Hello All,
As your CEO, one of my primary jobs is to "run the business" and deliver on the strategy. One of the primary roles of the volunteer global board of directors is to provide strategy and risk oversight, and the volunteers at the local level help create engagement and interest in our profession through a global network of about 200 chapters.
Pretty dull stuff, huh? Read on!
So, as CEO part of my job is to find "competitive differentiators" that highlight our profession and our products and services which help to advance careers and organizational capabilities. This is where the "Value in Volunteerism" theme comes into play. I truly believe that our vibrant volunteer community at the global and local levels is a HUGE competitive advantage and differentiator for IMA. It was volunteers who created IMA (and in many ways, our profession) over 9 decades ago. It was volunteers who built our headquarters here in Montvale, New Jersey, virtually brick by brick. And today, it is volunteers who will sustain us and help lead us on our journey to growth and increased influence in the profession.
Why volunteer? Well, I volunteer myself in the area of mental health partially because my older brother has been mentally ill since birth. A sense of giving back. A sense of making a difference. A sense of talking to others who have experienced similar challenges and heart-felt strories. Making life-long friends. And much more. This too is the IMA story. Consider volunteering at the global or local levels. One of our "strategies" at IMA is to highlight volunteers through media interviews, conference presentations, selections to prestigious advocacy panels, global awards and recognition, and much more. There truly is value in volunteerism - to the organization and to the individual.
What do you think? Please let me know.
Thanks,
Jeff