Board Member Spotlight – meet Aimee Stern, AMADC’s Communications Chair.

Board Member Spotlight: Aimee Stern

Career paths are like rollercoasters. There are ups, downs and curves. Sometimes you’re spinning. Sometimes you’re upside down. For Aimee Stern, AMADC board member and communications committee chair, this rollercoaster ride has been eclectic, fun and – most importantly – on her own terms. 

Aimee started off as a business journalist in New York, reporting on all things marketing and advertising for publications such as The New York Times, Fortune and Business Week. After nearly a decade as a reporter, she landed in academia writing case studies for the marketing department at the Harvard Business School – where she made a realization that would initiate her next career move.

“I was in Japan researching and writing a case study on the diaper market,” said Aimee. “I was sitting in a boardroom listening to men trying to talk about diapers. It was at that moment that I understood that you don’t know anything until you’re on the inside of these organizations. So, I decided I would continue to write about marketing, but I really needed to do marketing.”

With that, Aimee moved to DC and landed at a PR agency, where she was instrumental in building the agency’s science and engineering practice. After securing several large contracts for the agency, Aimee made her biggest career leap yet: starting her own marketing and PR business. 

“Going out on my own is when I really started doing marketing,” said Aimee. “I loved it. It was fun, creative and interesting. I got a lot of clients who wanted PR, and we would integrate the marketing in so it was the full strategic package.”

Eager to continue building her network for her new business, Aimee dove headfirst into AMADC. By pushing the envelope and bringing fresh ideas to the association, Aimee became AMADC’s communications chair, where she leads everything from newsletters to social media to event promotion. 

“My role at AMADC allows me to be very creative,” said Aimee. “ No one comes back to me and says, ‘You can’t do it this way.’ It’s nice to have such a collegial environment. There are good people here.”  

With a career rollercoaster as diverse and dynamic as Aimee’s, you’re sure to learn a lot about marketing – and about yourself. 

“I learned very young that I’m not afraid of really powerful people,” said Aimee. “They’re just people. I treat them as equals because we are. Okay, so I don’t run a multibillion-dollar company, but I really don’t want to. I know what I’m good at, and I run with it.” 

Want to get involved with AMADC? Become a member and fill out the volunteer application here.