Association Executive Search Case Study: Government Affairs Director
The Association
Columbus REALTORS® is a membership association and professional trade organization for realtors in greater Central Ohio, with 9,500 members. Advocacy, representing members and consumers on policy and government issues, is one of the organization's three core functions alongside education and technology.
Context and Opportunity: Government Affairs Leadership
Brent Swander, CEO of Columbus REALTORS®, spent eight years in the Government Affairs Director role before moving into the CEO position. He had a clear and exacting view of what it took to succeed in the role and the kind of person it required.
The search was for someone who could go out and do the work: build relationships, represent the organization externally, and operate with ahigh degree of independence. Presence in the field mattered far more than presence in the office. The right candidate had to be trusted to operate without close oversight.
That trust factor wasn't something that showed up reliablyin a CV or an interview.
Key Challenges
- Role required a high degree of independence; someone operating largely in the field
- Trust and relationship-building were central to success, not just policy knowledge
- Association culture is specific; personality fit carried as much weight as professional experience
- Brent had a clear benchmark for the role, having held it himself for eight years
- Needed someone who would challenge and contribute, not simply agree with the room
How We Approached the Executive Search
- Built the profile around trust and independence
Through an ideal candidate session, we worked with Brent to define what the right person looked like for this role. Advocacy experience was part of the brief. But the qualities that would actually determine success -judgment reliability, and the ability to build relationships without constant direction-were central to how we shaped the profile and assessed candidates.
- Used behavioral assessment to go deeper
Psychometric behavioral assessments were used to identify which candidates had the profile to thrive in an independent, externally focused role. The question wasn't just whether someone could do the job; it was whether they'd do it the way it needed to be done.
- Evaluated fit alongside function
Across all Columbus REALTORS® searches, Brent was clear that he didn't want candidates who simply agreed with whatever was in the room. He wanted people who would push when it mattered and still work as part of a team. That standard applied here too.
What Happened Next
With the right person in place, government affairs at Columbus REALTORS® expanded its reach across Central Ohio.
The hire was trusted to operate externally, build the relationships the role required, and represent the organization without close oversight. That was the brief, and it's what happened.
Results
- Search built around a clearly defined trust and independence profile
- Government affairs presence expanded across Central Ohio
- Hire still in post as of 2026, with zero staff turnover across all Paramount placements that year
"We were intentional about hiring the right person that could build the relationships and go do the work. Part of that was based on the trust factor: here's a profile of somebody that you can trust, and they're going to go do the work." -Brent Swander, CEO, Columbus REALTORS®
Why This One Stuck With Us
This was a search where the brief came from someone who had held the role themselves. Brent knew exactly what it took to succeed here. That made for a very specific standard, and a very specific type of person we needed to find.
What made the difference went beyond experience. It was identifying someone whose profile matched the reality of the role: independent, trusted, out doing the work. That’s exactly what our behavioral approach is built to uncover.
About Paramount Consulting Group
Paramount Consulting Group (PCG) is a behavioral science-driven talent acquisition and executive search firm. We take the weight off the shoulders of CEOs, boards, and hiring managers by using accurate assessments and psychometric tools to identify and secure the right people for pivotal roles. Beyond the hire, we provide onboarding support and advising designed to help leaders build effective, engaged teams, especially in mission-driven, membership-based organizations, including associations and trade groups.
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