President’s Report Joe F. Kolb

Moving the Association Forward

Joe F. Kolb is the President of the Arkansas Bar Association. Kolb is the principal member of the law firm j. k o l b in Little Rock.

It’s a new bar year. And we're off to a great start.

It was nice to see everyone back in Hot Springs, in person, for the 124th Annual Meeting. It was a great success! 499 members attended live and virtually. That’s significantly more than attended our last live annual meeting in 2019. And the programming was superlative, thanks to chairs Kristin Pawlik and Patrick Wilson.

It’s extraordinary to think that for 124 years, the association has not missed hosting the Annual Meeting. Since 1898, many dedicated volunteers and staff have seen to it that Annual Meeting happens–through two world wars, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, two global pandemics, and times of social and political unrest.

That’s a great testament to our past leaders and staff–but also, to our members for their commitment to the association. That commitment is based upon the value members derive from being members. For 124 years, it’s that value that has kept the association vibrant, thriving and strong.

As Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, however, “There is nothing permanent except change.” And a lot has changed in 124 years–in our everyday lives and in our profession.

Gone are the days when the majority of new lawyers joined the association after graduation because they were required to by their firms; or when attorneys joined because the association was one of only a few providers of professional news, information, and education; or when they joined because being a member was the best path for career advancement. The practice of law and the profession are different than they were 124 years ago–50 years ago–even two years ago.

To remain a vibrant, thriving, strong association, we must ensure that the association continues to provide real value that lawyers need and want today. In short, we must ensure the association remains relevant.

How do we do that? By renewing our focus on four areas. The first is membership value. This year we will stop guessing about what our members need and want and find out directly from the source. We’ll ask them what they value and the best way to deliver that to them.

I have appointed a Membership Value Task Force, chaired by Jamie Jones, to take a deep dive into the membership value proposition. The task force is charged with conducting a comprehensive survey of members and prospective members on their professional needs. I’ve asked the task force to also consider different membership models and to prepare a report of findings and recommendations for action by the Board of Trustees by the end of the year. This renewed focus on membership value is the key to the association’s success. But we’re not stopping there.

Second, we’re refocusing on communicating with our members. Real communication is a two-way street. We’re pretty good at informing. We’re not as good at asking, listening, and discussing. This year, we’re reexamining our existing communication tools–our magazine, newsletter, ACE communities, even our meeting structures–and exploring ways to improve them to ensure that as we continue to inform, we also listen so we stay responsive to our members’ needs over time.

Third, we’re refocusing on engaging our members. Membership should be an active experience on every level. Improved communication will encourage better engagement, but we also must embrace other ideas like: getting off of Zoom and out of Little Rock; hosting regional events throughout the year for members and trustees to connect; and engaging members and trustees with generative discussions to encourage all of us to look up, look out, and consider the association’s role in the future.

Fourth, to ensure we are using our limited resources effectively and efficiently, we’re renewing our focus on integrating and unifying the many parts and programs of the association. We must break down silos and barriers that create inefficiencies, foster division, and distract from our core mission.

As a part of that effort, I have appointed a Section Reserves Task Force led by Brian Clary to review our cumbersome systems for sections and section reserves to encourage sections to continue to engage members, but also support and promote the association’s larger mission.

And I have appointed a Program Review Task Force chaired by Aaron Squyres to consider and make recommendations for a mechanism to periodically evaluate the association’s current and future programming to ensure each program continues to add value to members and is an efficient use of resources.

I have also reappointed the Bar Center Task Force, led by Immediate Past President Bob Estes, to consider a number of issues related to the use and maintenance of the Bar Center and to act quickly to identify and implement solutions.

By refocusing our attention and efforts on these four areas–providing value to members, communicating with members, engaging members, and ensuring the structure and operations of the association serve its overall mission–we can move the association forward. We can–and we will–build a stronger, more vibrant, more sustainable association that will weather the storms of time and host another 124 awesome Annual Meetings! ■