Letter from the President

I began my tenure as Austin Chapter President on September 1st, and as I am writing my first letter, I keep asking myself, "Where should I start?" Should I mention the fact that we now have all three platinum sponsor spots filled (thank you to Raba Kistner, TTG Goetting and Haynes Whaley); that we have hosted three highly-attended and well sponsored luncheons the first three months of our fiscal year, including the record-breaking November UT Medical School luncheon that drew over 125 attendees and 10 luncheon sponsors; that we've reached our membership goal to date of 91; or that we've implemented a consecutively sold out educational series? Or, should I talk about new programs that were implemented in the last few years and continue to see growth, such as the mentor protégé program or the communication awards?

Instead, I wanted to take a moment to discuss the changes we've implemented and what is yet to come. At the board retreat in August, we created a strategic plan to become the premier organization for AEC professionals to develop business development and marketing opportunities and skills. SMPS is an organization that covers all spectrums in one room - marketing, business development, executives and owners. We had a frank discussion about what it takes to continue to elevate our chapter to reach this goal and we understand this comes down to a few key elements: quality over quantity and involvement.

We have limited our programs to one major event each month that targets a larger audience. We have also implemented an educational track to focus on the development of the next generation of marketing leaders. This will ensure we're hosting a high quality event that attracts the right audience each time and not host an event just for the sake of meeting a calendar requirement. Also, this will reduce the burden placed on our Chapter leaders and volunteers so they aren't getting burned out and remain dedicated to our success.

Speaking of our volunteers, this brings me to the issue of how do we keep involvement in the Chapter high? I continue to be impressed at the talent, skills and dedication of all of our volunteers, but we need help to continue to elevate the chapter. We need people with good ideas and a commitment to the advancement of the AEC industry. We need an assortment of personalities and job roles to bring new perspectives and ideas, share the workload or have connections in place that are crucial to an event's success. We need you!

Please reach out to me or any of our board members if you are interested in getting more involved. Thank you to our members, volunteers, sponsors and chapter leaders as well as the national staff for your unwavering support and helping us achieve milestones. I look forward to all that we will accomplish together in the coming year!

Tricia Knapik, CPSM
PSM Strategies
SMPS Austin Chapter President