Principled Innovation LLC

Seven association leaders who should blog

June 29th, 2006

Last November, Kevin posted a list of five association community luminaries he thinks should be blogging. I’ve been thinking recently about who I might like to see join the ranks of The Blogoclump, and I’ve come up with my own list of seven association professionals who would make excellent bloggers and whose thinking would definitely help elevate the level of the public discourse in our community. Here they are, in no particular order, because I think each of them would be fantastic!

• Susan Sarfati–Let’s begin with the one name that appears on both Kevin’s and my list. Susan has had a remarkable association career, working her way from an administrative job at the US Chamber of Commerce to become CEO of GWSAE and now The Center for Association Leadership. Susan is leader of extraordinary vision who is always trying to challenge the status quo by taking big risks. I think a “Sarfati Says” blog would be a very compelling read. (DISCLOSURE: I worked at GWSAE twice during Susan’s tenure.)
• Sheri Jacobs–Sheri is chief marketing officer of Association Forum of Chicagoland where she has done a fantastic job building event attendance and membership in highly creative ways. The “Association Professionals Through the Ages” animation she spearheaded is one of the funniest and boldest things I’ve seen in my entire association career, and I know that other association professionals would learn a great deal from her insights and experience.
• Ann Oliveri and Barb Sido–Besides being two of my favorite people in the association community, Ann and Barb have spent the last several years in their respective organizations (ULI and AIA) leading some of the most original and important work anywhere in our universe, and their perspectives on what associations are and what they can become in the years ahead would definitely challenge conventional wisdom and set the table for richer conversations. (DISCLOSURE: Principled Innovation LLC has consulted with AIA.)
• Betsy Boyd-Flynn, Kristi Graves Donovan and Peter Hutchins–I won’t dare describe these three as “emerging leaders,” not just because the term doesn’t fit, but also because I know they’ll hunt me down…;>). Betsy, Kristi and Peter are at the vanguard of next generation leaders who will help create the association community of the future. Their voices are fresh and articulate, and their thinking about big ideas is exactly what old guard association leaders need to hear.

If you agree with my list, please post supportive comments so we can try to coerce…uh, I mean…convince at least some of these leaders to join the blogging fun. And please feel free to add your own suggestions as well!

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