By Kathryn Deen, PAR

William Hutabarat is director of membership and business development for the Steel Erectors Association of America. He joined PAR in 2024. Here, Hutabarat shares how he expanded SEAA’s social media presence, explains how being an effective mentee brought him success, and reveals his association’s secret sauce. Plus, get to know him more in our rapid-fire Q&A.

Burning Questions

PAR: What’s a recent project or initiative you're especially proud of?
Hutabarat: Expanding SEAA's social media presence. When I first joined SEAA, our social media was decent but not where it could be — fully capturing the enthusiasm, knowledge, and vital contributions of our members. Recognizing this gap, and under the direction of our executive director, I saw a significant opportunity to revitalize our social media efforts and better showcase the true spirit and expertise of our association.

This year, we've focused our content strategy on engaging our community — showcasing member projects, celebrating milestones, highlighting workforce development, and sharing stories of steel erectors and ironworkers. Our content reveals the skill and dedication of tradespeople who build America's skyline, working at impressive heights to create the structures we rely on daily.

Part of that effort has meant modernizing our tone. Our audience responds best to content that feels current, approachable, and genuinely celebratory of the work they do. We've been putting a real focus on Instagram, leaning into member spotlights, educational content, and upcoming events to build a feed that feels alive. The goal is twofold: deepen engagement with the members we already have and give non-members a window into SEAA's world that makes them want to be part of it. If someone stumbles across our page, sees the community we're building, and thinks, “I want to be in that room” — that's a win.

Social media, done right, isn't just marketing. For a trade association it's a membership engagement tool, a recruitment pipeline, and a legacy-building platform all at once. We're still growing, still learning, and that's what makes it exciting.

PAR: What's in your secret sauce for success?
Hutabarat: Absorb the knowledge given by your mentors. I haven't always been the smartest person in the room, and I've made peace with that. What I have been is coachable, and I think that has made all the difference.

One person who fundamentally changed the trajectory of my life and career is Michael D. O’Brien, a brilliant CFO I had the privilege of working under earlier in my career. I started out in accounting and business operations — heads-down work focused on reporting, audits, the 990, keeping the financial machinery running. Michael could have kept me there. Instead, he saw something I hadn't fully seen in myself yet. He noticed that I lit up when conversations turned to revenue — new streams, growth opportunities, and what could be possible. He recognized that energy and pushed me toward it, even when I wasn't sure I was ready.

Whenever we hit our numbers, pulled off a successful audit, or managed what felt like a small miracle, Michael would grin and call me “Billy the Kid” (modern-day gun slinger). It sounds like a small thing, but those moments carried real weight. Michael truly believed in me — not just in what I could do on a spreadsheet, but in what I could become.

This is my version of mentorship that changes people. I learned from Michael to stay coachable, to ask questions that might seem basic, and to never let pride get in the way of learning something valuable. The association world has a mentorship culture that is genuinely rare. People here want you to succeed, and they're willing to invest in you.

My advice to anyone — new or experienced — is to take that seriously. Show up with humility, show up prepared, and honor the knowledge people give you by applying it. The secret sauce isn't a tactic or a technology. It's the compounding effect of lessons learned from people who've already walked the path you're on — and cared enough to bring you along.

PAR: What is your association's revenue superpower?
Hutabarat: A highly engaged and passionate board. In associations you can have the best programming, the most sophisticated non-dues revenue strategy, and the most talented staff, but if your board isn't engaged, everything you do operates at half capacity. At SEAA we are genuinely fortunate to have leaders who show up not because they must, but because they believe in the mission.

Our board members are steel erectors, contractors, and industry professionals who live and breathe this work. When they advocate for membership, they don’t read from a talking point — they're telling their own story. When they bring a prospective member into the fold, that conversation carries weight that no marketing campaign can replicate. When they challenge staff to think bigger or push harder, it comes from a place of deep investment in the industry's future.

That passion translates directly to the association’s revenue. Engaged board members are your best recruiters, your most credible sponsors, your most compelling voices at industry events. They open doors that staff simply can't. And when the board has bought in, the broader membership feels it and creates a culture of participation that drives everything from event attendance to committee involvement to sponsorship renewals.

If I had to identify one structural advantage SEAA has, it's that. You can build a lot with the right tools, but you can build something lasting when the people steering the ship genuinely love what they're building. Thank you, trailblazers, and hard hats off to everyone.

Rapid-Fire Q&A

Get to know Hutabarat more with these quick-hitting questions and answers.

What your job entails?
Recruit new members, promote engagement, and help create non-dues revenue strategies.

What your family thinks you do?
That I’m an ironworker, which would be awesome if it was true.

Favorite thing about working in associations?
Being a small part of bringing meaningful change.

Something about yourself that your colleagues don’t know?
Only one friend can consistently defeat me at playing chess.

Mantra or motivational motto?
“Progress, not perfection.”

Best advice for a new association professional?
Be bold and be precise in everything you do.

Best advice for a seasoned association professional?
Challenge what hasn’t been working, no matter how many people would challenge your work.

What you would do for your association with a bigger budget?
Expand SEAA’s member services and programming.

Favorite use of AI?
Self-consultation.

Podcast that inspires you most?
Association Chat and Things Go Sideways by KiKi L’ltalien.

Book that most impacted your thinking and personal development?
Star Wars, Dark Nest: The Joiner King by Troy Denning.

Favorite recent meme?

“One must champion oneself and say, ‘I am ready for this.’” —Moira Rose

Favorite experience with PAR?
Learning and networking at RevUP.

What you get out of PAR?
Gained new friends who share similar passions.