AIS Staff

Matthew Nelson, CPA, Ph.D. is the Associate Executive Director (AED). The AED is a new part-time position in the association that collaborates with the AIS Chief Operating Officer (COO) and reports to the AIS President. The AIS COO manages day to day operations in the AIS Office and the AIS Staff report up through the AIS COO. The AED, on the other hand, assists the AIS President(s) and Council with implementation and overseeing of academic programs.

Matt’s areas of AIS service include assisting in implementation planning of academic programs and related initiatives, preparing and researching Agenda Points for AIS Council (as needed), assisting the AIS VP Publications with development of AIS eLibrary and related initiatives, assisting the AIS COO in developing new and refining AIS Office Member Services for AIS Members with VP Membership, and participating in AIS Leadership Team Meetings and Council meetings.

Lise Fitzpatrick is the Chief Operating Officer. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a new position in the association that collaborates with the AIS Associate Executive Director (AED) and reports to the AIS President. As the COO Lise manages the day to day operations in the AIS office and oversees management of all staff.

The COO position maintains a strategic view of operations with functions including ensuring effective and efficient day to day operations of AIS that are responsive to member needs, coordinating balancing of responsibilities, tasks and projects among AIS staff and contractors, driving tactical association operations with the strategies as outlined by Council, overseeing vendor contracts, leading efforts in all marketing campaigns and conference exhibitor sales pursuits, supporting all Conference Chairs in efforts towards in the success of annual conferences, participating in weekly Leadership meetings and quarterly Council meetings.

With more than 20 years of meeting planning experience, Robina is an expert in conference planning, vendor management, program development and strategic management planning to help corporate and incentive travel events thrive. Prior to joining AIS, Robina served as Director of Engagement Events and was responsible for all aspects of event production with a focus on overseeing details essential to successful events including contract negotiations and vendor relations. Robina is a graduate of Georgia State University with a degree in sociology.

Robina’s areas of focus include overseeing all conference logistics – venues, audio visual, food and beverage, etc., serving as liaison to AMCIS Rep, ICIS Rep, and Conference Chairs, serving as liaison to conference venue and vendors, managing conference budget, and conducting site visits.

Amanda Decker serves as Membership Director for AIS. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Anthropology from DePauw University.

As an association management professional with nearly fifteen years of experience, Amanda offers expertise in leadership development, initiating and expanding member engagement programs, and membership growth. In her role at AIS, Amanda collaborates closely with members and communities to promote the association's mission, deliver valuable services, and enhance the overall membership experience.

Tonya Suits serves as Communications Director for AIS. She is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Indianapolis.

As an association management professional with over fifteen years of experience, Tonya has worked closely with boards, councils, staff, and volunteers to strengthen organizational visibility, improve communication processes, and support key initiatives from concept to completion.

Tonya is known for her ability to translate complex goals into clear, effective messaging that serves both leadership and members. Her work has included developing newsletters, articles, social media content, sponsorship materials, conference communications, branding guidance, and operational resources for professional associations and industry groups. She brings a strong understanding of how to align communications with organizational strategy while maintaining a professional, audience-focused voice.

Aretha Wright has served as the Administration Director of AIS for 9 years. Aretha has more than 20 years of administrative experience, in which over 10 years have been in higher education at Georgia State University. Aretha attended Georgia Perimeter College and Morris Brown College.

Aretha’s areas of focus include Council Governance, AMCIS, ICIS Volunteer Coordination, managing AIS Awards, managing AIS Elections, serving as liaison for AIS Career Services, managing subscriptions for AIS eLibrary, AISWorld Listserv.

Janetta Knighton serves as the Administrative Assistant to AIS. Janetta has more than 8 years of administrative experience. She attended Clayton State University where she majored in Psychology. Janetta’s is located in the home office of AIS on the Georgia State University campus. She enjoys assisting and supporting all AIS members and staff.

Monica Birth serves as copy editor of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems and MIS Quarterly Executive. In this role, she also provides support to the journals’ managing editors and handles editorial-related inquiries. Monica holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University and an MA and BA from the University of Utah. She has seven years of experience working as an academic copy editor and began working with the Association for Information Systems in 2018.

Jillian serves as the first point of contact for all conference registration needs. She also provides Invitation/Visa letters to help members travel easily and efficiently to conferences.

As a Senior Event Manager, Kori is responsible for supporting the Official Ancillary Meetings (OAM) and sponsorship & exhibitor fulfillment for both the AMCIS and ICIS conferences. Kori is a graduate of Kennesaw State University with a BBA in Management.

As technology director, Mahesh is responsible for advancing the technology goals of AIS and optimizing systems and resources to meet the needs. He oversees the strategic direction of association technology services and is involved in the design, development, operation and maintenance of technology. He also works closely with vendors involved in association technology management.

For AIS, Mahesh provides strategic review of technology solutions, serves as on-site technology support at AIS conferences, manages AIS IT security and safety.

As IT Director, Neil is responsible for advancing AIS technology initiatives and optimizing systems to support organizational and member needs. He oversees the strategic direction of technology services and manages the design, development, operation, and maintenance of AIS infrastructure, while maintaining strong partnerships with technology vendors.

For AIS, Neil provides strategic review of technology solutions, serves as on-site support at conferences, and manages IT security and system integrity.