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 Andrew J. Prazuch was named Executive Director of the King County Bar Association in January 2008, after a nationwide search. He reports to the KCBA Board of Trustees and is the chief staff executive, directing a professional staff of forty.
Mr. Prazuch has over sixteen years of experience in nonprofit association management, twelve of which have been with bar-related organizations. Most recently he served as executive director of the American Immigration Law Foundation, a Washington, DC-based national nonprofit which promotes the importance of immigration to the United States. During his eight years of leadership, AILF grew from an initial operation in 1999 with a $250,000 annual budget, $0 in reserves, and only 3 staff members, into an organization in 2007 with a $2 million annual budget, a $1 million reserve fund, and 17 staff members. At AILF he launched new program initiatives including a policy research center whose data is regularly cited in national news media, an exchange training program for international personnel at U.S. corporations, and a K-12 teacher resource center that conducts trainings across the nation to promote America's heritage as a nation of immigrants. AILF also has an active litigation program, filing class action lawsuits to compel the Federal Government to give due process to immigrants, their families, and their employers.
In addition to his work at AILF, Mr. Prazuch served in Washington DC as director of government relations for NAFSA: Association of International Educators from 1994-1998, policy assistant for the American Immigration Lawyers Association from 1991-1994, and in Chicago as a special assistant to U.S. Senator Alan Dixon (Illinois) from 1986-1991. Mr. Prazuch received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1986.
Professional activities include his 2006-2007 service on the Board of Directors of the Association Foundation Group, an organization of executives leading nonprofit foundations across the country. Mr. Prazuch was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Conference of Bar Foundations (2002-2005), and previously served as a member of the government relations leadership council of the American Society of Association Executives (1996-1999).
Mr. Prazuch also holds the Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential from ASAE. Less than 5 percent of all association professionals in the country have achieved this mark of excellence. Since its inception in 1960, the CAE program has served to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance and designate those who demonstrate knowledge essential to the practice of association management. To earn the CAE credential, candidates must first submit an application satisfying professional experience and education requirements. Successful applicants must next pass a challenging examination on all aspects of association management. Candidates undertake rigorous study sessions in preparation for the exam, and only those who are able to achieve the designated examination score earn the CAE credential. Once earned, the certification must be renewed every three years through additional studies and leadership activities in the nonprofit community.
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