NATM Says Farewell To Monica Johnson

For 15 years, Monica Johnson has been a fixture of NATM and an invaluable contributor to the Association’s success. On Jan. 31, Monica will be joining her husband in their next great chapter —retirement!

In 2006, NATM hired Monica to assist with part-time administrative work. She quickly proved herself to be capable, versatile, and meticulous with details, and as such, she started supporting the Convention, member services, and the NATM Compliance Verification Program. While in this role, Monica became the master user of NATM’s membership database, serving as a resource to her entire team. On top of this, Monica has also been a vital part of NATM’s onboarding process over the years. Her expansive knowledge of NATM’s programs and processes as well as her innate teaching ability and endless patience have made her a key trainer for new staff.

As NATM’s staff structure continued to evolve, and Monica continued to prove her adaptability and attention to detail, she was promoted to Trade Show Director, working with exhibitors and overseeing registration. She helped to streamline processes and sold out the trade show floor year after year. In this role, Monica also led the transition of the Association with the unenviable task of switching membership databases —a project which took many months and long hours to carry out. Monica quickly learned the new system and again trained her fellow employees. Not long after, Monica played a significant role in transitioning NATM’s Convention booth sales process to an online software—a transition which has paid dividends in time, resources, and user ease since its implementation.

In 2017, as the NATM staff again evolved, Monica was approached to take over the role of Quality Director, handling NATM’s Quality Management System and ensuring its adherence to ISO 17020, an international standard for certification bodies. Monica was the perfect fit for this role. Her attention to detail, expansive knowledge of NATM and its processes, and ability to work independently and self-motivate set her apart. While the Quality Director role was not one that Monica had envisioned for herself, it was her commitment to what is best for her team that led to her taking on the role willingly and with fervor.

Monica is a “Jane-of-All-Trades”, the best example of a utility player. She knows it all because during her 15 years she has done it all. She provides historical perspective, but is equally invested in change and progress—she truly lives a life devoted to continuous improvement. Monica has spent her tenure being a reliable, hardworking, and loyal member of the NATM team. She has taken on new roles and changing responsibilities with incredible grace and flexibility. She is trusted by her entire team to do whatever needs to be done and to do it well. She will be leaving the Association better than she found it.

As Monica embarks on her well-deserved retirement, NATM will miss her immensely. The NATM staff will miss her steadfast approach to all tasks, her willingness to pitch in, and the baked goods she would bring throughout the year —but most especially the giant tray of goodies around the holidays. She treated her coworkers like friends, she cared deeply about everyone, and she showed that in countless ways over her 15 years with NATM.

NATM wishes Monica well as she settles into the full-time role of wife, mother, and “Grandmama” to four adorable grandsons! May this next chapter be filled with things she loves most!