Lt. Col. Emmett M. Cox, Jr. and Hon. Emmett R. “Rip” Cox

“Granddaddy” and “Dad” visited Washington as part of an “Honor Flight” from Mobile, Alabama. “Granddaddy Cox” was one of the South Alabama veterans flown to Washington for ceremonies in their honor. “Honor Flights” are a national effort that has been underway since the World War II Memorial was dedicated in 2005.

Each veteran was allowed to bring along one escort and Granddaddy (94) was escorted by my father the Honorable Emmett R. Cox (78); both men have served their country with distinction.

My grandfather, Colonel Cox, was in the U.S. Army for 30 years. His World War II service was in North Africa and Italy, handling personnel on the staff of General George S. Patton. He was escorted by my father, U.S. Circuit Court Judge Emmett R. Cox. Judge Cox, my father, is semi-retired, but active as a “senior circuit judge.”

Granddaddy Cox and John on Spring Break – April 2013

The group visited Arlington National Cemetery and the World War II Memorial. Members of my family were able to see one of the ceremonies but unfortunately I was returning from an important client convention in Florida. My sister provided these great pictures and I’ve also included a picture of me and Colonel Cox last month during our Spring Break visit to the Florida Panhandle. Be sure to read the back of Granddaddy’s’ t-shirt, it includes some history.

Alabama Members of Congress including U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Representatives Jo Bonner (R-AL-1) were also on hand to honor the 101 veterans that flew up and back from Mobile in a single day on a chartered flight.

Photograph of Lt. Col. Emmett M. Cox, Jr., taken in the early 1960s, displayed in my office.

I really didn’t like missing this ceremony, but I was extremely proud to be a part of the Verto Solutions team executing a great annual convention in Palm Beach, Florida for the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA). The FEMA Annual Convention brought together more than 230 flavor and food industry leaders to discuss the latest issues related to food and food ingredients. This year’s meeting was a complete success due to the incredible efforts of the Verto Solutions team, both on the ground in Florida and back at the office in D.C.

Granddaddy’s T-shirt

Thank you to Granddaddy and all of the veterans of World War II for their service.

courtesy of http://www.businessinsider.com

I’m excited to again speak to University of Alabama law students about opportunities in the association world.  The discussion is next week at the Washington offices of Hogan Lovells.  Partner Mike House is the organizer of Alabama’s government relations program that brings students to Washington for a semester to work and study.

Many association professionals will admit that they stumbled into association work after doing something else first; this was certainly true for me.  Hopefully my presentation will make the students more aware of associations and non-profits so that when a door opens they will be more inclined to pursue an association opportunity.

I blogged about the ASAE Associations Now article in January on basic association law issues.  The article was written by Jerry A. Jacobs, dean of the D.C. association legal community. Jerry’s book, Association Law Handbook, is in the Fifth Edition and it’s a great reference tool for association and non-profit lawyers.

How I Came to Association Work

After graduating from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1993 I worked on Capitol Hill.  First in the Speaker’s Office for Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and then in the U.S. Senate for Jeff Sessions (R-AL).  Because Senator Sessions was a new senator and a former prosecutor I’ve always assumed that it made it easier, as a lawyer, for me to understand the Senator’s point of view.  But I got impatient with politics and wanted something different, something a little more legal than political communications.  So I took an offer in 2000 to be the Director of Government Relations, for an association management company called The Roberts Group.

Association management is an exciting and growing field.  Larger associations are independent corporations that usually have a physical presence, like offices, financial assets, and maybe other assets like intellectual property, or a certification or inspection program that the organization sells for a fee.

Smaller associations, with budgets of $100,000 – $5 million or so, increasingly use the services of an association management company.  So as the director of government relations for The Roberts Group I was a lobbyist and regulatory counsel for several associations managed by the company.  You can read more about the advantages of association management here.

After about five years with The Roberts Group, I saw an opportunity to put out a shingle, as they say.  So I created the Law Offices of John H. Cox, PLLC and began serving as the general counsel to associations.  I was still doing some lobbying, but I was also serving as regulatory and corporate counsel for several of the associations being managed by The Roberts Group.

I liked the fact that I was finally a real lawyer, or it kind of felt like I was.  What I didn’t like was the atmosphere of a solo practice – the lack of collaboration on legal questions was a big challenge for me.  But I was learning so much, and eventually I served as general counsel for six different trade associations.

My interests continued to expand and evolve, and a little more than two years ago I purchased a share of The Roberts Group.  My two partners and I rebranded the firm Verto Solutions and put a focus on providing association management and scientific services to associations that represent food, agriculture and science-based industries.

My work today is varied and I prefer it to a one hundred percent legal job.  I run a small business, with twenty-five people in cross-functional teams serving six associations.  I’m the executive director of one association and the legal counsel to another.  On most days I answer regulatory questions but I’m also involved in designing social media strategies, managing finances, recruiting new members, and planning future events.  The variety is what I like.

How Big is the Association/Non-Profit Universe?

Most of my work has been for trade associations, but non-profit corporations like bar associations, charities, foundations, museums or religious organizations are all examples of non-profit corporations eligible for recognition by the IRS under section 501(c) of the tax code.  All of these organizations present legal opportunities for new lawyers.

(c)(6) is the section of the tax code that recognizes trade or professional associations.  As of 2009 there were more than 90,000 of these organizations in the U.S.

(c)(3) is the section that recognizes charities, foundations, or religious organizations, and there were more than 1.2 million of these in 2009.

Associations and non-profits employed more than 1.6 million people in 2009.  Association jobs are found in every state, but they are primarily clustered in California, New York, Illinois, Florida, and Pennsylvania and of course, Washington, D.C.  In D.C, nearly 1 out of every 10 private sector employees works for an association.

The prevalence, spending, and overall influence of non-profits are growing in our society.  As trust in governments and for-profit corporations continues to decline this will further enhance the clout of non-profits.

What Types of Opportunities Exist for Lawyers in the Association World?

There are many opportunities for lawyers in associations and non-profits.  The obvious place is as in-house general counsel, but associations also employ lobbyists that are frequently lawyers. Legal skills are also common in association and non-profit senior executive positions, usually called the executive director or president.

Keep in mind that most legal work done for associations and non-profits is still primarily done by outside firms, by lawyers that are familiar with non-profit legal issues and understand their cultures.

There are two primary categories of legal issue types with trade associations: governance and compliance.

Non-profit governance counsel is as close to a general practice as you are likely to find outside smaller towns.  Taking a look at the table of contents in Jerry Jacobs’s Association Law Handbook will give you an idea of the variety of issues involved:  Anti-trust, tax exemption, political contributions & lobbying, contracts, employment practices, and corporate governance, are just a few examples.

Compliance law for associations is specialized and is as varied as association types.  This work typically involves matters related to the business that the members are in, some examples: food & cosmetic regulations, chemicals management, real estate, construction, energy, workplace safety.  For any area of the law, particularly regulatory and administrative law, there is an association or associations that represent the companies or individuals in that industry and their association probably has legal expertise in this area.

I applaud Dean Kenneth Randall and the University of Alabama for creating this program for students that are interested in government affairs.  Whether they realize it now, some of them will probably spend a part of their legal career working with an association or non-profit.

Key Points to Keep in Mind about Association Law

• It’s generally not litigation.  If you want to spend time in a courtroom then an association is not a good move.
• The atmosphere is not entirely legal, even if you are an association lawyer you will spend your day working with lots of non-lawyers.
• People that participate in associations and non-profits are generally very nice people; they are probably successful in their professions and they care enough about their industry or field to get involved and make things better.

What’s next for me and the law is a new company called Verto Legal Solutions that will provide legal services to the association clients and their member companies served by Verto Solutions.  This will allow me to keep my hand in the practice of law while continuing to explore other areas that interest me, including association management, business, marketing & communications.  The association world is a great place to work and it is certainly full of opportunities for lawyers.

Amsterdam Canal – courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Fabiekhan

I’ve always been fascinated by the contrast between Amsterdam’s sleazy image and the amazingly friendly and lovely city that is the real “Dam.” I’ve visited Amsterdam several times and I always think about how fun it will be for my kids to see it someday. So what is it about Amsterdam that works for a family vacation?

The People (so lovely)

In all of my interactions I have found the Dutch to be such friendly, interesting, and helpful people. They are happy to speak English, proud of their English, and not bothered by the need to use it like the folks to the south. There is also a laidback kindness to the Dutch that I want my kids to see.

The History (modern commerce was invented here)

It’s easy to overwhelm children with too much history when traveling. My wife thinks her parents took her to “every church in England” when they toured. But Amsterdam has fascinating history and it’s represented particularly well in two places, the Anne Frank House and the maritime museum, Het Scheepvaartmuseum. The maritime museum is fun for kids to visit because it’s on the water and easy to navigate. There is a kids’ science museum nearby called Nemo, but I haven’t visited. I’ve never enjoyed children’s museums, I prefer an adult museum that children can enjoy and this is one. This museum uses boats to tell the story of the spice route and Amsterdam’s practical invention of modern commerce.

Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl had a tremendous impact on me when I first read it, and many people have said that the house museum is just as impactful. They also say to go early, be there at opening if it’s possible, because the house is really small. The Anne Frank House is in the Jordan, perhaps the most beautiful part of the city, west of the Center.

The Food (cheese & french fries; what more does a kid need?)

Amsterdam isn’t traditionally known as a culinary destination. Of course they know how to make cheese and there are places you can go to see it made and try it at the source. Most American kids eat lots of cheese, I know mine do, but as far as they know it comes from the Giant. The Dutch countryside, not too far outside of Amsterdam has several “cheese towns” including Alkmaar, Edam, and Gouda. Seeing a cheese town means that you’ve left Central Amsterdam, out in the countryside.

The other Dutch foods that work well for kids are “tostis” and French fries. Tostis, which Americans might call “grilled cheese sandwiches”, are ubiquitous in Amsterdam. You can order one with just cheese, cheese and ham, cheese and tomato. In Amsterdam they specialize in this super kid-friendly food. And the French fries, also everywhere, even sold from tiny shops that sell nothing but French fries. They come with a variety of sauces, they have ketchup, but most locals ask for mayonnaise, and Dutch mayonnaise is very different from American mayo, much creamier, you have to try it.

The Canals (breathtaking)

The canals of Central Amsterdam are beautiful and a great way to see the unique architecture of the city. Boat tours are reasonably priced and they last about 45 minutes to an hour. You can buy tickets and board at several spots, with the most choices near Central Station and the Leidesplein. You may want to plan your trip to coincide with the sunset so you can see the city in the most amazing light of the day. Adults may want to buy a beer or small bottle of wine before you board. Canal tours are good for kids because they don’t have to stay in their seats the entire time.

After the canal cruise walk through Amsterdam’s nicest neighborhoods, Jordan and the Museum area (Museumplein); in the early evening Amsterdam is lovely because the Dutch like to put their homes on display. Front rooms are frequently well lit and the curtains are pulled so strollers can see how lovely it looks inside.

Dutch Fans – Courtesy of the Guardian

Orange is Everywhere

The Dutch royal family is called the House of Orange and their subjects show their loyalty by wearing lots of orange. One of my favorite food legends is the story of the Dutch farmer that selectively bred his white and purple carrots to make them orange, in honor of the royal family. This act of honor is why most carrots today are orange.

The Red Light District (not as prominent as you expect)

A typical Red-Light District Scene

But what about the prostitution and the tolerance for soft drugs? Yes, these are the things that have created a certain, not-so-family friendly image for this beautiful city. Before you actually see the city it’s possible to get the impression that it will be one big open brothel and drug market, it’s not. Prostitution is carefully regulated and it’s mostly confined to the Red Light District, which is less than ten percent of the overall area of Central Amsterdam. If you don’t want the kids to see it, just stay away. This photo is pretty typical of what you will see.

“Coffeeshops” where soft drugs, mostly marijuana, are sold are spread all around the city but they don’t create a nuisance, not even as much as the bars full of rowdy patrons. They do have some great bars in Amsterdam, with most of the rowdy ones full of weekend visitors from the UK, a short trip over or under the English Channel.

How to explain prostitution and drugs to the kids will be up to the parents. But I think a trip to Amsterdam is a great excuse for bringing up the subject.

The Museums (skip ‘em)

Amsterdam is known for several great art museums. They have some great collections and this was of course Rembrandt’s home. But I say skip the art museums when you’re traveling with small children, they get bored. One of my favorite lunches in Amsterdam was in the large park behind the Rijksmuseum, a simple ham sandwich on a baguette. My point is that if I was traveling with the kids I would skip the museums but the area around them is fun to visit if the weather is nice.

Getting Around (boats, trams & bikes)

Amsterdam Central Station – http://www.traveljounrnals.net

The way the Dutch use their bicycles is amazing. There’s a three story bike parking garage across from Central Station and it’s common to see lots of families on bikes. They aren’t as worried about helmets in Amsterdam as they should be. The speed and volume of bikes in Central Amsterdam is intense. If I was visiting with my family I think I would arrange a ride in the countryside. Mike’s Bike Tours has a countryside tour, including a cheese stop.

The best way to get around Amsterdam with a family is to use the trams and to walk. Walking Amsterdam is a fun challenge because the streets and canals don’t always meet at right angles. Getting lost should be anticipated, and enjoyed.

I hope these notes will help any family visiting the beautiful city of Amsterdam.

“It’s a shift away from that traditional communications style – here’s what we want you to think – to here’s a conversation we’re having and you can join in, and here are some concepts for us to think about and discuss, and things we can do together. It’s really a shift from an old-school style of communication to really embracing the social media world that we live in now.”

It sounds to me like she’s describing the difference between elementary and graduate school; that’s how big the changes are in association social media.  With visibility comes vulnerability, but you have to open up to stay relevant. 

Here’s what I find interesting:

• Mars’ headquarters is in McLean, Virginia, the DC suburb where I live.  But only 80 employees work there – the entire company employs 72,000 around the world at 400 offices and manufacturing sites.
• Mars is the third largest private company in the world.  They sold $33 billion worth of candy, pet and human food last year.
• The entire company is owned by the 3 children of Forrest Mars Sr. and they live extremely private lives.
• The company has 11 brands that bring in more than a billion a year.
• The company encourages community involvement and in 2011, 9,600 employees volunteered 37,000 hours at 290 organizations.

The employees featured in the article seem to genuinely love working for Mars even though they all have to punch a time clock, taking a 10% cut in pay if they are late.

Mars doesn’t have a very public profile in McLean, but again they only have 80 employees here.

The Wrigley division of the company belongs to two associations managed by Verto Solutions, the Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association and the International Association of Color Manufacturers.

My favorite Mars product is Peanut M&M.

Congratulations to Mars!

Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel – Courtesy of Ritz Carlton

I’m just back from a successful and well-executed client meeting at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel in Dana Point, California.  Verto’s event planner Jane Reynolds deserves the credit for amazing food, good logistics, and no surprises.   Jane and I have discussed the importance of starting your planning with a good checklist.

Meetings & Conventions magazine has a great library of checklists that will help you in planning a wide range of events.  Verto Solutions plans and executes dozens (almost hundreds) of events each year.  When I say “event” I mean anything from a webinar to a convention, any gathering of clients where the goal is flawless execution.

Ritz Carlton Laguna Nigel – Courtesy Ritz Carlton

The M&E library isn’t easy to find, but it includes 15 pages of lists including the following that I found very interesting:

1. Understanding Audio Visual Basics

2. Conducting a Hotel Site Inspection

3. How to Live Stream Your Event

4. How to Attract Media to Your Event

5. Holding an Outdoor Event

6. Adding a Social Media Plan

7. How to Run and Effective Pre-Con

8. Inspecting Sites from Afar

Let me know if you have any event planning questions or tips.

I provide legal services to associations through my law firm, Law Offices of John H. Cox, PLLC.  This year, Verto Solutions is creating a new entity, Verto Legal Solutions.  The DC Bar requires that legal services be provided by an organization that only provides legal services and that’s why Verto will create this new company.

Jerry’s article includes basic director and officer duties and covers the most common sources of liability for associations and their directors.

The most concise part of the book is the table of Critical Business Processes of a Professional Firm.  Most of Maister’s readers are probably lawyers, but on every page this book adds value to any professional providing business services.

After this book I’m taking a break from business books to read Thomas Jefferson, The Art of Power, by Jon Meacham – a Christmas gift from my parents.

Fortune magazine

I did some reading about Coach Nick Saban’s leadership philosophy and style in anticipation of the BCS National Championship game Monday night between Alabama and Notre Dame.

There’s an interesting article in the September 24, 2012 Fortune magazine, “Leadership Lessons from Nick Saban” by Brian O’Keefe, a former Birmingham resident who spent time earlier this year inside the Saban bubble in Tuscaloosa. I also read a book by Saban himself, How Good Do You Want to Be?

I lived in Tuscaloosa for three years, while studying the law.  My last season there was one of the 14 national championships for the Alabama football team, also known as the Crimson Tide.

Saban’s book follows the model of the business leader biography that is part biography and part motivation. My favorite books in this genre are by the two Teds.  Ted Leonsis’ is called The Business of Happiness, and Ted Turner’s most recent biography called Call Me Ted.  I highly recommend both books.

Saban’s book is not his best effort.  It was written in 2004, right after he coached L.S.U. to a national championship.  After being in Tuscaloosa for six years and coaching for nearly 40, he’s at the top of his game now.  I think a book after the LSU period was premature, hopefully he will write another book before he retires.

The Fortune article examines the extremely business-like way that Saban runs his football program and his life.

“If Saban were running a company instead of a football program, he’d be hailed as an elite manager.”

Alabama’s recent football success is linked to Saban’s focus on process, his detailed program for coaches and players and detailed attention to every element of the team.  He is an extreme micro manager, but he’s able to do it because he is so organized, moves so quickly, and never get tired even though he’s 60 now.

Saban’s success at Alabama is measured in wins, revenue, and player academic success.  Last year the Alabama athletic department brought in $124.5 million, mostly from football, and kept expenses to $105.1 million.  That’s a profit of $19.4 million.  Before Saban arrived the revenue was $67.7 million.  Saban’s take by the way averages $5.6 million each year, the total package.

On the academic side, the Fortune article makes it look like Saban’s extreme focus extends to his player’s academic success.  For the last 3 years the graduation rate of Alabama players has been second in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), only behind Vanderbilt University.

But there are some strong feelings about Nick Saban.  I like his style but he is not universally popular.  The Fortune article is almost entirely complimentary, but he angered many people at LSU when he left to briefly coach in the National Football League.  What else bothers people – I’m not sure.  He certainly comes across as being more intense than Alabama’s coach when I was in Tuscaloosa, Gene Stallings.  Coach Stallings was also a winning coach but he was reportedly kinder than Saban.

There are some interesting takeaways from Saban’s book.  I particularly enjoyed the description of his upbringing in West Virginia, helping his parents run Saban’s Service Station and Dairy Queen, right in front of the family home, open from 6 a.m. to midnight.  The book also includes Saban’s 14 Leadership Lessons.

Whatever happens on January 7^th, the Alabama Crimson Tide has had a great football season, and Nick Saban certainly deserves some of the credit.  Roll Tide Roll!

We all want to live exceptional lives, and most of us know that we must have the discipline to set priorities in order to do this.

But how can we make the thoughts more than just aspirations?  I have a suggestion for you, 18 Minutes by Peter Bregman.

Peter is a blogger for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes magazines.  He provides commentary for CNN, is a frequent guest on public radio, and speaks worldwide on how people can live, work, and lead more powerfully.  He works full-time on helping other people be more productive.

Here are some of Peter’s ideas that I find inspirational as I sketch out what will be better about 2013:

On slowing down the momentum of modern life
Reducing your forward momentum is the first step to freeing yourself from the beliefs, habits, feelings, and busyness that may be limiting you.

On recognizing your own potential
Knowing what outcome you want will enable you to focus on what matters and escape the whirlwind of activity that too often leads nowhere fast.

Leveraging your strengths
Over the coming year, play the game that is perfectly suited to your strengths.

Avoiding surrender after the inevitable failures
It’s critical to recognize to what extent you have a fixed mind-set versus a growth mindset.  This concept is explored in-depth by Dr. Carol Dweck, a professor at Stanford and author of Mindset.  We all have a little bit of both, what matters is that you recognize when you are giving up, and that you keep pushing.  Failure is inevitable, useful, and educational.  Just don’t give up – stay focused over the year – and it will pay off.

On setting goals
Focus your year on the five areas that will make the most difference in your life.

On deciding what to do and what not to do
To get the right things done, choosing what to ignore is as important as choosing where to focus.

To-do Lists
Never leave things on your to-do list for more than three days.  They’ll just get in the way of what you really need to get done.  If I took this one literally I’m sure I would be divorced and out of business by the end of the year.  But I think Peter is making a good point about priorities.

The title of his book refers to Peter’s suggestion that you carve out 18 minutes of each day to use for managing the other 1422 minutes.  5 minutes in the morning for planning your day – deciding what will make this day highly successful.  Then, take 1 minute every hour of the working day, to refocus by reflecting on the hour that just passed – making sure it’s consistent with your plan from the earlier 5 minute session.

Then, at the end of the day, another 5 minutes session to ask yourself how the day went.

Overall, this is probably the best personal productivity book I’ve ever read.  I‘ve recommended this book to association executives, and I’m grateful to our Chief Operating Officer Kathleen Savitz for giving it to me in 2012.  Kathleen knows how to plan and get things done.  Hopefully we can all get a little more done this year.  Here’s to a great 2013!