A Change At The Top

Rob Lederer, an association management professional, has been named executive vice president of the National Pest Control Association. The appointment is significant for the NPCA because in hiring Lederer, the association has opted for a seasoned association executive rather than someone from within the pest control industry. Now in the long process of streamlining and reengineering itself, the association has given Lederer the reigns as it analyzes its board structure, member services and staff organization.

Lederer's skills are in marketing and management for nonprofit trade organizations, and the NPCA is in need of such skills. The 40-year-old executive is confident he will learn the in's and out's of the pest control industry and help make the organization become all things to all people. But filling such a tall order will be difficult for the once-beleaguered organization, and whether Lederer's management edge can, in turn sharpen the organization remains to be seen.

MANAGING THE ASSOCIATION. Lederer literally grew up in the business of association management. His father was in the business for 35 years with the American Association of Nurserymen, and Lederer attended his first trade show at the age of four. A graduate of the University of Richmond School of Business, Lederer decided to follow in his father's footsteps and now has 17 years of association management experience under his belt. He lives in Fairfax, Va., with his wife, Maureen, and 5-year-old daughter, Ashley. Most recently he served as the corporate executive vice president for the Association Management Group in Arlington, Va., a firm in the business of managing multiple trade associations. During Lederer's tenure, the company managed 12 different international and national associations, of which Lederer had direct responsibility for six, including the Composite Fabricators Association and the Association of Water Technologies.

The National Pest Control Association, meanwhile, has come full-circle in its management credo. Historically the organization has tended toward hiring its executive vice presidents from within the pest control industry, according to Bob Rosenberg, NPCA director of government affairs. But in recent years, the association has recognized the value of filling its top spot with professionals from the association management business. One exception to this trend was the appointment of Lederer's immediate predecessor, Harvey Gold, in 1984. Gold, formerly a director of government affairs with Velsicol Chemical Corp., had been hired to restore credibility to the organization after its previous chief executive had resigned amid allegations of unethical conduct. Gold's longtime personal commitment to the industry helped polish the association's image and boost its internal morale. But Gold and the association parted ways abruptly last June, in the midst of his four-year employment contract, when he and the Executive Board could no longer agree on the how the association should be run.

Almost in tandem with Gold's departure was the completion of an extensive management study commissioned by the organization to help combat declining membership and provide suggestions for growth. The widely praised report by Gateway Management Solutions, St. Louis, identified that the organization needed to place more emphasis on membership development. It recommended that the association "create a new charter based on service to the industry," as well as make major organizational and staffing changes that would transform the NPCA into a marketing-oriented team. The association's need for such a focus accounts for its decision in selecting Lederer.

THE SEARCH PROCESS. Looking for a new executive vice president was not taken lightly by the NPCA. A seven-member search committee representing past and present board leadership, state association representatives and manufacturers was formed to develop the job description and begin screening the more than 300 applicants. Twelve candidates were interviewed, and Lederer was one of two finalists. The entire process took five months.

"I think many of us agreed and were leaning in the direction of hiring an association professional," said Bob Kunst, NPCA president, explaining that the business of running a trade association is very different from the pest control business. "In the past we've had great administrators and great PR people," Kunst said, "but I don't believe we've ever had such a good combination of the two as I think we've found in Rob."

According to Beth Brooks, C.A.E.(Certified Association Executive) executive director of the Texas Pest Control Association and a member of the NPCA search committee, the position required a minimum of 10 years' organizational management experience, along with a working knowledge of nonprofit groups and skill at both written and oral communications.

"I think people have to understand that all associations are similar in what they try to offer their members," Brooks explained. "This is quite a job in front of him and he's got to be creative and energetic, and we think he's met all those criteria," she said. "He has a vast knowledge of all kinds of successful associations and new ideas."

Considering Lederer's background and experience, the position seems almost custom-fit. "I have always known that I wanted to be in the association management industry at some level for the rest of my career," he said.

Still, there are benefits in having the top staff position be someone with first-hand industry experience, and Lederer is the first to recognize the precarious balance that must be struck between industry knowledge and association experience. "I view leadership of an association as a partnership. What I bring to the table is the knowledge of association norms, of association management techniques, facilitating leadership structures." In contrast, what industry members can offer, he added, is the knowledge of the industry being served. But Lederer also pointed out that the National Pest Control Association has a full-time technical staff that is familiar with the industry.

PLANS AND PRIORITIES. Having assumed the role on Dec. 4, Lederer, who does not have a written employment contract, is now familiarizing himself with the varied and numerous responsibilities of his new job, as well as with the concerns and intricacies of the industry.

"What I found out when I got here was that there is a tremendous amount of member services and infrastructure in place," said Lederer, "and where I think the organization needs to focus is on better marketing." By "infrastructure," Lederer means NPCA's traditional association services such as its conventions, government/regulatory affairs, resource center, public relations and educational seminars. "There's just a whole variety of member services that are extremely impressive that I don't think the typical member, much less the typical nonmember, even knows exists."

One high priority item that Lederer will be attending to is the association's joint membership program, in which a direct affiliation is developed between the NPCA and the various state pest control organizations. Besides marketing itself more effectively, Lederer said, NPCA must also better identify where the needs of the organization and its membership are and come up with new services to meet those needs.

"I'm a real firm believer that the association ought to be out in front of the industry leading it, as opposed to the other way around," he explained. "One of the things that we're going to try to do is to truly be all things to all people in the industry, not just certain segments in the industry."

Learning the needs of pest control firms, especially small companies, could prove to be most challenging, but Lederer appears determined to do so. "Certainly for the association to grow it's going to have to reach out to that segment of the industry, because that's a great growth potential," he said. Lederer plans to learn about PCOs' needs by spending time in the field visiting members, nonmembers, and state organizations, as well as by attending conferences and possibly even conducting surveys.

The Executive Board has given Lederer a set of 90-day objectives, which include reviewing the Gateway Management Report, becoming familiar with NPCA's strategic plan and planning process, analyzing the budget and staff, and hiring a membership marketing director. Lederer will need to work closely with the president and president-elect to finalize goals for the year. In addition, Lederer will come up with recommendations of his own to present to the Executive Board.

As a manager, Lederer sees himself as the facilitator in the decision-making process and will strive to produce a team atmosphere within the organization. He currently supervises a staff of approximately 20, which could be altered depending on the growth of the organization. "We ought to utilize the collective resources of the organization in terms of individuals," he said. "Making sure we have the right organizational chart at the staff level with the right people tied into those positions obviously is important." To be sure, changes are coming to the NPCA, but the mood among its staff and members is now one of cautious optimism, Rosenberg says. "I think there's a feeling among staff and membership that we've been through a very rocky time," he explained. "I think people view this as an opportunity to rectify a lot of problems; the first step of change in the right direction."

Lisa Josof is associate editor of PCT magazine. Additional reporting for this article was provided by PCT editor Pete Fehrenbach.