---
title: "3 Questions With Jill McClure, CMP, CAE"
id: "15677"
type: "post"
slug: "3-questions-with-jill-mcclure-cmp-cae"
published_at: "2013-02-01T12:00:13+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-03-15T19:35:23+00:00"
url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/02/01/3-questions-with-jill-mcclure-cmp-cae/"
markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/02/01/3-questions-with-jill-mcclure-cmp-cae.md"
excerpt: "Jill McClure, CMP, CAE, the Chief Operating Officer of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, finds creative inspiration from \"South Park.\""
taxonomy_category:
  - "Career Development"
taxonomy_post_tag:
  - "AssociationsNow"
  - "C-suite"
  - "Career Path"
  - "Leadership"
  - "personal growth"
taxonomy_content_format:
  - "Article"
taxonomy_role:
  - "Association CEO / Executive Director"
  - "C-Level"
  - "Executive Team"
taxonomy_persona:
  - "Executive Leadership"
---

[Home](https://associationsnow.com/)
 » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/)
 » 3 Questions With Jill McClure, CMP, CAE

### What is your definition of innovation?

Ushering in the new—new ideas, new solutions, new methods, new ways of thinking about what already exists. It is the intersection of creativity and usefulness.

### What innovator has inspired you the most?

For creativity, the creators of South Park: During brainstorming, I like to push ideas to the limit, and that’s when their inspiration is useful. For leadership, Stephen Covey: My regular internal dialogue still includes questions from his first 7 Habits book. Am I putting in the big rocks first? Am I debiting more than I am crediting in any of my relationships?

### What’s your most memorable “a-ha” moment?

When I moved to Austin for graduate school, I left behind the ad agency I had started, my friends and family, and everything I had known for 25 years. I realized two big things: that I allowed fear to hold me back and that, much to my surprise, I was invigorated by change. Now, I crave it.

[Mark Athitakis](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Mark Athitakis, a contributing editor for Associations Now, has written on nonprofits, the arts, and leadership for a variety of publications. He is a coauthor of The Dumbest Moments in Business History and hopes you never qualify for the sequel.

[More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/mark-athitakis/)

Tags: [#C-suite](https://associationsnow.com/tag/c-suite/)
 [#Career Path](https://associationsnow.com/tag/career-path/)
 [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/)
 [#personal growth](https://associationsnow.com/tag/personal-growth/)

**Stay Informed**

[Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/)
, *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day.

## You Might Like

- [VideoMichelle Poler Previews Her Keynote for ASAE’s The Exchange!April 30, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/04/30/michelle-poler-previews-her-keynote-for-asaes-the-exchange/)
- [VideoAdrian Hochstadt Shares His CAE JourneyOctober 26, 2023](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/26/adrian-hochstadt-shares-his-cae-journey/)
- [VideoPeter Doherty Shares His CAE JourneyOctober 26, 2023](https://associationsnow.com/2023/10/26/peter-doherty-shares-his-cae-journey/)
- [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/)

## Comments

**Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/)

[Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F02%2F01%2F3-questions-with-jill-mcclure-cmp-cae%2F%23comments)
 to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/)
!