WASHINGTON, DC: In an unusual departmental reorganization, the American Society of Association Executives has shifted its PR division from under the domain of its communications arm and placed it under public policy.
WASHINGTON, DC: In an unusual departmental reorganization, the
American Society of Association Executives has shifted its PR division
from under the domain of its communications arm and placed it under
public policy.
Helen Hoeflich, VP of administration, said the move is part of a new
strategic plan introduced by the ASAE in August. The plan calls for
higher visibility for the 25,000-member organization and heightened
advocacy activities.
According to Hoeflich, the group believed that PR had been serving an
internal function, and that more external communications were needed to
highlight the ’value and contributions of associations’ as well as to
promote the rights of voluntary organizations.
The ASAE bills itself as ’the association for association executives’
and boasts members who manage leading trade, professional and
philanthropic groups. Among its prominent leaders are chairman George
Kirkland (president of the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau)
and chairman elect Jeff Raynes (executive director/COO of APICS - The
Educational Society for Resource Management).
One casualty of the ASAE’s communications shift was nine-year veteran
Ken Sommer, the group’s PR director. ’We needed a different set of
skills,’ said Hoeflich, who noted that Sommer left ’to pursue new
opportunities.’
The organization is searching for a replacement, who will be charged
with managing an aggressive public policy and communications strategy to
enhance the ASAE’s visibility. Hoeflich said the successful candidate
will have at least seven years worth of experience on Capitol Hill and
in the corporate world, excellent communication and speechwriting skills
and good media contacts.
The PR director oversees a staff of two people. Hoeflich said the ASAE
has received several resumes, but is still seeking candidates.
