Most association staff follow a circuitous route to their current positions. They probably did not grow up thinking they would make a career working for an association. Once there, however, they discovered unanticipated rewards in being involved in these unique institutions and realized that they were contributing to a growing profession.

Trish Hudson was no exception. With a newly minted degree in community psychology, her intent was to become a community organizer. A few fortuitous events led her to a staff position in Washington, D.C.; working at the American Association of Univer-sity Women (AAUW). She quickly realized that the AAUW represented a distinctive community of members accomplishing remarkable things for one another as well as society in general. She was also introduced to the world of associations and the emerging association management profession.

Moving on to other associations, Trish met others with similar concerns and interests, became active in American Society of Association Executive, completed their certification program (CAE), and began to think about where this profession was going. She recognized that a lot of good work had been done in the field and new information was constantly forthcoming, but felt a critical component was missing.

While working with her colleagues in the early 1990’s at the National Association of Home Builders, it became increasingly clear that these were unique organizations. And with them began exploring new ways of understanding their structure and function. These insights were enthusiastically received by other association professionals.

To further this work, Trish established the Center for Excellence in Association Leadership (CEAL) and began consulting with a wide range of professional, trade and personal interest organizations in the US, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Near East. In the late 1980’s, she re-connected with James R. Hudson, Ph.D., a professor specializing in social change, human ecology and community psychology; and very shortly thereafter he joined CEAL.

They continued to keep up with the discipline by participating in professional meetings, publishing articles and papers on their research findings, as well as maintaining an ongoing dialog of the issues with their peers. The general conclusion from these actions was that these organizations are distinctively different from other for-profit and nonprofit institutions. And that while a good deal of information had been generated to serve the association management profession, a formal framework based on general and specific principles was needed.

After careful analysis of how that might occur, the decision was made to establish an independent nonpartisan institution. In 2009, the Institute became a reality, complete with a Board of Directors.