By Sharon Lee
I hope everyone had a great Canada Day!
It’s hard to believe that a year ago, I became President of the Calgary chapter. My predecessors have told me time flies when you are the President of IABC, and they were right, time did fly. As I look back, I am grateful for having the opportunity to serve with a group of passionate and strategic leaders on the board.
We’ve done so much this past year, and I know I can’t possibly list them all out. Here are some of the highlights.
Back In The Black
The past few years have been financially challenging for our chapter as we continued to see a decrease in revenue. We made it our goal to turn things around this year. Though we are still working on our year-end financial statements, our Finance Director, Shelly Nowroski, and the Executive team are confident that we will be ending this year in the black. This is exciting news, and we couldn’t have done it without some cost structure changes and a rigorous process in place. Did you know that our Finance team received an Award of Excellence from International this year because of the amazing financial processes that we have put in place? A big thank you to Shelly, her volunteers and the board for their hard work.
Engaging Content
A big kudos to our Marketing and Member Communication teams. In an age of information overload, our teams found ways to engage you with unique content. For example, our blog series on communicators have been a hit. This is part of our effort in reflecting other local communicators’ experience in the industry so that we can learn from each other.
Delivering Professional Development Programs You Wanted
You asked. We listened. In our last members’ survey, you asked for professional development opportunities that focus on leadership building and writing. Some of you also asked for more social events. Our amazing Professional Development team, Tim Shaw and Natasha Cousin, delivered events that addressed them all. Our goal at IABC is to help develop you as a communicator so if there are any topics you would like us to address, please connect with us! We are all ears.
We saw an increase in participation in our Mentorship program, which is always good to see. We have a stellar volunteer team managing that program with the leadership of Michelle MacPherson so if you were not able to participate in the program this year, be sure to check back in September.
Leading The Way With Certification
Our chapter and region continue to lead the way in the number of people certified. If you are thinking of getting your CMP or SCMP, we will be hosting another exam in the fall. Stay tuned for details.
Final Thoughts
We are at a turning point. Our chapter is fiscally back on track. We are gaining new members and slowly building relationships with other organizations. And we couldn’t have done this without an amazing board who believes in our vision.
It’s been a fulfilling and rewarding ride. Thank you for allowing me to serve you. Thank you for sharing your ideas, passion and expectations so that we can continue to build our community.
I’m not gone yet. I will be serving as Past President this upcoming year and I look forward to supporting Natasha Qereshniku, our incoming President, and the rest of the board on their journey to advance our profession.
Enjoy your summer!
