Beginner’s Guide: Experiencing the Power of Partnership as a Summit Newcomer
If one theme rang clear during the 2025 Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) Summit, it was this: connection and sharing benefit individual professionals and the industry itself.
From an opening session with dozens of other newcomers to the final day’s awards ceremony speeches, the value of collaboration was repeated – by speakers, peers and in many gratifying conversations. Over breakfast, for example, I connected with Cece Roeder, Senior Marketing Manager at Christianson, over the challenges of being a solo marketer. She left me her card and a pro tip about an email list cleaning tool (Kickbox). These sometimes brief but always substantive exchanges were at the heart of Summit.
At an opening night reception, I spoke with Brian Falony, one of AAM’s early members. He first attended Summit in its second year, in 1991. Since then, he has attended most Summits and was in Phoenix this year celebrating the event’s 35th anniversary. His advice was simple but effective (and sounded familiar), “focus on creating relationships—these are the people you’ll lean on when you need advice about a project you’re working on.”
It’s not surprising relationship-building, connection and sharing kept surfacing. After all, the profession of accounting marketing is relatively new. It wasn’t until 1978 that the AICPA amended its Code of Professional Ethics to permit advertising and publicity using print and broadcast media. The move came after a Supreme Court case removed an advertising ban the plaintiffs argued “[kept] the public in ignorance.” The ruling opened the door to marketing professional services.
The marketing profession has seen many innovations since 1978 and it’s clear AAM works to stay ahead of the curve. Generative artificial intelligence, arguably the greatest disruptor today, came up in nearly every session. Some sessions were entirely devoted to it. My takeaway was the role communications and marketing professionals play today is more important than ever to help firm leaders chart a path forward.
On the final day of Summit, winners of AAM awards were announced including AAM’s 2025 Marketer of the Year. Kristen Lewis, Managing Director of Marketing at EisnerAmper, received the honor. Her acceptance speech brought home the theme of forging connections. “Many of my nearest and dearest mentors and peers are in this room…Their generosity in sharing knowledge and experiences has made me a better marketer, and I am committed to giving that back.” She encouraged everyone in the room to collaborate and share innovation “to help ensure marketers have an even bigger role in building and growing the firm of the future.”
About Marci Suazo
Marci Suazo is Marketing and Communications Director for JCCS, the largest locally owned public accounting firm in Montana. Before joining JCCS, she worked in communications and public relations roles in local government, higher education, and non-profits. Her career began in journalism. She served as a public radio reporter for many years before jumping into communications. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Montana and an MA in Communication and Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University.
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