Kristin Graham, Account Director at Strategic Association Management (SAM), has been awarded the 2025 Association Management Company (AMC) Leaders Scholarship by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Research Foundation.

The AMC Leaders Scholarship is awarded to three professionals each year to strengthen the AMC community and workforce by providing funding, connections and learning opportunities through ASAE programming, coaching and mentorship. The scholarship is awarded to AMC professionals who demonstrate a clear commitment to the AMC model, articulate its value to the association community and show both initiative and potential for growth in their roles.

In her role at SAM, Kristin serves as Account Director for two statewide associations, where she draws on her background in education to help organizations operate with excellence and empower members to achieve their goals. She also serves as development manager, leading employee engagement initiatives, annual reviews and professional development.

"This scholarship will strengthen Kristin's understanding of the benefits of the AMC model and enhance our company’s efforts to serve association partners even more effectively," said JJ Colburn, CAE, co-CEO at Strategic Association Management. "We are proud to see her leadership and contributions recognized at the national level."