I want to personally share some important news with you and our friends in the membership world. After almost 40 years of leading Membership Consultants in this cultural membership profession in which we all work, I have decided that it’s time to wind down my involvement.  But despite my role as founder and president coming to a close, Membership Consultants will continue to serve our special niche market as part of Dragonfly Collective Agency, under the leadership of Alicia Lifrak and Membership Consultants’ veteran, Tabetha Pund. Our dedicated staff of Karen Mariani, Deborah Nelson, and Angela Bilzing will also continue in their client service roles with The Collective.

This new path for Membership Consultants is a natural choice to pass on the membership torch. Our staff has worked closely with Alicia Lifrak of Dragonfly Collective for almost 10 years. My colleagues Tabetha, Karen, and Deborah have shared the membership profession passion with me for a total of almost 80 years, collectively.

Dragonfly Collective Agency is a full-service firm that exclusively serves nonprofit clients with marketing, fundraising, and membership programs. The breadth of services offered will be greatly expanded for current and future membership clients. I have full faith and trust that my Dragonfly colleagues will lead the Membership Consultants legacy with the same care, vision, and purpose as I have done.

We will take the opportunity to launch our partnership at upcoming conferences and webinars, and the client services will transition officially on January 1, 2027. The teams are already working together to ensure a seamless experience for our clients.

I am looking forward to attending AZA and AMMC this fall for one last tour and visit with friends and clients, and I will continue to support Dragonfly in the year ahead as Membership Strategy Consultant, as needed.

It is with great pride that I look back on almost four decades of working with more than 700 museums, zoos, aquariums, gardens, and non-profit organizations. Together we have enlisted, renewed, and upgraded hundreds of thousands of members. We have ridden the wave of many changes in technology, weathered the challenges of stock market fluctuations and recessions, and the tragedies of 9/11 and the Covid crisis, but we have also seen the wonderful resiliency of our members, our staffs, and our loyal supporters throughout the years. It gives me great pleasure to call many of you my friends in this wonderful world of membership.

Thank you for your business, support, and friendship!

Sincerely,

Dana Hines