John McCafferty, advisor to the AAF District 5 Board, is a past D5 Governor and also chaired the national AAF Council of Governors.
Q. Where do you work and what does your company do?
I’m President and Creative Director of McCafferty Advertising, a full-service marketing firm I founded in 1981.
Q. Why did you want to be part of AAF? What value does AAF bring to you as an individual and to your business?
One day a long time ago, I was complaining about the local club and how it was being run and someone said, “Why don’t you get involved so you can change things?” Some 30+ years later, many have likely rued the day they challenged me to get involved.
Having literally held every office from club VP to District leadership to Chairman of the Council of Governors, even chairing the National Conference in 2007, I have met and worked alongside some of the greatest people in advertising, both locally and across the country. This is indispensable when you need some friendly advice (or someone to talk you in off the ledge). It’s been my way of giving back to an industry I love.
Q: What is your local chapter?
I’ve been a member of AAF Louisville since 1983 and was President in 2005.
Q: Why did you decide to become a district leader?
In 1997, I was fulfilling a campaign promise from my time as President of AAF Louisville to bring the AAF National Conference to Louisville. I was local chair of the conference and between that and running my own business, I was in way over my head. I was at my auto mechanic, arguing about how much it would cost to repair my car when I got a call asking if I had any interest in moving up to a District position. I replied “someday, maybe, but I’m chairing the conference right now.” In a moment of weakness (or insanity), I figured I decided I could do both and agreed to be nominated to the District board. Five years later, I was running for AAF National Council of Governors. I drank the AAF Kool-Aid and don’t regret a minute of it.
Q: What are your responsibilities on the D5 board?
As an ‘esteemed advisor,’ I bring to the table years of AAF experience and background. Having been very involved at the National level, I can bring that experience and viewpoint to the group as well.
Q: How does D5 bring value to the members in our district?
District 5 is the vital link between the clubs and the national organization. The Board and advisors bring a tremendous wealth of experience and knowledge to assist local clubs and offer advice.
Q: What do you do in your free time? What do you enjoy most?
Free time? I vaguely remember hearing about that phenomenon. I have a small farm in Shelbyville, KY and that keeps me pretty busy. I maintain several large gardens at the farm and am always in the middle of some sort of landscaping project. I have lots of pets, all with advertising names: Two cats (Pica and Wiki), a Great Dane (jpeg), and three horses (Addy, Clio, and Splash). I also have a Harley I wish I had more time to ride. I’m looking to make that a definite goal this spring and summer.
