It has been an honor to serve as the Board Chair for the Midwest Society of Association Executives (MSAE) this year. Serving an association that exists to help members thrive and grow is a rewarding adventure! As my time as chair comes to an end, I extend my gratitude to our board of directors, our members, and our outstanding staff team.
In October, our board refreshed our strategic plan, and defined three strategic priorities:
- Supporting and sustaining a culture of inclusiveness, and serving as a model association for diversity and inclusion.
- Defining and reporting on the data that MSAE needs to make operational and strategic decisions about resources, programming, and member services.
- Engaging our CEO members.
In December, the board formed a taskforce, led by Jenny Prosser, to strategically evaluate and support MSAE’s outstanding education programs.
Significant outcomes have been achieved since we defined these strategic priorities.
At our April board meeting, the board voted to form a permanent Diversity and Inclusion Committee, demonstrating MSAE’s commitment to modeling and supporting diversity in an ongoing, strategic way. The committee is co-chaired by Melvin Tennant, CEO of Meet Minneapolis CVA, and me. Committee members include Dave Renner, Donnie Brown, Lea Hargett, Derek Hazeltine, Carmelo Cinqueonce, Maria Salas, Danielle Shelton Walczak, Denny Smith, and Paul Hanscom. The committee is a real powerhouse, representing groups including the Minnesota Medical, Dental, and Bar Associations, the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Minnesota Council on Foundations, among others.
Also at April’s board meeting, our Data Taskforce, chaired by John Francis, with Cassie Larson, worked in partnership with MSAE President Kathy Johnson and her staff team to develop a dashboard of meaningful reporting data. This dashboard will be used at each board meeting to evaluate, monitor, and strategically guide MSAE.
Our CEO Engagement Taskforce, chaired by Dave Radziej, with members Carmelo Cinqueonce and Ann Kvaal, has worked hard to deliver a strong value proposition to association top executives. The results have been stunning: record attendance at CEO-only events, participation from new CEOs, and outstanding feedback on the value the CEOs are receiving for their participation in MSAE.
A sincere thank you to our dedicated MSAE staff team including Kathy Johnson, who leads the staff team and makes the magic happen, Angela Kisskeys, our marketing communications manager and guru of all things MSAE, and Sarah Ruzek, who produces and oversees spectacular events, supports several volunteer committees, and is committed to MSAE’s overall excellence! They do incredible work daily to support MSAE’s mission of advancing and serving the association management profession.
A special thanks to Judi Rubin, our 2013-2014 board chair who paved the way for increased CEO engagement and other important initiatives. Our incoming 2015-2016 board chair, Jenny Prosser, is a dynamic, capable leader who is focused on serving MSAE. I anticipate great things ahead for MSAE and our members!
