Background/Speciality:

Elissa Myers is the president and CEO of Advice & Consensus, a consulting firm specializing in developing strategic direction, leadership competence, resource developing, and international trading relationships for not-for-profit associations around the world.

Previously she served as President of the Electronic Retailing Association, and during her tenure, the published the first comprehensive industry guidelines for online marketing, created inter-industry guidelines for Advance Consent Marketing and Telemarketing, and established strong participation in government forums. Elissa founded ERA Europe, the France-based ERA operation dedicated to helping promote electronic retailing across Europe. Her professional experience includes 25 years of strategic management of associations.

She also previously served as head of the publishing division at the American Society of Association Executives and developed the ASAE member database, customer service center, the International Section, the Ethics Committee, and group insurance programs. She served as a member of the Committee of 100 for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Industry Functional Advisory Committee for the US Department of Commerce, the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives and the National Board of Regents of the Institutes for Organization Management, and serves on numerous additional association boards and committees.

Why did you decide to become a mentor for KnowHow Exchange?

"I enthusiastically agreed to become a member for know-how exchange of the Georgian Small & Medium Size Enterprises Association. I had the privilege of working with staff and volunteers to build the Georgian Municipal Service Providers Association and the Georgian Finance Officers Association over a two year period, living in Tbilisi for several months, and came home enchanted by the warmth, culture, and commercial potential of Georgia. Following independence from the former Soviet Republics, Georgia began to stabilize in 1995, and foreign commercial investment began to pour in.

But when the separatist conflicts in Georgia's regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia culminated in a 5-day war in August 2008 between Georgia and Russia, European and US private investment was disrupted. Walking the streets of the cities and municipalities of Georgia in 2009, I was confronted by one abandoned massive construction project after another.

On the other hand, Georgia has a unique and ancient history, and a colorful and passionate sensibility. You see that sensibility expressed in the arts both folk and fine and the artistic products should find an avid international market. Tbilisi has been called "Paris East" and indeed in the sophistication of the city, its glorious food, and its celebrated (though still under appreciated) wine industry, you can see enormous potential for both export and tourism.

Outside of Tbilisi, there are the remarkable Black Sea cities – Poti, a port town with great potential, and Batumi, one of the prettiest and most commercially developable communities I’ve seen. And then in the mountains there are amazing ski destinations and the rolling hills of vineyards. So much tourism potential! Much of Georgia is still agrarian, and the rich and fertile soil of the Georgian countryside could be more efficiently farmed to develop an excess of rich crops beyond what is needed by the population for export."

What potential do you see in your partner organization?

"If I sound enthusiastic about the potential of the country, I am. But the well-educated population needs to develop internal management and marketing expertise, and the will to become self-sustaining. An economically self-sustaining Georgia would prove to be a strong democratic player in the world economy. I believe that by working together, pooling resources and expertise, through nonprofit voluntary associations, that vision of a vibrant, democratic Georgian economy can be realized. The Georgian Small & Medium Size Enterprises Association could be an important player in the achievement of that vision."