Jim joined AENC in September 2005 and prior to that was the Director of Business Development for the NC Association of REALTORS®, a position Thompson helped establish after his first year of employment with NCAR. He worked at NCAR for over 5 years and worked to substantially increase revenue for the association and streamline the sponsor development program.

Thompson is a 1994 graduate of the UNC-Greensboro and has a degree in English and Political Science.

In 2005, Thompson earned his Certified Association Executive (CAE) and graduated from the Institute for Organizational Management (IOM). In 2006, Thompson was named one of the Outstanding Young Executives by Association Trends magazine.

Since joining AENC, Thompson has served as trusted resource in North Carolina on the association profession and has taught several programs on the board and volunteer relationships, developing non-dues revenue, increasing membership growth and developing the association staff and leader.

Jim resides in Wake Forest with his wife Hollyn and their two children, Nelson, and Lily.

Jovita joined AENC in July of 2009 bringing more than 20 years of experience in non-profit association management, having served as Executive Vice President of the Carolinas Association of Professional Insurance Agents and, most recently, as Vice President of Administration for the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina. Jovita graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, with a degree in International Relations and Political Science. She served as president of AENC in 1992-93. Jovita and her husband, Bill Lovin, owner of Marine Grafics, have traveled the world diving and producing underwater films including the PBS series, Return to the Sea.