Pros
The TRA is still respected in the State Legislature and a few people who work there have a true passion for the restaurant industry and its members.
Cons
The remainder of the employees are content with mediocrity. Those who care and come to work with fresh ideas are ridiculed, chastised and maligned by the C-level management team, which has created a culture of distrust, paranoia and status quo. Gossip and innuendo rule the day, and the employees who instigate this seem to be rewarded for their determination to tear down their peers while completing as little work as possible. The CFO and COO have an extremely acrimonious relationship, creating division lines between departments that are not only uncomfortable, but impossible to work within if you are someone who’s more concerned with the organization’s mission than its internal politics. One would hope that eventually upper leadership will change, and new ideas and people will be brought in to freshen up the mission, go back to work for the members, and clean house of the toxic atmosphere. Until then, it’s not worth the risk to your professional reputation if you want to further a career in association management.