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About the PMA
What is PMA?
The Professional Marketing Association (PMA) is an organization that provides networking, professional development, peer recognition and community involvement for marketing professionals in the Bowling Green-Warren County area.
Are You a Marketer?
You don't have to have "marketing" in your business title to be a marketer. Marketing is all about satisfying your customer's needs and wants. At PMA, we can help you do that better!
PMA Is for You!
Our programs strive to meet the needs of a diversified membership through guest speakers, roundtable discussions and networking.
Purpose
The purpose of the Professional Marketing Association of Bowling Green and Warren County is to offer an atmosphere for marketing professionals to meet on a regular basis for networking, professional development, peer recognition, and community involvement.
History
In the fall of 1992, the Founder of PMA, Alan Read, was serving as Director of Marketing for J.C. Holland & Co., a CPA firm in Bowling Green. Alan was pioneering a position that was new for professional firms and was interested in learning all he could from other marketing professionals. He contacted Alan Palmer, Marketing Director at Greenview Hospital and Ginger Cleary who worked at Capitol Arts to discuss the idea of starting a networking association for marketers.
They made a list of about 35 marketing professionals and sent them a letter inviting them to an organizational meeting at the Chamber of Commerce in November 1992. The Association was formed and started with 25 to 30 members. The first official meeting of the new Association was sponsored and held at Rivendell Psychiatric Hospital. The host was Kathie Curtis and networking was the main activity. The group decided to meet once per month, focus on networking, and dues were set at $10 per year to cover postage for mailings. The founding members chose to focus on marketing education and wanted to avoid meetings filled with promotional activities by members or time-consuming civic projects. The only officer elected was the President, Alan Read, who served more like an Executive Director.
Several monthly meetings were held in sponsor locations and then a meeting room was used for several months at the Kentucky Advanced Technology Center. Attendance grew to about 100 and a couple of the first guest speakers were Dan Cherry and Johnny Webb of Operation Pride. In 1994, the meeting location changed to the new University Plaza Hotel and dues were increased to $50 to supplement sponsorship of meetings. In January 1995, Jim Dickens was elected President and the first recipient of the Marketer of the Year award was Troy Dossett. About a year later the luncheon meetings moved to Mariah's Restaurant. During 1999, a Scholarship Fund was established and the first award was made in April 2000 to Shelli Ann Farris, a Western Kentucky University marketing student. PMA began 2001 with about 60 dues-paying members and continues to focus on marketing topics while providing an environment where marketing professionals can learn from each other.
Membership and Dues
Membership is open to anyone actively involved in marketing management of a product or service (profit or nonprofit).
Individuals interested in membership should submit an application to the Secretary of the Association. There are no set limits on the total number of members from any one entity. Membership dues are $60 per member per calendar year.
Meetings
Membership meetings take place at 11:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month except December, and are held upstairs at Mariah's Restaurant in downtown Bowling Green. Meetings are conducted for networking and educational purposes. No selling or soliciting of the membership base is to take place during meetings. Presentations are informational, not for the purpose of selling a product or service to the membership. The Association will cover the meal cost of potential members at their first meeting.
Committees
Bylaw Committee - The Bylaw Committee periodically reviews the Bylaws and recommends any changes to the Association.
Scholarship Committee - The Scholarship Committee is responsible for overseeing the PMA Scholarship Fund which is administered by the College Heights Foundation. The recipient of the annual PMA Scholarship is selected from applications who are Seniors at Western Kentucky University with a major or minor in Marketing. Other requirements include:
1. A minimum 2.8 cumulative grade point average.
2. An interest in pursuing a marketing career.
3. The completion of a WKU scholarship application along with an introductory letter and resume.
4. The presentation of a two-page essay on an assigned meeting topic at a PMA meeting.
Membership Committee - The Membership Committee is responsible for keeping the membership directory up-to-date, attracting new members, and conducting an annual membership drive.