Association Management Center
Sara Larson Mercer has a diverse and extensive work experience spanning multiple industries. Sara is currently employed as a Community Development Manager at the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation, a role they started in 2023.
Before that, Sara worked at the Association Management Center as a Project Manager, starting in 2022. In this role, they provided internal and external management, coordination, and oversight of activities related to business development opportunities and consulting projects. Sara supported business development by drafting and researching client proposals and also planned and prepared project timelines and deliverables.
From 2021 to 2022, Sara worked at Guaranteed Rate as an Affordable Housing Account Manager. Sara'sresponsibilities included assessing affordable housing loan applications for eligibility and creating educational materials for loan officers regarding program requirements. Sara also provided feedback to loan officers to ensure compliance with mortgage regulations.
Prior to that, Sara had a long tenure at Rotary International, starting in 2013. Sara held multiple roles during their time there, including serving as a Regional Grants Officer for Humanitarian Grants. In this role, they managed a multi-million-dollar international development grant funding portfolio and engaged volunteers to ensure positive community outcomes. Sara also oversaw project expenditures, community engagement, and work between project partners. Sara also served as the Housing and School Construction Program Lead, where they led a team in creating construction and program guidelines for international projects.
Before Rotary International, Sara worked as an Intensive Case Manager at ARIZONA'S CHILDREN ASSOCIATION in 2007 and as a Case Manager and Intake Worker at The Salvation Army of Dane County from 2005 to 2007. Sara also worked as a Guest Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006 and as an Outreach Specialist at TELLURIAN UCAN, INC. in 2004.
Overall, Sara Larson Mercer has a diverse background with significant experience in community development, project management, affordable housing, and grant management.
Sara Larson Mercer (she/her) obtained their Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, completing their education between the years 2000 and 2005. Later, they pursued a Master of Architecture degree with a focus on affordable housing design and policies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2008 to 2012.
Association Management Center
Associations are all about passion and dedication. At Association Management Center (AMC) we share our partners' passion to advance their unique missions and ensure they have the tools, resources, and expertise needed to succeed and "Achieve What You Believe." For nearly 50 years, AMC has built a reputation of caring, trust, and long-term commitment among our association partners—making us a standout among association management companies. Our decades of real-world experience working side by side with a range of associations means we understand what works well and what doesn’t. AMC Consulting Services provides objective, practical, and timely approaches that assist healthcare and professional associations in achieving a wide variety of business goals. Elevate your organization to the next level with the customized assistance of our experienced team of association experts. AMC is owned by the second generation of the Engle family—Scott, Jeff, and Mark—who know that strong relationships are built on a solid foundation. Each of our association partners is assigned a vice president of client relations who takes a long-term personal interest and active role in that organization and its mission. As a full-service management company that also provides consulting services, AMC exceeds our partners' needs. Our more than 200 staff members thrive on putting clients first and are passionate about furthering our association partners' missions through strategic leadership and collaboration. AMC is accredited by AMC Institute and was charter accredited by ASAE’s AMC Accreditation program from July 3, 2001 until the dissolution of the Accreditation program in 2010. In addition, the company has been named on the Best Places to Work in Illinois list four times since 2010.