A Year in Review: Jim Rowan on Leading ASBO International in 2024

Summary

Podcast Summary: School Business Insider Episode: A Year in Review: Jim Rowan on Leading ASBO International in 2024 Host: John Brucato Release Date: December 24, 2024

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Introduction and Overview of the Year

In this reflective episode of School Business Insider, host John Brucato welcomes back Jim Rowan, the Executive Director of ASBO International. Jim, who was featured in the podcast's inaugural episode, discusses his experiences and achievements over his first year leading the organization in 2024. The conversation delves into the highlights, challenges, lessons learned, and future aspirations for ASBO International under Jim's leadership.

Accomplishments and Milestones

Jim Rowan highlights several key accomplishments that marked ASBO International's progress in 2024:

• Strategic Focus Areas: Jim and his team concentrated their efforts on five primary areas: governance, operations and finance, member engagement, education and advocacy, and affiliate services. This strategic alignment ensured a comprehensive approach to advancing ASBO's mission.

• Membership and Affiliate Outreach: Emphasizing increased two-way communication, ASBO International provided monthly reports to affiliate executive directors and maintained weekly staff meetings to align the team with the organization's vision. Jim proudly states, “We accomplished the majority of everything I set out to do in the first year” ([02:49]).

• Strategic Plan and Vision 35: Finalizing the 2025-2027 strategic plan and the Vision 35 task force were significant milestones. These initiatives outlined 15 objectives focused on membership engagement, affiliate relationships, U.S. federal policy and advocacy, and member education ([05:20]).

• Cultural Transformation: A 360-degree evaluation revealed positive feedback regarding the culture of trust, transparency, accountability, and inclusion. Jim emphasizes the importance of creating a positive work and membership culture, stating, “creating this culture of trust, transparency, accountability, inclusion… is really my primary focus” ([07:15]).

Challenges and Lessons Learned

Jim acknowledges several challenges encountered during his tenure:

• Communication and Trust: Despite his long-standing association with ASBO, Jim found that establishing trust and improving communication were more arduous than anticipated. He notes, “I was kind of surprised at the amount of feedback I received on the lack of communications and transparency” ([13:56]).

• Operational Inefficiencies: Managing operational inefficiencies, particularly within the archaic financial systems, posed significant hurdles. To address this, Jim hired an additional accounting manager to streamline financial processes and enhance accountability ([18:16]).

• Remote Operations: Transitioning to a remote work environment required building robust internal communication processes. Jim implemented tools like Microsoft Teams and Trello to ensure continuous collaboration and accountability, which he reports as successful adaptations ([20:05]).

Feedback from Members and Affiliates

Feedback from ASBO International's affiliates and members has been overwhelmingly positive:

• Enhanced Transparency: Affiliates appreciate the increased transparency and communication. Jim mentions, “the response from the affiliate executive directors has been very positive because we've worked to create that partnership working together” ([07:46]).

• Supportive Services: Initiatives such as updating affiliate agreements, providing sample bylaws, and launching a new Learning Management System (LMS) for affiliates without one have been well received.

• Vision 35 Task Force: Members involved in the Vision 35 task force have responded positively to efforts aimed at shaping the future trajectory of ASBO International ([07:46]).

International Component

Expanding ASBO International's international presence remains a work in progress:

• Current Engagements: ASBO partnered with ISBL at the ISBL conference in Birmingham, England, focusing on operational excellence in school districts. However, broader international strategies are yet to be fully developed.

• Future Plans: The Vision 35 task force is considering the inclusion of international representation on the board and evaluating governance pathways to better serve international members. Jim anticipates a governance report in late 2025 that may include regional or demographic-based structures ([11:25]).

Communication and Transparency Efforts

Jim outlines a structured approach to enhancing communication and transparency within ASBO International:

• Listening Phase: The initial quarter focused on listening to members' needs without proposing immediate solutions, aiming to understand core issues ([15:31]).

• Continuous Outreach: Regular written reports to affiliate executive directors and past presidents, coupled with in-person and virtual meetings, ensured consistent communication.

• Proactive Anticipation: Over time, Jim and his team have learned to anticipate members' needs, reducing the volume of reactive communication by addressing concerns before they escalate ([15:54]).

Future Plans for 2025

Looking ahead to 2025, Jim outlines several top priorities:

1. Membership Engagement: Enhancing the value proposition for members by offering education bundles, expanding the global school business network, and promoting collaborative opportunities.

2. Committee Expansion: Creating opportunities for affiliates and members to participate in legislative committees and other strategic areas.

3. Payroll Certificate Program: Launching a program to address the challenging area of payroll management, offering training tailored to U.S. federal requirements.

4. Internal Efficiencies: Continuing process mapping to improve operational accountability and efficiency, thereby freeing up resources to better serve members.

5. US Federal Policy: Implementing more robust roundtable discussions and offering continuous updates on federal policies affecting school business officials.

Jim asserts, “We are looking to take advantage of some of what I learned through the OPEX exercise and some of my previous experience about mapping process to create greater efficiency and accountability” ([18:16]).

Leadership and Personal Reflections

Jim shares his personal growth and leadership evolution over his first year:

• Professional Development: Participating in a 12-week professional development course, Jim enhanced his leadership skills by learning from figures like Colin Powell, focusing on leadership lessons that emphasize listening, valuing, and effective communication.

• Team Culture: By fostering a culture where staff feel valued and empowered to provide feedback, Jim has cultivated a resilient and engaged team. He notes, “I've made it very clear that we are a team of one” and encourages open communication and celebration of small wins ([22:27]).

• Personal Fulfillment: Serving as Executive Director has been a long-held dream for Jim, and he expresses profound satisfaction, “there's not a place in the world that I would rather be than at ASBO International” ([36:33]).

Long-Term Vision and Conclusion

Jim articulates a long-term vision for ASBO International that extends beyond 2025:

• Expanded Membership Value: Continuously grow district membership by offering relevant education, training, and networking opportunities.

• AI Integration: Explore the implementation of artificial intelligence to streamline processes and enhance operational efficiency, while navigating current limitations in AI technology.

• Pipeline Development: Address pipeline issues by increasing outreach to colleges and universities, thereby fostering a new generation of school business officials.

• Global Engagement: Enhance international membership and representation to better serve global affiliates and members.

When summarizing his first year, Jim encapsulates it with one word: "Progress." He emphasizes that while significant strides have been made, the journey of continuous improvement is ongoing, with a steadfast commitment to executing learned lessons and advancing ASBO International’s mission ([37:36]).

Message to Members

In his closing remarks, Jim encourages members to actively engage and get involved within the association. He highlights various opportunities for participation, such as:

• Conferences and Forums: Attending the Eagle Institute of Leadership forum and the annual conference in Fort Worth, Texas.

• Committees and Leadership Opportunities: Joining committees, contributing to COE and MBA programs, and becoming reviewers to foster a collaborative community.

• Credential Advancement: Encouraging members to pursue additional credentials like the SFO (School Finance Officer) to enhance professional standing and contribute to the association's growth.

Jim concludes with an invitation for members to connect and participate, reinforcing the message that ASBO International is a family that values collaboration and mutual support.

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Jim Rowan's first year as Executive Director of ASBO International has been characterized by strategic advancements, cultural transformations, and a clear vision for the future. His leadership has not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid a robust foundation for sustained growth and member engagement in the years to come.

Transcript

[A]

You're listening to ASBO International's School Business Insider. I'm your host, John Brucato. Each week on School Business Insider, I sit down with school business officials and industry experts from around the world to share their stories and explore the topics that matter most to you. Find out what it means to be a school business official and get your insider pass on all things school business. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to School Business Insider. Today, we're revisiting a familiar voice, Jim Rowan, Executive Director of ASBO International. Jim joined us for the very first episode of this podcast where we discussed his vision for the inaugural year as Executive director. Now, as 2024 comes to a close, we're catching up to reflect on his year in this role. In this episode, we'll dive into the highlights, accomplishments, and lessons learned that Jim has taken from 2024, explore areas of growth and improvement, and hear what he's most excited about for 2025. Jim, welcome to the podcast. I'm happy to have you.

[B]

Thanks, John. It's great to join you again.

[A]

Yeah, always, always glad to have you on School Business Insider. And as I said, you were the very first episode, so it just makes sense to kind of bring you back and kind of of reflect on your first year as Executive director. So why don't we just kick off with that? I mean, how does it feel to be wrapping up your first year?

[B]

We.

[A]

We talked a lot about your first experience at ACNE as Executive director. We had the leadership forum. A lot has gone on. Vision 35. I don't want to steal your thunder, obviously, but, you know, tell me, how's. How's it feel kind of just winding down here in 24?

[B]

Well, it feels great, and the year has absolutely flown by, but it's been a great year of engagement with our members, our affiliates, board and staff as we work to advance our mission. And that's to empower, advance, and unite our financial and operational professionals by providing communities, program and resources to ensure that every child has access to a quality education. So that has really been our focus for the entire year, and we had a lot on our plate. It was definitely a year of change, but I feel like we are at a very good place. I have a phenomenal team of support staff and board and just really looking forward to starting 2025 and starting to implement a lot of what we gathered this year through feedback and input.

[A]

And as you said, you did have a lot in your plate for 2024. So when we talked almost a year ago, you discussed really your vision for 2024. And when you kind of reflect and look back on the entirety of this year, do you feel you were really able to accomplish everything you set out to do?

[B]

Absolutely. Looking back over the past year and what our team has accomplished is really amazing. If you remember, when we started, we reflected on the Ellipsis Operational Assessment Report, which continued into one to one engagement meetings with our affiliate executive directors and members throughout the association. And we really spent a lot of time this past year focusing on really five different areas. One is governance, two is operations and finance. Three is connecting and growing with our members. Four is education and advocacy, and then finally providing services to our affiliates.

[A]

And of those five, did any really take a lot of your time? Were you expecting to approach it one way and just realize once you got into the work, it was a little bit something different? Talk to me about that.

[B]

Well, really when I looked at my vision for my next five years when I started, I kind of laid out a roadmap looking at these five areas, the input that I received through the Ellipsis report, and really tried to target a journey to accomplish those within the five year period. But believe it or not, as I reflected on what I said back in my interview back In September of 2023, we accomplished the majority of everything I set out to do in the first year. Now we have a lot of expansion to do. A lot of what we have set, set up for this year is not a one and done. It's going to be ongoing. It's going to be maintaining those relationships, that two way communication, constant feedback on how we as an association are going to stay relevant. So we were able to touch upon a lot of different areas throughout the past year. But I think probably the most important takeaway is just recognizing that it was really a year of listening, it was a year of change. But really what's to come is now implementation of what we heard and how we're going to continue to move ASBO forward.

[A]

So what were some of the standouts for you or those milestones when you think back in 24 that you were really able to achieve? I mean, being able to accomplish everything you want, that you set out in an interview of 23 is really impressive because you, you know, whether or not you, you've done the job before, every, every institution is a little bit different. You, you may not necessarily know what you're getting yourself into in its entirety, but tell me about some of your success stories and what you were able to do.

[B]

Yeah, so you know, definitely our affiliate and member outreach was probably priority one. There was a lot of conversation around increased two way communications. So we spent a lot of time focusing on providing monthly reports to our affiliate execs, to our board. I have weekly staff meetings with my team to make sure they're on board with the vision and the direction we're heading. Finalizing our 2025-27 strategic plan was huge. To focus in on our three goal areas. We ended up with 15 different objectives that we're going to be addressing over the next three years. And that's pretty much primarily focused around membership engagement, affiliate relationships, U.S. federal policy and advocacy, and of course, making sure that our members members receive the education and leadership that they need to do their jobs every day. The work of the Vision 35 task force to make sure that we stay relevant and to meet the needs of the next generation of SBOs. Having that report now to focus on the next three to five years. But I think probably one of the most exciting things that I feel was accomplished and I had a 360 evaluation done by my team and feel very fortunate with the results that I received. And obviously I've got some improvement to do as well, especially managing the speed of change. I tend to go all in and I've got to be more sensitive to the time expectations. But creating that culture of trust, transparency, accountability, inclusion, where all our stakeholders feel valued, that's really been my primary focus, is to create this positive work culture, positive membership culture, where when our members come together, they feel included and they feel part of ASBO International.

[A]

And what feedback have you received from your membership, your stakeholders, the affiliate directors? I mean, what are people telling you directly or maybe you're hearing indirectly about these changes you've implemented, your successes? I mean, I can say just from my vantage point being on the Board of Directors of ASBO New York, just seems that there's a lot more transparency and communication from the affiliate level. So tell me a little bit more about the feedback, whether it's affiliates or just a membership, whether it's affiliate, member or otherwise.

[B]

Sure. Well, I think the response from the affiliate executive directors has been very positive because we've worked to create that partnership working together. You know, some of the things that we have done is we've updated the affiliate agreement where the affiliates are welcome to update the agreement if they choose. We've created sample bylaws to help them if they're updating their own bylaws in their states. We're about to launch a new LMS system for affiliates that don't have their own lms. So I think just positioning ourself as a partner with affiliates and to complement the services that they offer at the regional affiliate level and not compete with them. You know, when you think about ASBO International, it goes beyond affiliates because not every member of ASBO is represented by an affiliate. So we kind of have to be everything to everybody. So we may have programs and services out there that some affiliates may see. Well, we're already doing that in my affiliate. I don't need the ASBO program. That's fine, because really what we're doing is creating opportunities for those affiliates that do have a need. And I think the responses from those involved on the Vision 35 task force were very positive as we work to create a greater future for ASBO and its members.

[A]

And what have you found, the level of need from the affiliates? I mean, you were doing a lot of listening and learning throughout an entire year. Did you. Were you surprised at what the needs were of the affiliates? Were you kind of expecting what you saw? I mean, what was that need level from affiliate now that the relationship with FASB International and the affiliate seems to just be getting stronger and stronger?

[B]

I think the needs vary. And, you know, for instance, the lms, I think an lms, a learning management system for those that may not know what that stands for, has been a need for a long time. And there's a lot of small affiliates that have gone out and have, you know, spent some incredible resources in bringing that back to their membership. Had ASBO International been in a position to offer that at a lower cost, would have been a huge benefit years ago. So we're a little behind in bringing that to the forefront. But every affiliate's a little different. We've had requests for help with their ams, which is their association management system. We don't have a solution for that right now. We've had requests for some training, we've done some DISC training for actually, not necessarily an affiliate, but for a district, a member district. So it really just depends. A lot of conversation around more policy updates and roundtable conversation around U.S. federal policy matters. So that's going to be definitely something we're going to ramp up next year, just being there to listen, offer assistance programs and services. For instance, we've heard from some affiliates that they would like for ASBO to come up with some sort of a cybersecurity solution where we could partner with someone to come in and do a cybersecurity assessment, secure risk insurance, and also provide an education campaign on what to do and what not to do, because the phishing emails are getting stronger and stronger every day. So those are opportunities that we're looking forward to in 2025 to try to bring more program opportunities out to our affiliates.

[A]

What about the international component of ASBO International? When we spoke in January this past year, you know that was a major focus of yours to make sure that we're living up to the name, we're including our international affiliates members. How has that gone? What have you found throughout your term here?

[B]

Sure. So it is still somewhat minimal as far as what our involvement is at the international level. One of the reasons that I am in Europe this month is I just attended the ISBL conference in Birmingham, England, and that's a partnership that asbo's had for many, many years. We partnered with ISBL on the OPEX report, which is looking at studying districts on operational excellence, on how you can bring greater efficienc to the business office to support the instructional program. So I think there are small opportunities like that to be a partner. Beyond that, we don't really have a strategy to grow our international membership right now because we don't have a way to serve our international membership. So I think one of the things that came out of the Vision 35 task force as it relates to governance is looking at who that ASBO member is and how are we going to serve them. Are we going to have international representation on the board as we used to? So I think one of the things you're going to see come out in 2025 is we'll probably be creating some sort of a governance task force to study the pathway to governance and what that looks like, whether it's regional based on a certain demographic, whether it's based on international versus us versus Canada. And I think there will be a report come to the board probably in late 2025, because anything we do on the governance side is going to require a bylaws amendment. But otherwise we're just here to support our international colleagues the best we can. We will be staying in close contact with our Canada ASBO folks as well. But we stand ready to do what we can. But we also recognize that it's limited on how much we can reach our international partners and our international members, primarily because there are some differences between how you educate maybe abroad than you do.

[A]

In the U.S. sure, going internationally does present its own challenges, but so glad to hear that you and the board are looking at kind of really expanding that. And you know, you did mention isbl. We had Stephen Morales on back in April. So if anybody is interested in hearing about operational excellence and all the good work they're doing at isbl, make sure to go back in the catalog and check that one out. That was a great conversation. But were there any unexpected wins or surprises that really made a significant impact on ASBO International that really just kind of popped up and you didn't really even think that this was something we you'd be able to accomplish?

[B]

Yeah. So, you know, I think back on some of the challenges that I faced, you know, during that the first year, just, you know, kind of reflecting back on that ellipsis report and the responses from the affiliate executive directors and the board and the staff, we recognized immediately that probably two way communication and follow through was at a much higher priority than maybe what I would have expected. Those seem to be a given to me. It's something that I've always opted operated in a very transparent way. So I was kind of surprised at the amount of feedback I received on the lack of communications and transparency. But I would say that a lot of it comes down to trust. As a new leader coming into the association, at least I had the benefit of being a 30 year member and a past president. But that doesn't automatically mean people are going to trust me to direct and lead this association to the next level. So having to overcome a lot of those perceptions about lack of communication, lack of follow through was probably more of an uphill battle than I expected. But at the end of the day, I would say that we're in a pretty good position. ASBA was in need of a desperate, was in desperate need of a roadmap. And I think finalizing our strategic plan and Vision 35 were essential as we look ahead to 2025. And I think further, just gaining the trust of staff and the board to execute at both the strategic and operational level was essential.

[A]

So how do you even tackle that communication and transparency piece? Because just working at a school district in your own local community can be challenging enough to make sure that you're not over communicating and communicating enough. How did you approach that and did you think you've hit kind of the middle ground? Is this where you want to be right now in terms of communication and transparency?

[B]

So I think there's a lot of ways you approach that. The first quarter of the year was all about just listening, not really offering a lot of suggestions on how we're going to improve, but just really trying to understand what the core issues were. And then after that it's really about the outreach, the visitations asking questions every month. I provide a written report to the affiliate executive directors. I also provide a report to the past presidents because they have served this association well for many, many, and I want to keep them in the loop. I don't do really all member outreach emails unless it's something essential. I did a kind of a welcome email early on in the year and then I just did a closing email just kind of summing up the year. And I do plan to continue to do all member emails, maybe one or two a year, just to keep them up to date. But I think just that constant outreach, that constant communication, making sure they understand that if they need me, you text me. But also going out on affiliate visitations and talking to the members and really understanding what the needs are in the field and making sure that we're coming back and we're aligning our member value proposition with the needs of the field. So it's obviously something that has to go on constantly. And I will tell you that I have noticed over the year that a lot of the communications going back and forth were very heavy in the beginning, but over time I think I was able to anticipate a lot of what their needs were. So being able to address their concerns before they bubbled to become an issue, I think really slowed down the calls back to me. So I think we've definitely seen improvement. And like I said, this is going to be an ongoing tactic for us. We're not going to stop just because the first year is done. This is going to be an ongoing priority for us as a team.

[A]

Yeah, that proactive communication is huge. And I'm sure over time the wants and needs of the membership will change. So you have to be able to kind of course correct as those things come about. You know, you mentioned that being an uphill battle. I think everybody listening can agree that communicating how people want can be challenging. But did you face any other large challenges throughout 2024 in your executive directorship that you can recall?

[B]

So I would say that just some operational inefficiencies I was not expecting. A lot of it has to do with there's been so much turnover over big picture items, sometimes you lose sight of all the little operational things that have to happen. So you find yourself so busy putting out all these little fires, you really don't have time to reflect, plan on how I can maybe use technology to create greater solutions for greater accountability. So I think just looking at the operational efficiency and some of the challenges, in particular on the finance side of the equation, we Have a very archaic financial system that takes a lot of input, manual input. We have a lot of the financial functions that have been spread across all departments. So I just hired a new accounting manager to add to my finance and accounting manager. So I now have two in the finance department and we are really focusing on systems and mapping processes. I'm going to take advantage of some of what I learned through the OPEX exercise and some of my previous experience about mapping process to create greater efficiency and accountability. So those will be some new things that I focus on for 2025 for sure.

[A]

And as part of 2024. For those who may not be aware, AsBlue International let go of your physical headquarters and now most of your staff I believe is working remotely or somewhat in a close vicinity. How has that affected operations? And when we talk about operational excellence and efficiencies, like how has that gone? Is that going the way you had hoped? Is there room for improvement? Tell me a little bit more about that.

[B]

Sure. Well, I think anytime you don't have a physical space, one of the first things that come to mind is this culture going to suff, you know, making sure you have that constant communication, that teamwork. So we built some internal processes in place where our department heads and their teams meet throughout the week. I can't tell you I did not was not a big user of teams before coming to asbo. But it's amazing how much communication happens through teams. But like I said before, we have an all staff meeting and a leadership meeting every week. And then quarterly we come together, all those that are headquartered in the Northern Virginia area. We meet in person and we'll zoom in the four or five that are out of state. And then once a year we will have an annual retreat. We just had an annual retreat in early November in Ashburn, Virginia. We had a facilitator come in and work with us on disc training. So we now know the disc personalities of all of our staff, which really indicates that we're a very well rounded staff. And then we also studied some of the association foresights. You know, what do we need to be keeping in mind as an association going forward as it relates to emerging technologies, AI pipeline issues, things of that nature. So I think just making sure that you have those opportunities to connect with your team, making sure they feel included, part of the decision making process is essential. Obviously selling the building was a huge financial benefit for us. To have a 7,000 square foot building and only using it two times a week did not make a lot of sense so from a financial integrity perspective, it worked. And right now, I would tell you the remote working scenario is working well for us. And we do a lot of monitoring. We've implemented a lot of productivity tools such as Trello, and we do a lot of our operational procedures and checklists through Trello. So we're constantly watching how things need to be done. We're holding people accountable through the Trello board by assigning tasks and responsibilities. So all in all, I think it's worked out really well.

[A]

And how's the staff? I mean, culture, as you said, is super important, and being remote can create its own challenges. But sounds like morale is good. People are happy to be there. Tell me, how's the staff doing?

[B]

I think the staff's doing great. Like I said, with the exception of the level of speed that we've been moving for the past year, I think that that's probably been the biggest challenge, but I think they feel engaged. I've made it very clear that we are a team of one. I expect you to push back on things that might come forward. We have to be respectful, obviously, but don't always just agree with me. If I throw an idea out there, if it doesn't stick, let me know. So they've been very good about communicating their thoughts and their actions. And I think it's apparent just based on part of what we do in our weekly staff meetings is we take a section of our agenda and we talk about celebrating small wins. What have we accomplished that we can share with our team to be proud of, and then on a personal note, give us a happy thought for the day? So just trying to engage them on a personal level and just not make it all work, I think has also contributed to that healthy culture. And just making sure that they feel included that I'm just not without having meetings with a leadership team and not including all staff. And so I do believe that, at least, like I said, based on the 360 evaluation that I just received back from all staff, I was very humbled by the comments that they made and really look forward to leading them through 2025 and into the future and really starting to execute on a lot of what we planned for this year. Year.

[A]

Well, it really sounds like they have voice and agency in the organization, and that's so great to hear. So what trends or issues do you think school business leaders really had to face in 2024? I mean, anything that stood out to you in particular, that really was a hot button item.

[B]

Yeah, I think there are a few greater awareness around cyber threats AI, not only the security aspect of it, but how do you effectively implement AI in the day to day practices? And I'm even looking at that within ASBO International. How can I implement AI to streamline some of our review processes with COE and mba? The problem with AI right now is a lot of what we want to do. It's in the infancy. They haven't really got the systems uploaded yet or updated yet that's going to provide that turnkey solution. So we're watching it. But Beyond Copilot and ChatGPT, that's about all we're doing right now with AI. Continual updates on US policy and legislation. I get the opportunity to see how much activity goes before our legislative Advisory Council or Legislative action committee on a weekly basis. And the notes that go to that committee from ELICA on do we support or not support pieces of legislation, really talks about the critical role that the SBO plays in US policy, helps us to be able to take positions or advocate on their behalf. You know, I continue to hear about funding challenges associated with the Esser Cliff, but probably one of the most things, the largest things I hear about are pipeline issues. There just aren't enough school business officials in the pipeline. And as much as I would like to attack that as a major priority in 2025, in all reality it's going to probably be a 2026 or 2027 area before we can fully integrate what we need to do as far as outreach, promoting the profession, reaching out to colleges and universities and really creating a greater awareness of the association. But we do know that there's a lot of affiliates out there doing that now. We look forward to partnering with them on trying to get the word out to increase the pipeline for school business.

[A]

I know the Vision 35 task force outlined a lot of what you just talked about. Where do you see the balance of ASBO International fitting into something like AI integration in the school business office or those pipeline issues? Because as you kind of touched on already, some affiliates may be tackling that themselves. So where is that balance where ASBU International can really kind of help support the work that may already be happening?

[B]

Well, I think that if there are opportunities for us to create toolkits or sample policies, things like that, that we could share with affiliates that are are not up to speed, maybe on AI or if they're looking for tools around cybersecurity threats. Like I said, a lot of affiliates have got very comprehensive career sites already. So we'll be looking to build out the ASBO International career site and hopefully link to some of those affiliates to create greater awareness. Some of the steps that we're taking in 2025, for instance, is School Business affairs is going to become School Business now. We're going to go to 100% digital platform where we're going to be uploading articles as they become relevant and it's going to be pushed out to everybody. You don't have to be a member to get access to our School Business now articles because by pushing it out and allowing our members to share it with a non member, a superintendent, a board member, that's going to create greater awareness of what the school business official is. So we're hoping that steps like that to broaden our outreach. We're going to do that to some degree with our US Federal policy as well. Some of it's going to be outside the membership wall so that it will allow more attraction, more attention to what school business officials deal with.

[A]

And speaking to the legislative piece, I mean, you were ASBO International Board president at one point and I'm sure there's a certain level of involvement with the legislative advocacy. But what does that look like for you as Executive director? Does that consume a lot more of your time? I mean there's a lot going on at the federal level. So tell me where you kind of fit into that whole process.

[B]

Yeah, so we have a Director of Advocacy and Research, Elica Yost, who does an amazing job. We also contract for a small amount of Noelle's time with aasa. So I meet weekly with Elica. She keeps me apprised on all the issues, policy and US Legislative related. I see all the emails that go out to the legislative committee. And then I also do participate in the July conference in D.C. where we go on Capitol Hill and we meet with our senators and our House Reps to try to advocate for public schools. So that effort will continue. There is going to be a huge focus on membership expansion in our committees for 2025 and legislation is one of them. The Legislative Action Committee, the way it's structured currently needs to continue because when you're having to address pieces of legislation or policy that come, you need to be able to pivot very quickly. But I'm looking to or we're looking to create a broader opportunity for affiliates, representatives and members to serve on a legislative committee, to be able to stay in tune with what's going on, to provide feedback or information that might help us do a better job on serving, continuing to provide updates on U.S. federal policy and legislation.

[A]

All Right. So let's talk about the future when you look towards 2025. We're a couple weeks away. What are the top priorities for ASBO International under your leadership?

[B]

So membership engagement is priority one and I define a member as a school business official, a district member, a corporate member or affiliate execs, affiliate staff, really all of our stakeholders portals. We're looking to expand opportunities on the global school business network to create greater opportunities for collaboration and conversation. We're looking to try to promote our education bundles for the whole district staff. There's a lot of great content in our LMS system. Once again, there's a lot of great content being offered at the affiliate level. So this isn't necessarily intended to compete. It's really out there to offer those that don't have access to that relevant content. Committee expansion. I just talked about that. We'll be launching a payroll certificate program in 2025. That's huge. A lot of states need some support in the payroll area. It's probably one of the hardest areas to recruit and retain people. So being able to provide a certificate program to train them on payroll, especially the US Federal specific items, and then hopefully guide them as necessary for their specific states. Strategic plan and Vision 35 we will be implementing year one objectives. A lot of those year one objectives are going to be focused on the member. We are not focusing on growing members for the sake of growing members, whether on 9,500 members or 15,000 members or 7,000 members. We're looking at opportunities to grow our membership in value so that they understand that by being a member of ASBO International there is some key reasons why there's that great value proposition. So we're going to be looking to really focus on the value proposition for members internal efficiencies. We'll be doing a lot of process mapping for all of our internal processes. That's going to create greater accountability, greater efficiency. Hopefully it's going to free up some bandwidth in some of our non finance departments so that they can refocus their energy on serving members. Affiliate engagement we're going to roll out the LMS greater engagement at affiliate meetings. We've implemented a process for 2025 where rather than just assign a visitor to an affiliate, we've actually reached out and said, okay, what do you want from ASBO International at your meeting? Is there a particular person you want? Would you like the executive director? Would you like somebody from membership? Do you want a board member? So we've tried to really match our affiliate visitation process with the Needs of the affiliate, greater engagement there, and then also US Federal updates. We're going to be creating roundtable opportunities and more outre to our affiliates and our membership. So those are really a lot of the top priorities we'll be focusing on for 2025.

[A]

You know, Jim, you did say yourself that your staff critiqued your speed at which you tackle things. That sounds like a lot for 2025. So I don't know if you heard the same feedback as I did.

[B]

You know, it might sound a lot, but these are things that we're already doing. Our, our leadership team, our staff, we are focused on members. And this is just really a matter of just tweaking the processes we have to create a greater member experience, figuring out a way to make sure that we're meeting their needs, the offerings that we're providing make sense. So it's just that constant evolution of feedback and reinvesting in our members.

[A]

You mentioned the concept of being everything to everyone. Is there any consideration about really expanding that district membership to like transportation, food service and being something to those members as well, outside of just the business office?

[B]

So, you know, right now I believe the district membership does apply to transportation and food service. But the real question there is what are we doing to provide value to transportation and food service? And that's a question we struggled with when I was at Ohio ASBO because they have a food service association and they have a transportation association. So being a member driven organization a lot of times comes from members getting together and creating solutions for the membership. So if we start to see an uptick in members in those other areas, once again, creating committee expansion opportunities to serve on our education committees will allow us then to create some content at our conferences for those different job role positions.

[A]

You talked a little bit about 2025. It sounds like there's a lot to get excited over. But what's your long term vision for international how do you see your leadership going beyond just 2025?

[B]

So continue to grow district membership. Like I said, not necessarily just to grow the number, but really to grow the district membership to be able to offer education, bundles, conferences, training, the things that they need to be successful, ensure that we maintain an informed and engaged membership, inviting them to come in and participate, whether that is greater involvement on our committees, increased participation in our MBA and COE programs, increased participation in the SBO program, increased attendance at Leadership Forum and Annual conference. Because it's more than just the content at those conferences. It's the networking, it's the collaboration that happens. That's really hard to put a price tag on the value of that connection is huge, Huge. Creating relevant content and greater participation in our ASBO learn, making sure that we're providing the courses and the content that they're looking for, looking at AI to create greater efficiency, creating greater awareness of the profession, and then as I think out beyond 25, increasing the pipeline of candidates regarding the role of the sbo. So that's really kind of my long term focus on where ASBO needs to go.

[A]

That's great. That's really impressive. And I think we'll do a lot of justice in serving the membership the best way ASBO International can. Really attacking it from many different angles. So, I mean, on a personal level, how was your first year as Executive director? How has it challenged you? How has it shaped you as a leader? You've been a leader in school business for a long time, but have you seen yourself kind of evolve as a leader just over the course of 12 short months?

[B]

Well, I think as a leader we're always growing. I had the opportunity this year to take advantage of, I believe it was a 12 week course on a professional development academy where I was able to actually create or participate in a cohort from different industry. And we focused on a lot of leadership lessons from the Colin Powells and different folks. So continuing to educate myself on ways to lead, listen, value, communicate. But really the ability to serve as the Executive Director has been a long term dream. You know, I've told many people I've grown up in this association, I just completed my 30th year. I've served as a member, a past president, and now as Executive Director. It's been a huge honor and there's not a place in the world that I would rather be than at ASBO International. That's great.

[A]

All right, Jim, if you could sum up 2024, your first year as executive Director, in one word, what would that be and why?

[B]

Progress. You know, we've done a lot this year, but we have a lot to do. It's all about continuous improvement. But I think we have made significant progress this year and I hope the team is as excited as I am about what 2025 brings. We will always continue to listen and ask for feedback, but we've learned a lot this year and now it's up to us to execute on what we've learned and make ASBO International a greater association in the future.

[A]

That's great. And as we wind down here, my last question. What message do you want to share with membership? Those that are Listening today as we head into 2025, what can they be excited about as we move forward into a new year?

[B]

I would just suggest that they get engaged and get involved. We had like 35% of those in attendance at the Nashville conference were first time attendees. So we are starting to see a lot of new folks coming in. So take it a step further. Get engaged. Get to know your association. We're more than just an association. We're a family and we care deeply about each other and the education networking opportunities will benefit them for a lifetime. So you know, if you're not involved, I would ask that you reach out, call me, text me, drop me an email. But there's a lot of different ways you can get involved. You can write an article, submit a presentation for the conference. We just launched our call for presentations today. Attend the Eagle Institute of Leadership forum that typically occurs between January and March. Next year is early March. By the way, we're seeing great attendance. So far. Eagle Institute has sold out for 2025. Attend our annual conference. We'll be in Fort Worth, Texas in October. Engage in conversation on the global School Business Network. Ask the questions. Create part of that community. Join a committee. Stay tuned. You will be learning more about committee expansion opportunities and what roles you can play. It doesn't have to be a long term commitment. If you just want to get involved on a short term level, reach out. We'll find something for you. Participate in our COE and mba. Become a reviewer for our COE and mba. And probably the biggest challenge that I would offer, you know, I came from a state that was licensed, they had licensure, so I could not be the school business official, the chief school business official without my license. But I took it a step further and I got my sfo. I still have my SFO and I would challenge all of our members to take a look at it. Add that credential behind your name. Name. Because as we look to expand knowledge around what school business officials are, that SFO hopefully will carry a lot of weight as we look to expand opportunities into the future.

[A]

Well Jim, it's been an incredibly impressive year in 2024 and I can say just personally it's been amazing just to watch you and ASBO International grow, just become more relevant to the everyday school business official and affiliate and, and really looking forward to 2025 and the years beyond. So good luck moving forward and I'm looking forward to having you back on the podcast.

[B]

John, thanks again and thanks for all your support and have a great holiday season.

[A]

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