As PMA celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, we want you to get to know the people behind the scenes that have contributed to PMA’s success. Each month we will feature a key PMA staff member on our blog.
This month we are highlighting Dan Toth, who celebrated 16 years with PMA this year. Read on to get to know more about Dan and his role with PMA.
Name, title and time at PMA.
Dan Toth
Senior Web Developer
16 years
What made you want to work at PMA?
Initially I applied at PMA because I felt working with an association would be more interesting than some development firm. An association is the whole of its parts – the staff, the members, the events and more. This told me that PMA would be far more challenging than your typical position as a developer.
This indeed was the case as over the years I have seen some very interesting projects go from concept to launch. These ideas have come from many sources and from a variety of perspectives ranging from minor updates to organizational changes—each one helping us become more efficient and improve our services to our members.
Since I love working on something “new,” this keeps my position at PMA exciting and fun to this day—even after 16 years.
How has PMA changed over the years since you started?
When I first joined, the system seemed pretty rigid – sort of like “we are an association, and this is how an association operates.” This is not a negative statement at all; it simply relates to how most businesses operated 16 years ago, where processes were more strict and unbending when it came to how things were done, especially on the internet.
Over the years, PMA’s approach has evolved for the better. We have become much more fluid in our approach. For instance, a lot more people (including members) offer ideas for how we can improve our virtual space. And we listen to these ideas, exploring many more solutions than we used to. And today, when PMA identifies an opportunity to improve, we move forward quickly to implement those changes.
First event/meeting that you worked on/attended.
The Cleveland District Suppliers Night was the only event I personally attended since it is held locally. I enjoyed walking around meeting members and talking about the things that we can do to make PMA better regarding our internet offerings. It was my first experience with our members in person and helped in making me understand the quality of folks who make up our membership.
The first event project I recall working on was ICOSPA, where I was tasked with developing that organization’s micro site. I remember how much fun it was to develop and create a portal for an international audience.
Favorite PMA memory?
That is a difficult one. I have so many memories at PMA that I could claim as a favorite. The people at PMA over the years have been so great to work with and we have shared so many laughs.
I guess my most enjoyable memories are those when we have had time outside the office, when we came together to share stories and socialize. Whether that was a “happy hour” outing or PMA-sponsored holiday event, the staff always has a good time together. This has always given PMA more of a family atmosphere than simply a “job.”
What does PMA mean to you?
Integrity.
People on the outside never see what goes on inside the organization on a functional level, but I do. And with that said, I will take this opportunity to shine a light on my co-workers.
The weight and expediency that all of our staff place on our membership is quite impressive. Whether it’s technical support, an inquiry, assistance with a product or service, or simply moving forward an idea – I have never seen an organization that puts so much effort in responding to their members as I do at PMA. To the individual, the entire staff takes member relations to a whole new level – and they enjoy doing so. It’s a side of PMA that is not seen by many but should be acknowledged.
What is your favorite part of your job? What excites you about working at PMA?
I am sure that many at PMA experience the same. From my perspective, the best part is having the latitude to accomplish goals utilizing my expertise. Unlike other companies I have worked for, where you’re developing within the confines of some box, PMA encourages us to utilize our unique talents to bring an idea to life.
PMA management trusts their employees to deliver their best when completing a task and that, to me, translates into a sense of pride when the goal is achieved. This is probably the most important and favorite aspect of my job.
What has been your biggest achievement/success while at PMA?
With all ofthe PMA-related websites aside, I would say the creation of PMA CORE (Connected Online Resources Environment).
This content management system has given us the ability to leverage data in ways we never thought possible years ago. It has empowered our authors to display their content in a myriad of ways and to keep the information we display fresh and relevant to the end user. Its versatility allows me to develop some very complex solutions and roll them out across multiple properties with ease.
And as we continue to develop CORE into an even more robust platform, I look forward to what tomorrow may bring.