And she's got some lofty goals.
Some of the things Koerber-Walker is pursuing are new relationships with rural chambers of commerce, a greater online presence with an interactive ASBA Academy, a wider membership base, and a program to recognize state legislators for their work on behalf of small business.
Koerber-Walker took the helm of the 3,000-member statewide business association in December, replacing Tom Fraker, who left almost six months earlier to head up Special Olympics of Arizona.
Since her arrival, she has spent time networking, meeting with ASBA members in Tucson and reaching out to the community at large.
"She's really pounding the pavement," said ASBA member Kathy Sacks, founder of Phoenix-based Sacks Public Relations. "She is out there, and she is working pretty relentlessly to make sure that ASBA is known among the small-business community."
"I think it's because of Joan that ASBA has popped up on my radar screen and the radars of other businesses across the Valley," said Dave Lee, vice president of marketing for Gilbert-based Infusion Software. "She definitely has a strong vision for ASBA."
Koerber-Walker said she hopes to create partnerships between ASBA and rural chambers of commerce across the state, giving the organization a presence that complements the offerings and expertise of the chambers.
Part of her effort to make the association more accessible statewide is a beefed-up Web site, set to debut in September.
Koerber-Walker is the driving force behind the new ASBA Academy, an online program that will offer members more interactive and resource-based information. The subscription-based service will offer online training, classes and skill development for an annual per-employee enrollment fee. An exact cost has yet to be determined, but Koerber-Walker said the goal is for it to cost less than $100 per employee.
A detailed offering list is being developed, but classes likely will include marketing, human resources and computer training.
"The goal is that it's going to be up by the end of September," Koerber-Walker said. "Setting up the system is the easy part. Continuing to keep the educational materials fresh is going to be the challenge."
She declined to say how much ASBA is spending on the project.
By this weekend, entrepreneur, author and speaker Michael Gerber will be featured on the site, discussing entrepreneurship in an online seminar created exclusively for the association.
Meanwhile, photos of ASBA members taken by member Laird Brown, president of Laird Brown Photography, will be featured on the Web site in place of stock gallery images.
"By doing this, every person who goes to our Web site will see a member of our business community. That (pictured) person serves as a testimonial to the value of our services," Koerber-Walker said.
Despite the improvements, Koerber-Walker is not being overly aggressive. She has revised the deadline for her goal of doubling membership from 3,000 to 6,000 members, moving it from the end of 2007 to the end of 2008.
"I still want to grow ASBA, but not simply by a membership push," she said.
Instead, she hopes to further develop a set of resources and services unique to the association and desired by the business community.
Koerber-Walker and Sherry Azzarella, ASBA's director of connectivity and amplification, also are working on creating value-added offerings for members.
ASBA staffers are reaching out to firms that might offer special programs, subscriptions and products to the more than 3,000 members and their estimated 200,000 employees.
Finally, Koerber-Walker is taking a more vocal stand legislatively. She recently supported a controversial measure passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Janet Napolitano aimed at curtailing the hiring of illegal immigrants.
Koerber-Walker and ASBA are watching developments surrounding the measure, which include a legal challenge in the courts and a possible special session of the Arizona Legislature to iron out its details.
Koerber-Walker said ASBA formally supports the measure.
Get connected
Arizona Small Business Association: www.asba.com
Sacks Public Relations: www.sackspr.com
Infusion Software: www.infusionsoft.com
