Dr. Maria Gomez Albrecht, a lecturer in the Naveen Jindal School of Management’s Marketing Area, has been elected to serve on the board of directors of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the American Marketing Association as executive vice president of special interest groups. The chapter’s mission, she says, is to educate, support and enhance the performance of its members and marketing professionals in the metroplex.
“The special interest groups are academic and industry communities within the American Marketing Association created to advance scholarly knowledge and enhance marketing practices,” she said. “As the EVP of SIGs, my responsibility is twofold. First, it is to explore industry trends and opportunities which may be of interest to marketers in DFW. Second, it is to provide a solutions-driven forum for DFW professionals to meet and share ideas, expand skills and experiences and boost the local marketing community.”
Among her goals for this role are to position the chapter as a leading source of marketing trends and opportunities for local professionals and advance the knowledge and skills of the DFW marketing community. The latter is achieved, she said, through panels, workshops and other events throughout the year, along with growing the chapter.
From an academic perspective, Albrecht has been involved with the American Marketing Association by serving as a faculty judge for the annual collegiate competitions (Cases, College Chapter Website and Annual Report) since 2021. She not only started the American Marketing Association student chapter at Texas Woman’s University but is currently collaborating with the student chapter at UT Dallas to host a presentation in mid-February. Entitled “Building the Foundations for Your First Job,” it is being presented to help the university’s business students fulfill their career aspirations, she says.
Albrecht is also excited for 2025 SIG events, the first one scheduled for March 25. With artificial intelligence a hot topic, it will lead off the year with: “From Basics to Application: How to AI Your 2025.” Tentatively, events are scheduled every quarter this year.
Albrecht has long been a proponent of the American Marketing Association. Her membership enabled her to take a course from the Digital Marketing Institute which allowed her to graduate as a Certified Digital Marketer Professional. She relishes chances to give back, including being a 2025 mentor providing coaching to a protégé.
“I have been a member for many years because it has been a great opportunity to grow my marketing network, stay on top of the latest marketing technology, share ideas and insights with peers and serve the marketing community,” she said.
Her involvement in the American Marketing Association has already paid dividends for her students, such as sharing with them the latest concepts and frameworks from her Digital Marketing certification for the Social Impact Marketing (MKT 4360) course she teaches, and she looks forward to how her new DFW chapter position will present strong opportunities for them.
“My role as EVP of SIGs requires exposure to industry possibilities and awareness of marketers’ interests to advance the profession as well as the careers of our members,” said Albrecht, who is also vice president of marketing for Alonos. “As a professor, I am able to share these opportunities and knowledge with my students to help them advance in their future careers.”
