Sam Klemet
MSAE role: Director
1st Year of Involvement in MSAE: 2022
Professional role: President and CEO
Employer: Michigan Association of Broadcasters
Years in Current Position: 2
In-office, hybrid or remote: In-office
MSAE: Tell us about your family, pets, and where you call home.
SK: My wife and I have two sons - Tatum and Beckham - and two bulldogs - Mo and Griff. We live in East Lansing.
SK: Living in East Lansing makes it easy to walk to campus. We take our boys on walks all the time to MSU and love going to Spartan games. We are a big sports family, there is always a game on, but we also love to play board and bar games.
SK: Donna Oser reached out to me when I first started my job, which was very helpful. Knowing there is a network of other state association executives was very comforting and has been critical in my settling into the role over the last two years.
SK: I've been to several MSAE events over the past two years and connected with the spirit of the group. There is a lot of collaboration and, while every association is different, the idea of sharing makes everyone better.
SK: Do as much as you can, but know that MSAE is there for you when and how you need them. They have incredible tools for growth and development and for industries that always need to stay one step ahead, MSAE provides excellent resources to do just that.
SK: I spent nearly a decade as a journalist out of college and then was hired as the number two at the Indiana Broadcasters Association. That experience working not as the executive, but as a foot soldier per se, really helped me understand what is involved in running a successful association and how to work with members at any stage of their career. Building on the lessons learned there, positioned me to hit the ground running at the MAB.
SK: I've served on education boards and have been active with Big Brothers Big Sisters for almost 15 years.
SK: I am really proud of the work we've done at the MAB. I am spoiled to have a staff that executes some of my crazy ideas. But, we are taking big swings and doing innovative work because our industry demands it. These ideas stem from watching and listening not only to my members and industry but other associations. That level of idea-sharing is why I love organizations like MSAE and why I think the MAB is in a strong position moving forward.