Areas of Expertise
  • Board governance and bylaws design
  • Federal policy
  • Fundraising strategy and direct response programs

Scott Pearl He/Him

Executive Director, Association Management

Scott Pearl helps clients align stakeholders and strengthen operations. He brings experience across nonprofit and commercial organizations, focusing on building effective boards and improving performance. He serves as executive director of the Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA), working with industry leaders to support growth across the financial services sector.  

Before joining Smithbucklin in 2025, Scott held chief executive officer, chief operating officer and chief marketing officer roles across associations, nonprofits and private sector organizations. His experience includes senior leadership roles with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), where he served as chief development and marketing officer and led a $90M+ direct response fundraising program, one of the largest of its kind in the nonprofit sector.  

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Thomas Edison State University and is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).   

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Articles Written by Scott

A woman is holding a binder on a shelf in a room with binders filled on the shelves
Articles
The Idea Parking Lot: Building an Innovative Infrastructure for Your Board
Association boards can turn idea parking lots into strategic tools that keep valuable opportunities visible and actionable.
A group of people are sitting at a table with a laptop open and a notebook
Articles
Positive Deviance: How Association Boards Can Pivot from Risk Avoidance to Intelligent Failure
Boards stagnate when they avoid risk; embracing intelligent failure and learning from outliers enables experimentation, insight and adaptation.
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Articles
Why Your Association Board Needs More Dissent: How Constructive Disagreement Transforms Boards
Rather than viewing dissent as a source of conflict, effective boards value it as a different perspective.
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