Erin M. Fuller, MPA, CAE

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Areas of Expertise:

• Growth-focused leadership of high-profile organizations
• Component relations strategies
• Board consensus building
• Thoughtful industry sector advocacy and representation

Erin Fuller joined The Coulter Companies as a Senior Associate in 2002, was named a Vice President in 2006 and Group President, Strategy & Innovation in 2009. Fuller also serves as the President for the Alliance for Women in Media, an organization which advances the impact of women in the media and allied fields. She served as executive director for Coulter client Tysons Tomorrow, an advocacy group seeking transit-oriented development for one of the fasted growing economic centers in the U.S. from 2008 – 2010. From 2002 – 2008, Fuller focused on serving as the chief staff executive for former Coulter client the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). Under her leadership, NAWBO experienced enormous growth in all sectors of its operations, including successful advocacy efforts regarding women-owned businesses, a re-imagined brand and event strategy and increases in corporate investment by 400% during her tenure.

Through her work with Coulter Strategy & Innovation, Fuller and her consulting colleagues have delivered expert guidance to high profile national and international nonprofits on topics including association financial management, governance redesign, comprehensive marketing, branding and communication plans. Client organizations include the International Association of Continuing Education and Training, the National Council of Jewish Women, the American Society of Women Accountants and the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund.

Fuller has partnered on programs with organizations including: the Fannie Mae Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Merck Foundation.

Prior to joining The Coulter Companies, Fuller served as the executive director of the Community Associations Institute (CAI) Research Foundation and as vice president of CAI's education department, where her leadership led to doubled program revenues during a two-year period. She also helped develop and administer a 16-course curriculum for community association leaders that was presented across the country via in-person and distance learning programs.

Fuller's previous employment includes positions with Andersen Consulting (now Accenture), the American Medical Student Association/Foundation and American University. She has consulted for organizations including Dartmouth University's Koop Institute, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Latino Council on Alcohol and Tobacco and the Children's Defense Fund. She has facilitated a number of workshops on survey and educational program design, and has authored a number of articles that have appeared in national and regional publications.

Fuller received both her undergraduate and master of public administration degrees from American University in Washington, D.C., and also has obtained the certified association executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives. Fuller has served as a faculty member for the CAE Immersion course for the past six years, where she teaches content including financial management, strategic planning and brand management. In addition, Fuller serves as an associate professor at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has taught "Introduction to Non-Profit Management" since 2005, and is a featured guest lecturer within the graduate Public Administration program at American University. She currently serves as the president-elect of the American University Alumni Association Executive Board, as well as on the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee advisory board. She served on the board of directors of the National Center for Association Leadership from 2003-2006, as well as the editorial board of the Journal of Association Leadership. Fuller was named one of Association Trends Leading Young Association Executives in 2000, and received a fellowship to study leadership at The Banff Centre in 2002 from the Canadian Bureau of Tourism.

Fuller, her husband, Mike Leurdijk, and their two sons reside in Arlington, Virginia.

Now, here's the backstory on Erin:

• Hometown: Auburn, Massachusetts
• Parents: Mom was the CEO of a regional nonprofit; Dad worked in the family business.
• Favorite TV shows as a kid: M*A*S*H and The Brady Bunch
• Spent my days as a youth: Lots of piano and musical theater, soccer...and I was a proud Camp Fire girl!
• Thing I hate to admit, even to myself: My budding singing career is probably not going to progress past karaoke in my living room. If only American Idol had been around a decade earlier!
• Hobbies: Reading and travel, despite the efforts of my two young children to make both of those far more difficult to get done.
• First "paycheck" job: Doing a massive data-entry project converting text-based medical records into a new-fangled database system, when I was 13.
• First car: A 1978 Caprice classic – it needed as much oil as gas!
• First job after college: Fundraising consultant at a D.C. special events firm – my first project was the first "Rock the Vote" initiative, which was a lot of fun!
• Thing you would most likely learn about me in the first five minutes of conversation: That I speak much too quickly (some might say that I talk too much in general).
• Myers-Briggs type: ENTJ
• Personal quote: "Regret nothing."
• For me, perfect happiness is: A beautiful day surrounded by my family, friends, fantastic food and wine and a lot of spirited conversation.
• If I had to do it all over again: I already said I try to have no regrets!