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ATA eNewsletter

April 2010

Board Member Highlight

With the intent of unveiling areas that show us Board members' passion and unique background in the tourism industry, the Board Member Highlight is designed to better familiarize members with the personalities and opinions of key leaders. This month, we are pleased to feature Steve Barclay, Executive Director, Beer and Wine Distributors of Arizona.

ATA members probably know Steve Barclay in his role as the Executive Director, counsel, lobbyist, chief cook and bottle washer for the BEER AND WINE DISTRIBUTORS OF ARIZONA, the statewide trade association for licensed wholesalers. Steve began working with BWDA in early 2005.

What you may not know is that Steve also has his own law firm, BARCLAY LEGAL, PLC, and he’s spent his entire professional career – nearly 30 years – practicing in the Valley. 

While most of Steve’s time has been spent running his own small firms, he had tours of duty with well-known law firms like Jennings, Strouss and Salmon, where he served on the firm’s 3-person Management Committee, and as an associate at Snell & Wilmer back in his younger days. Steve also gained great health care experience while serving as the first in-house counsel for CIGNA Healthcare in Arizona.

For many years now, Steve has concentrated his practice in the areas of state and local lobbying and government affairs, association management, as well as transactional legal work in the fields of health care, insurance, administrative and regulatory law. 

Steve received his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he was an Assistant Editor of the Law Review, and his B.A from Oral Roberts University. He and his wife Janice live in the Ahwatukee area with their daughter Jordan.

Q:  What is your greatest professional achievement?

A:  Well, I suppose it’s my consistent high-level performance as a lobbyist and business lawyer for nearly 30 years. I’ve been able to engage in advocacy in the government affairs arena, manage trade associations, and advise a wide range of clients – ranging from beer and wine to health care – and for most of my career (including now) I have done it solo. I don’t even have a secretary.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5, 10 years?

A:  I’ll probably be doing the same things I am today, because I enjoy them – hopefully at a somewhat more relaxed pace – and primarily here in the Valley. Except in the summertime, when my wife and I hope to be able to hold forth from cool Santa Barbara.

Q:  What books are on your bedside table?   

A:  Right now, I’m reading “The Shack,” given to me as a gift by my wife Janice, who absolutely loved it. I just finished another great book called “The River of Doubt” about Teddy Roosevelt and his amazing near-death adventures in the Amazon, exploring an uncharted river.

Q: How do you prioritize or balance your work life and spending time with your family?

A:  Family comes first - it’s that simple. In ours, my wife and I play more traditional roles – she’s a stay-at-home mom and I’m the sole breadwinner, so my work life is important for sustaining us all. But I can’t neglect my obligations as a husband and father either, or our family unit simply won’t survive,  After almost  28 years of marriage, I think I’m getting the balance part right most of the time, but during legislative sessions it can be a real challenge. Fortunately, my girls are patient with me.

Q: What’s your favorite travel experience?

A: While I enjoy new adventures around our wonderful state, Janice and like to go to an interesting city like San Francisco or Boston and stay for a week or longer -- exploring interesting neighborhoods, sampling the smaller bistros, pubs, galleries, etc. Mostly we try to pretend we’re locals, not tourists.  We had the chance to be happy-go-lucky travelers during the early years of our marriage, before our daughter arrived. Now that Jordan is 18 and college-bound, we can’t wait to take up where we left off!

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