PERSPECTIVE: MAC PRESIDENT AND THE YEAR IN REVIEW

As we enter the final months of 2020, I have some personal reflections on MAC and its future. We have a lot to celebrate, even in this challenging year with the impact COVID-19 had on many of our organizations and clients. The past year’s events provided us with an opportunity to pause and take stock of where we are and where we want to go. As MAC President during this period, I have the utmost respect for all of our members and their continued dedication to a mission and profession that makes the world a better place by focusing on maintaining the payment ecosystem’s integrity. We all win when we collaborate to achieve that common objective.

2020 was an eventful year at MAC, filled with “firsts“ and other successes as we began our metamorphosis. A few highlights of how we spent our time during C-19 include:

Spring 2020

Hired MAC’s first Executive Director, Mark Nelson.
Hosted our largest Level-Up event to date, with more than 550 registered attendees.
Launched a new website and underlying systems as the first stage in improving MAC’s online presence and capabilities.

Summer 2020

Adopted a new strategic plan, labeled CREATE, to provide for disciplined focus and alignment to the pursuit of our mission.
Implemented a new email system, new project management platform, and other tools and practices to improve our operational efficiency.
Conducted our first Board Self-Assessment to establish a baseline and define priorities to improve our governance model.
Adopted our first comprehensive policy and procedures manual and introduced several changes to our governance model.

Fall 2020

Hosted our first Virtual Regional event and began planning for a Virtual Tech Day in March 2021 and a hybrid event for Level-Up in July 2021.
Completed plans for a new website experience and began working on implementation details for 2021. Crafted a new dues model to increase MAC’s value to member organizations and streamline the member experience.
Conducted previously delayed elections.
Launched MAC Dispatch as the first of multiple planned new resources to keep members informed about MAC and the changing payment ecosystem.

I have a personal plea for each of you, to please come and re-discover MAC! Re-engage with MAC and be part of our commitment to our mission and to you, our members. We seek volunteers to help with everything from writing small pieces of content to leading larger initiatives. Take this opportunity to make a difference by improving MAC’s capacity to help you and your organizations successfully manage risk, compliance, and fraud in today’s increasingly complex world.

Despite the challenges we all faced in 2020, MAC demonstrated that we can continue to both provide and impact change when we work together. I am grateful to all the volunteers, staff, sponsors, and members who endure through these challenging times to make the payment ecosystem and the MAC community a collaborative success.

I look forward to 2021 as a year of continued success for MAC and its members, thanks to a continuing spirit of teamwork and shared mission.

Sincerely,
Georgia Stavrakis, President
MAC