Strengthening Women Leadership in Association Management: A Conversation with Mollie Pillman + Dana Kirkhart

Better By Association

In this episode, we talk to Mollie Pillman, MS, MBA, CAE, senior vice president of member engagement for the American College of Emergency Physicians, and Dana Kirkhart, CEM, director of client services for Freeman. They join our hosts Steven Stout, FASAE, CAE, and Katy Markert for an engaging conversation wrapped around key takeaways from TSAE's recent Women's Summit and the importance of future events geared towards women, leading during challenging times, doing more with less, the power of mentorship, and getting involved in the association community. Oh, and we throw in a little wine talk to keep things going!

This episode is sponsored by Visit Galveston.

Better By Association is produced by Association Briefings.

Show Notes

Mollie Pillman has over fifteen years of professional experience in creating and communicating member and customer value. She is a passionate, resourceful leader who enjoys setting strategic direction, solving complex problems through innovation, and working collaboratively to achieve measurable results.
Mollie is the current SVP of Member Engagement at the American College of Emergency Physicians, where she is responsible for the strategic assessment, development and implementation of programs designed to create a professional home for emergency medicine physicians. Her previous roles included SVP of Member Services at the American Osteopathic Association, Chief Membership Officer at the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Senior Director of Strategy & Transformation at the American Health Information Management Association, and additional operational leadership and project management positions.
Mollie holds an M.B.A. from DePaul University specializing in Leadership and Change Management, an M.S. in Health Systems Management from Rush University, a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt certification, and is a Certified Association Executive. She is committed to lifelong learning and to serving as a mentor to future leaders.

Dana Kirkhart started her events industry career in 2007 as the Expo Operations Manager for the Texas Restaurant Association. In 2010 she went to work for CDS Events for a year before they were acquired by Freeman in 2011. Currently the Director of Client Solutions at Freeman, she supports the San Antonio, Austin and Houston Market. Her volunteer involvement in the industry is significant, serving in almost every capacity for IAEE-CTC, including as Chair of the organization twice. Her awards and honors include the Certification in Exhibition Management designation and the IAEE Merit Award, both in 2016, as well as the IAEE Central Texas Chapter Chairman's Award in 2019. Dana was most recently named the 2023 Southwest Showcase Industry Professional of the Year.