Meet ACN’s New Assistant Executive Director, VJ Mayor!
By Ashlyn Rochester, Communications Specialist
The Ag Comm Network team is growing! Recently, senior association manager and certified association executive VJ Mayor joined the ACN staff team as assistant executive director. With an affinity for marketing and communications and 10+ years of experience with national professional organizations, VJ is a great addition to the team. He traveled with Executive Director Samantha Kilgore to Commodity Classic last week in Orlando to meet some of the faces of the ag communications industry and we sat down to get to know him a little better.
ACN: So, why do you enjoy working with associations?
VJ: I love working with associations because I love what they stand for. People come together to represent a common cause to advance a mission and vision to better the field or industry to which they belong. I am not sure if anyone grows up saying they want to be an association executive, but if more people knew how rewarding it could be, then maybe they would!
ACN: What is exciting about the Ag Communicators Network?
VJ: What excites me most about the Ag Communicators Network is the people. From those that I was able to meet recently in Orlando, it is easy to see the strength of this community. Not only are members of ACN colleagues, but they are also friends too. From editors and publishers to freelancers, photographers, and more, the association is diverse regarding the media landscape and I could not be more thrilled to get started.
ACN: What do you do when you’re not working?
VJ: When I’m not working, I like spending time with my wife Mollie. We enjoy traveling, hiking, traveling to hike, and spending time with our families. I also enjoy sports and am currently working on my golf and pickleball (the fastest-growing sport in America!) game.
VJ will work with Samantha, Ashlyn, Gina, and other staff members of the ACN team to help grow sponsorships, educational efforts, and strategy alongside the board in the coming months. For questions, contact Samantha Kilgore at [email protected].