Karen K. Hutchins heads the Arkansas Society of Association Executives and is executive director of the state Bar Association. She also is vice president of the National Association of Bar Executives. Hutchins is on track to be NABE president in 2018. Before becoming the bar’s executive director, she was its associate director and director of continuing legal education.
Hutchins previously practiced law in Texas and Arkansas, concentrating in trust, wills, real estate, and oil and gas law. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in finance, from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctor from the University of Houston Law Center.
Karen K. Hutchins earned the designation of Certified Association Executive in 2013.
Please explain what the Arkansas Society of Association Executives is and what it does.
The ASAE is a nonprofit association formed in 1978 that provides association professionals throughout Arkansas a community to learn, lead and connect.
Managing an association typically requires a broad-based knowledge of running a business with few staff, very limited resources and a large volunteer membership. ASAE provides association executives with continuing education opportunities, ranging from government relations to strategic planning. Members have the opportunity to network with their peers and associate members representing hotels and convention bureaus that provide services to associations planning events throughout Arkansas.
ASAE strives to maintain close contacts with state and national legislators to better serve their respective members and industries. ASAE is affiliated with the American Society of Association Executives, whose mission is to elevate professional standards and designate association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to manage an association in today’s challenging environment. This extensive certification process is earned on successful completion of the Certified Association Executive exam. Several Arkansas association executives have achieved this designation due to study programs supported by the Arkansas Society of Association Executives.
What does the future hold for nonprofit associations in the state?
I believe the future for nonprofit associations in Arkansas is bright but not without challenges.
Associations will continue to play an important role representing their members’ interests in the legislative process. Associations will continue to face challenges driven by advancing technology as it continues to both enhance and disrupt each industry differently. Associations have the opportunity to provide valuable industry research and data analysis to their members.
Providing cutting-edge education and communication for members, both in-person and through technological methods, will continue to be an important goal for associations.
In addition to serving as president of the board of the ASAE, you’re also a lawyer and the executive director of the Arkansas Bar Association. What do you know now as a professional that you wish you’d known just starting out in your career?
I wish I had known how powerful a win-win attitude could be when I was starting my career. Positive collaborative leadership requires listening and strategic thinking to create new ideas and continually solve new challenges. I have learned that a leader who helps others succeed along the way can help organizations and society. I have learned to look at obstacles more positively and turn them into opportunities.
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