Advisory Committees to Lead Reorganized DMA Councils

The Direct Marketing Association has plans next month to announce a major reorganization of all its special interest councils. Council leaders from 2007 were notified that changes were on the horizon during a meeting earlier this year with DMA staff and by written communications.

One already announced change has caused contention and at least a couple of members have withheld payment of dues for annual council membership renewals. The dissatisfaction stems from the DMA’s determination to choose who leads councils, instead of allowing councils to self-select leaders through elections, as it has been the practice for years, according to two former council officers.

“Working with the councils, we’ll select the chair and vice chair, says Ken Ebeling, DMA vice president of member loyalty services.

“The DMA councils are run by DMA staff and it’s always been that way. In the past we’ve had operating committees, but we’re switching to strategic advisory committees. When everything comes out in January everything will be organized a whole lot better.” Ebeling says.

Linda Huntoon, executive vice president of consumer list brokerage at Direct Media Inc. and a longtime member of the DMA’s List and Database Council, is concerned that vendors might be relegated to a smaller role in that particular council, which she believes would be misguided because she says vendors serve as a conduit for list and database information for mailers. Huntoon has given years of service to the council as both an operating committee member and officer. She’s been a DMA member for 30 years.

Traditionally, members of the List and Database Council have nominated officers for an operating committee, an election followed and the following year’s council leadership has been determined by November, she says.

The most recent and last chairperson for the List and Database Council, Stefanie Pont says she is also not aware of any new advisory committee being formed to lead the council this year. She owns Pont Media Direct and first joined the council in 1994.

“I frankly don’t know who is running the List and Database Council now. The last time I made an inquiry (the week of Dec. 10) there still wasn’t an advisory committee,” says Pont.

Pont like Huntoon has postponed renewing her council membership. Both say they want to find out how the council will be organized in 2008 before they’ll pay any dues to renew their longtime memberships. Both wondered aloud whether the DMA was having any trouble finding new council leaders who aren’t vendors.