BELIEVE

Happy New Year!!!   We are getting ready to celebrate our 60th Anniversary this September in Kansas City, MO.   The National Women’s Leadership Conference is always a special and motivating experience for members and this year’s conference is no exception.    In celebrating our 60th year, we achieve a remarkable milestone as a professional organization designed for and run by women.  Because of this, I hope everyone makes one of their New Year’s Resolutions to set aside money each week to help pay for their trip to Kansas City in September. 

Wouldn’t it be an amazing tribute to our organization if every chapter and network sent at least six representatives to the conference, one for each decade?  I’d love to make this a goal for our Association.  Would you join me by setting your group’s goal of members attending conference to six?  With careful planning and a concerted effort of your membership, funds could be raised and saved in the next nine months to make that goal a reality.

In addition to conference planning, January is when chapters and networks should start identifying members deserving of special recognition and those who may be ready for various leadership roles within ABWA.   Finding our Association’s future leaders is first on the list of priorities.  These women are the best and brightest from each District who will serve on our National Board of Directors and help lead ABWA into the future.  We need every chapter, network and council to participate in sourcing the best possible candidates to help lead and shape ABWA for her next 60 years.  The deadline for nominations is March 1st.  If you know of someone who should be running, try to get their group, council and other members of the District to encourage them to take that step forward.  We are looking for a few exceptional Women. 

The second priority should be identifying the 2009 Women of the Year.  These women should represent what is best about each and every one of our groups.  Your group’s Woman of the Year should be your brightest star.  She is the member who has grown the most, makes significant contributions to the group and serves as an excellent role model to current and future members. 

Another priority is identifying women worthy of the group’s nomination for Top Ten Business Women of 2010.  The women who are selected for this coveted recognition demonstrate the best in business practices and show us all what can be accomplished by women in our Association.

The recognition of individuals in ABWA is important, but so is celebrating the accomplishments of chapters and networks.  Perhaps one of your chapter or network goals is to be recognized in Kansas City at the 60th Anniversary as one of the Association’s Premier Chapters.   Many members came up to me in Covington and shared their hopes of being on that stage with their fellow members all dressed up and accepting the Top Best Practice Award from Rene’ Street. 

Are you marking the progress of your group in their quest to join us on stage for Best Practices in Kansas City?  One of the things you may be looking for is Program Speakers.   If you are looking for a speaker, don’t forget your District Vice President, other National Officers, or The Top Ten Businesswoman who may be available to present programs on a wide array of topics.  All you need to do is contact them (call National if you need their contact information), make sure your date fits their schedule and that your group is able to pay for their transportation and accommodations if they are not local to you.  It is necessary to pay for the transportation and accommodations of visiting National Board Members, and the Top Ten.  National Board members are in volunteer roles and do not receive money from National to pay for travel outside of their District Conference and National Conference.   Just ask for a speaker’s request form, fill it out and return it so they can place you on their calendar. 

Happy January, let’s all start the year off right.

Casey Coven
caseycoven@aol.com
2008 - 2009 National Vice President

 

Casey Coven Candidate

I will be the first to make a change. 

In 2006, I made a pact to stay involved at the National level of ABWA for three years, and this is the final year, of that commitment. 

• The first year I was on the National Board of Directors, serving as District IV Vice President.
  
  
• The second year found me promoting the National Leadership Conference in Greensboro, NC, while serving as the “10th” member of the National Board.  This unofficial position included tour guide, supporter, worker and whatever tasks were assigned for and by the National Board.
   
• This year during my third year, I had two different opportunities.  One was to become a member of the support team of the National Board, and the other was to make a new commitment to the Association by running for the National Board again.  The easy choice for me would have been to serve on the support team.  But I decided to be the first to make a change. 

With a lot of support and encouragement from my ABWA sisters, I chose to run for National Vice President.  Many of you don’t need to ask why--you already know.  But, for those of you who do ask, I know I can make a difference by serving ABWA on the National level.  We need to elect leaders that are ready, able, and willing to serve the Association by reaching out to the membership to make it a better experience for all of us. 

Where you live is not important--but what you are accomplishing and are striving to share with the Association is of extreme importance.  Because of my career, I travel extensively and have been visiting chapters and councils wherever I travel since 2001.  What I have found is an incredible group of women who are excited about sharing ideas with someone outside their group. They want someone who will listen to their issues, and to give them suggestions from other groups’ experiences.  My visits, which started as a place to connect when I was out of town, grew into a motivation to find out more about the National Association and become an on the spot mentor and advisor.  Members in chapters /networks I visit automatically anticipated my well-informed information about ABWA and chapter management. 

I take that responsibility very seriously.  I will persist in keeping abreast of the changes within ABWA.   I ask for your assistance and support to continue my journey.  It takes but a belief to get things started—things that aid us all in continuing our personal and professional growth.

I BELIEVE in the power of ABWA, do you?

Casey Coven
caseycoven@aol.com
Approved Candidate for National Vice President

Casey Coven Candidate Message

Start the chapter year off right with a successful membership campaign.   How do we do that?  We’ve tried everything!  We’ve asked everyone we know to come, but haven’t made any progress.    Do those questions and statements sound familiar?  I’ve heard them from coast to coast this year. 

As we emphasis Best Practices, it becomes important to increase membership and maintain what we have.  How do we do that?  When was the last time you looked in the People, Business or Meeting section of the newspaper and saw a woman’s name or face who attracted your attention?  She was promoted, or leading a high visibility fund raiser, or head of a well know local organization, just to mention a few things.  Did you sit down and write an invitation to her, inviting her to your next meeting or to speak at a meeting? 

Our mission statement includes the statement about diverse occupations.  When was the last time you looked around your chapter and thought, I wish we had a “  “ in the chapter?  Did you pull out a phonebook and find a listing for someone in that field and write an invitation to a woman listed in the yellow pages? 

I encourage all members to invite everyone you meet, but some members don’t feel comfortable doing that.  Have we provided them alternatives to recruiting prospective members and speakers?  Who’s running your membership committee, is it a creative, imaginative member, or is the position sitting open because no one wants the job? 

Does your Vice President sit on the membership committee to help insure its success?  It’s the most important position behind the chapter president, if it’s done correctly.  It’s a constant job. Following up with guests and finding out why they joined or why they don’t join.  Do you have a notebook or album of members and their ABWA stories?  Why they joined, what they have gained since being a member, and why do they stay? 

Have you asked your District Vice President or one of the current or former National Officers or Top Tens to share their story with you and your group so you can use it with guests?  Do you show “A Place to Be” as a background while you are networking prior to your meeting?  All these things plus others that may be unique to your chapter or network are the keys to building and maintaining a strong membership.  No one method works for every group, that’s why we all must be innovative and share ideas. 
Good Luck with your Fall Membership Campaign.

Casey Coven
caseycoven@aol.com
Approved Candidate for National Vice President