PPAI has promoted Natalie Clark to director of membership services. Clark joined the Association in September 2013 as manager of membership services. Since then, she has played a decisive role in several of PPAI’s initiatives, including the implementation of the PPAI Associate Program and the PPAI Industry Directory, and assumed responsibility for the Association’s Affinity Programs.

Clark joined PPAI from Mannatech, where she worked for 17 years. At Mannatech, she served as senior vice president overseeing North America sales and operations, and was the vice president of business systems managing cross-functional teams through a major system redesign, policy and procedure compliance, call-center operations and the project management office.

PPB Newslink recently spoke with Clark on her new position and her expectations for the role.

PPB Newslink: What excites you about your new position within the Association?

Natalie Clark: What excites me the most is the increased engagement with PPAI and the board leadership; to better understand the industry from their perspective and bring that knowledge back to the membership services team. I’m a strong believer in change management and strategic alignment, so having a seat at the table to help my team evolve is exciting to me.

PPB Newslink: In your view, how does your position fit within PPAI’s goal of serving its members?

Clark: My position serves members by evaluating new membership trends, best practices and statistics to determine direction. I rely on my experience, staff and counterparts in other departments to develop new programs or technology to best serve our members. My goal is to attempt to put myself in our members shoes, to build the best experience from their perspective. I hope to continually make improvements to meet the PPAI goal of serving members.

PPB Newslink: What are your plans for your first 90 days in the position?

Clark: Over the first 90 days, I plan to work with the Membership Services team to create a mission statement and develop a new short-term plan that incorporates their vision. I want to develop future leaders within the department, matching their strengths with their career interests. I’ve had great mentors in my life and I’d like to pay it forward.

PPB Newslink: Outside of PPAI, what are your interests?

Clark: My interests are pretty simple. Aside from my husband and daughters, who keep me grounded, happy and laughing, I really love my cats. I also enjoy getting in the car and going somewhere with the tunes up and windows down. Road trips create beautiful memories.