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Kathy Harbaugh, RCE, AHWD, wears a lot of different hats: “Right now, I’m looking into new elevators for our eight-story building.”
As chief operating officer at Indiana Association of REALTORS®, Harbaugh might review the operations of her state association’s real estate school one day or work with her controller to fund a new program the next.
COOs are a growing role at state and larger local associations, supporting association executives with tactical strategies to fulfill their visions. Several years ago, Harbaugh says, she knew only a handful. But when she and two other “seconds” decided to pull together a meeting at 2022’s AE Institute, more than 30 others joined to share information on how to do their jobs better for their members. “Not one of us wants to reinvent the wheel,” says Harbaugh. “We all want to be efficient. Having others to gain insight from is invaluable.”
The informal group is going through a relaunch after two founding members left their association roles. If you’re interested in attending a meeting of the group at the 2024 Joint AE Institute, March 12–15 in San Diego, email kharbaugh@indianarealtors.com. You can also join the Local and State REALTOR® Associations Second-in-Command Facebook group.
