, I\u2019d like to remind your readers that during our centennial convention in 2014 we changed our name from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives to the Association of Commerce Executives to reflect a more global perspective.<\/p>\n

\"AssociationAA: <\/strong>How about membership growth for chambers of commerce overall, i.e., among your members\u2019 organizations? <\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>In terms of membership growth for chambers, it is affected by slumps in the economy generally. But, there are numerous exceptions in which a hurting economy makes people more reliant on their chambers.\u00a0For instance, right now, membership and engagement in Houston Partnership is strong, even though the oil business is struggling.<\/p>\n

AA: What other changes have you seen during your 14 years at the helm of ACCE?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>The revenue model is different. It used to be a lot more about our affinity programs. But with the web and such an open marketplace, it\u2019s very hard to put a \u201cvelvet rope\u201d around those programs we offer. Non-dues revenue is much bigger for us now. Our annual convention has grown into a 7-figure business. We\u2019re expecting over 1,000 attendees in Montreal in August. Also, foundations, online courses and corporate sponsorships have become much more important to us.<\/p>\n

AA: What are your members\u2019 biggest concerns?<\/strong><\/p>\n

MF: <\/strong>Four come to mind right off the bat:-\u201cMillennial Phobia.\u201d You\u2019ve got to get whole organizations to buy in, not just the individual.<\/p>\n