As part of Small Staff Appreciation Month, I’m profiling different small staff associations all month long. Today’s interview is with Jim Thompson, CAE, Executive Director of the Association Executives of North Carolina.

How many staffers (whether full-time, part-time or volunteer) does your organization have and how many members?
We have 3 full-time staff members and about 8 contract workers. We have just over 600 members.

How long have you worked for AENC / small staff associations?
I have worked for AENC for about 5 years and have worked in associations for 12 years. I worked for the NC Association of REALTORS and Junior Achievement of Central NC before that.

Have you ever worked for a larger association, and if so, what are the biggest differences?
I would say the biggest difference is not being so compartmentalized in working with a small association, because you do a bit of everything. There are the obvious luxuries that go along with being in a larger staff. Plus, it’s easier to hide in a larger staff. It may not be as easy to hide in a smaller organization because you are taxed with so much.

Describe your role at AENC and perhaps a typical day-in-the-life-of.
I’ll describe for you the day I have coming up on Thursday. I have to come in on Thursday after being out of the office on Tuesday and Wednesday and try and catch-up on paper work that came in the last two days. (Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I have access to by email on Droid and I bring my laptop home to work after the kids and wife have gone to bed.)

So, I am going to try and get in a bit early on Thursday, because in addition to catch-up, our CPA is in-house this week doing the field work for our audit. I hope to get in at 8:30 so I can get organized and pull some reports in preparation for a 10 a.m. meeting with our AMS reseller. Having some issues recently with that. Geez, I love technology, but I hate it, too.

After meeting, I’ll try and catch up and before lunch meeting with a member to discuss his affinity program — should be a great conversation. Their group generates big money with their program. Following lunch, got to hightail it back to the AENC office to get ready for AENC webinar at the office. We partner with our allied societies across the U.S. called ASA (Association Societies Alliance) and we produce a monthly webinar series. We promote the webinar, which is $55. So a member can pay and watch at their office, or they can come for free to AENC to watch with fellow members and have a chance to network before and after. The webinar will be over in about an hour and then it will be about 3:30 once everyone leaves and we get cleaned-up. OK, now I have about one hour to try and wrap up a few to-do items on the list then it’s off to Natty Greene’s. Have a good response to this event. Can’t wait.

What’s your favorite thing about working for a small staff association?
One word: variety.