John Wolz

“We were interested in thinking outside the box to find the right way for the future, rather than just filling the spot,” Peter Sullivan, president of the National Fastener Distributors Association, described the change to an association management company.

The NFDA retained Chicago-based SmithBucklin Corp. to manage the association. Karen Hurley of SmithBucklin will be the NFDA”s executive vice president and the association office has moved to Chicago.
SmithBucklin Corp. is an association management and professional services company with more than 150 clients, including trade associations.

After Dave Merrifield resigned as executive vice president earlier this year, the NFDA formed a search committee to find a successor.
“A number of existing association industry players contacted us,” Sullivan told FastenerNews.com. “We never got to the point of taking out an ad.”
It became clear that going with an association management company would allow the NFDA to “give a higher level of service to members,” Sullivan said. “And the economics make sense.”

Hurley started in association management in 1990 with the American Hardware Manufacturers Association and she joined SmithBucklin in 1997.
Though Hurley is with SmithBucklin she will “have her own NFDA business cards,” Sullivan explained. “When the NFDA phone rings at SmithBucklin there will be 100% focus on the NFDA.”

Connie McVicker, who has been on the NFDA staff for eight years and has been operating out of Mississippi for several years, will continue to have transition duties “as the point person for final bills and other business.”
Sullivan said the NFDA board “gave her our highest recommendation to SmithBucklin as a valued employee” but as he understands the situation McVicker chose not to move to Chicago.
McVicker can be contacted at connienfda@bellsouth.net

The NFDA”s headquarters is now at the SmithBucklin office: 401 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. Tel: 312 527-6671 E-mail: khurley@nfda-fastener.org or nfda@nfda-fastener.org Web: nfda-fastener.org �2005 FastenerNews.com