Association Leadership - May/June 2008 - (Page 17)

cover story: association career experiment with new things. Plus, with a smaller pool of people in your department, decisions tend to be made at a faster pace. We donÕt have a lot of bureaucracy here to slow things down.Ó and curbs and gutters and buildings, and doing things for the city that I knew would help them. That was just fun. As a developer, overseeing installing curbs, gutters and storm sewers, water and sewer lines and streets Ð well, to this day, there is nothing more fun than building things. People have told me that in my current role Ôyou act like itÕs your own propertyÕ and I say thatÕs because it used to be mine. So I do care about the business and I care about the industry and I care about our members and home buyers.Ó Like other leaders, Savio said the key to making a successful switch is simply recognizing the value of your skill set. ÒThough I havenÕt worked with other associations, I have talked with them and I think the issues, challenges and problems they have are all very similar,Ó he said. ÒAnd if you develop the ability to work with people, those skills will take you anywhere. But really, why you see so many folks come out of industry to take on an association management role is because they are passionate about what they do. I know for me, IÕm so Pursuing a Passion Turning a passion into a position was also the case for Harry Savio. Though he, too, has had his share of careers Ð Þrst as a city manager, then as a large developer Ð it was a passion for the beneÞts of home ownership that led him to the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin. When interviewing, Savio pointed out that he was most likely the only candidate that actually knew how to read the code book, and his latest career was born. When his boss retired, Savio moved into the executive vice president position. Though leaving the uber-competitive political and real estate worlds would seem a big change, Savio begs to differ. ÒNone of the moves are as big as you would think,Ó he said. ÒWhen I was a city manager, the thing I enjoyed most was going out and doing the capital improvements projects, building roads “I “I think that there th are a lot a of parts to o my backm ground g and all of a those skill th sets se come to play in the association environment.” Stan Reid Chief information officer Texas Association of Counties 2007 Complete Hotel Renovation! Located at I-35 & 290, the Crossroads of the Capital City, the Crowne Plaza® is easily accessible to Austin Bergstrom Intl. Airport and Austin’s most popular attractions. Relax in 293 newly renovated guest rooms and suites featuring the Crown Plaza Sleep Advantage®. The Executive Club Floor offers a private-access lounge and upgraded amenities, and our 2-Hour Response Guarantee helps you get the best rates, dates & space! 12,000 sq. ft. of event space is supported by our Crowne Meetings Director who will supervise your event before, during & after. The Crowne Plaza Austin, “The Place to Meet!” For more information, or to speak with a Sales Manager, call (512) 323-5466 or visit us online at www.crowneplaza.com/austincentral. 6121 North IH 35 Austin, TX 78752 Ph: (512) 323-5466 Toll-Free: (800) 2CROWNE Fax: (512) 453-1945 www.crowneplaza.com/austincentral sales@cphaustin.com May/June 2008 | Association LEADERSHIP 17 http://www.crowneplaza.com/austincentral

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - May/June 2008

Association Leadership - May/June 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions Cover Feature: Associations As a Profession Positivity: Key to Retaining Young Talent Perspectives Association Case Study TSAE Annual Conference TSAE's Newest CAEs New Members Community Spotlight Grand Membership Campaign Committee Thank-yous Austin Dallas/Fort Worth Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations- New Feature

Association Leadership - May/June 2008

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