Association Leadership - May/June 2008 - (Page 18)

cover story: association career comfortable here, itÕs hard for me to envision leaving.Ó So whether the path was lengthy and meandering or short and straightforward, sought-after or happened-upon, these executives have reached an auspicious destination. And who knows, even Spidey and Tiger might be looking for a new opportunity some day, one that only an association can provide. ◆ “I’ve been allowed to try and experiment with new things. Plus, with a smaller pool of people in your department, decisions tend to be made at a faster pace. We don’t have a lot of bureaucracy here to slow things down.” Leticia Acosta Director of public policy, Texas Exes A family affair Some industries are decidedly family oriented: construction, medicine, politics. Turns out, though, that these donÕt have a lock on enticing the generations. Just ask the Willistons, a family that boasts three generations in the business of association leadership. Chris Williston, CAE, the president and CEO of the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, says it was his dad, Linc Williston, who started this Òfamily business,Ó having spent his career with the Texas Medical Association. The most senior Williston was not in the medical field, either, his son reports Ð he was a public relations specialist who worked his way into the executive job. Williston said, like many children growing up, he didnÕt have a very clear picture as to what his father did all day, but that he did notice a few things about the life of an association executive. ÒWhat intrigued me was that his job seemed very diverse, and that there was a lot of variety and complexity to what he did every day Ð everything from politics to public relations to social interaction,Ó he said. ÒSo though I truly didnÕt know much about what my dad did per se, I did know he was around a lot of nice people and that he seemed to love his job.Ó When it came time for Williston to choose a career, he was originally drawn more to the locale than the industry Ð he, too, wanted to make his home in Austin, and though college had him in Lubbock, job hunting returned him to Austin. ÒI wanted to make my home here,Ó he said, Òand AustinÕs economy was basically the university, state government and associations. That was about it.Ó What ultimately drew Williston to associations, however, was a love of politics. ÒFor whatever reason,Ó he said, ÒIÕm one of those crazy people that just love the workings of politics. I wasnÕt interested in the public aspect of political life, so I ended up interviewing with three associations and started my career with what is now my competitor, the Texas Bankers Association.Ó After 12 years there, Williston did work in the private sector for a time, mainly to ease up on traveling with a young family, but eventually the association world called him back, and now heÕs been with IBAT for 20 years. ÒI really have felt like IÕve found my niche,Ó he said. And in what he says is a surprising development, his son, Christopher Williston VI (yes, thatÕs right, the sixth) has spent the first years of his career working as executive assistant/director of communications for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-Texas. ÒI was as shocked as anyone that this has been something that he wanted to try Ð he has a masterÕs degree in theology, of all things,Ó he said. ÒBut, I think he shares my enthusiasm and my love for politics and thatÕs one of the things that steered him this way.Ó For his part, the younger Williston said, with a laugh, it really was all about the perks growing up. ÒI actually enjoyed all the travel Ð for our family vacations we often went to the conventions and to other places doing association activities. And though I didnÕt love all those plated dinners, I did always enjoy getting to know people from different parts of the country and different parts of the state. Looking back, those were among the most fun times that Dad and I had.Ó Like his father, Christopher left Austin for college in Fort Worth, with the intention of pursuing a doctorate in theology. Though he intends to return to that goal at some point, with Christopher VII on board these days, feeding his family took precedent and so he too looked at associations. ÒReally, I went looking for an association position because I was looking for something that would use the communications aspect of my training,Ó he said. ÒIn church life, you make a lot of use of those skills, as well as learning to be very creative and resourceful with your resources. And so I sought out an association position because I felt that I have some skills that would fit well, too.Ó And in his two years at this work, Christopher says he has felt very comfortable and happy, and has received a lot of good feedback for his efforts. Though heÕs not sure what direction his career path will ultimately take, heÕs been satisfied with his time in the Òfamily business.Ó And will he encourage his son to make it a fourth generation? ÒWell, heÕs just 15 months old,Ó he said, Òbut he is quite the observant one, so IÕm sure heÕll pick up some of the things I picked up from my Dad, and that he picked up from his Dad, and so it may just go all down the line.Ó 18 Association LEADERSHIP | May/June 2008

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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