Perspectives  Dallas Chapter of ASTD Membership Newsletter  -  January 2007  << Table of Contents <<

President's Pen - The Benefits of Volunteering

by Deborah Avrin

  Happy New Year!  A new year…an exciting time for beginnings, possibilities, goal setting and resolutions.  We had this type of exciting, new beginnings atmosphere during the team building/strategic planning day attended by your 2007 Leadership Team on Saturday, December 9, 2006.  A big thank you goes to the American Heart Association for letting us borrow a conference room and our host Janet Kafka.

 

Your talented team of volunteer leaders for 2007 is:

Officers:

Board of Directors:

Barb Ashbaugh  - VP Professional Development

Deborah Avrin - President

Kirk Dingman – VP Programs

Carol Glynn – President Elect

Tulla Jackson – VP Marketing

Janet Kafka – Director

Jeff Persaile – VP SIGS

Jay Maxwell – Past President

Mike Schellen – VP Communications

Denise Reinke – Director

Virginia Wells – VP Members Services

 

Carl Youngberg – VP Programs

 

 

I am honored to work with such a talented group of people who are willing to volunteer their time to make our chapter great.  You might be asking yourself these questions: “Should I volunteer?” “Do I have time to volunteer?”, “How will I benefit from volunteering?”

 

The answers to the benefits of volunteering will vary.  For some it will be to develop a new skill, others for the camaraderie and teamwork and still others for the feeling of accomplishment and making a difference.

 

So what is your passion or interest? 

 

Are you a previous journalism major or would like to practice your writing skills?  See Mike to help with the newsletter. 

 

Do you want to learn more about web site design and what happens behind the scenes?  Kirk has volunteered to train others on the technicalities. 

 

Enjoy the challenge of finding great speakers?  What could be more fun and exciting than working with Carl and his programs team? 

 

Would you like to help folks who are searching for a job in learning and performance?  Barb has experience in career development and would enjoy sharing it. 

 

Have a passion for marketing or would like to learn more?  Tulla needs help with a long to list to market our chapter and programs. 

 

Want a visible position during monthly meetings?  Join Virginia’s team greeting members, orienting them and talking to guests about the benefits of membership. 

 

Finally, have a special interest? Why not volunteer to lead or co-lead a special interest group with Jeff.  This is where I started my volunteering with Dallas ASTD, co-leading the Consultant’s SIG with Bob Livingston about 6 years ago.

 

I look forward to seeing everyone at the January monthly meeting.  Ask me about volunteering; I have plenty of success stories to share.

 

Next Month:  The Dallas ASTD 2007 Balanced Scorecard goals

 

 

 

About the Author:  Deborah Avrin, SPHR, has been a human resources professional for over 18 years and holds a BBA in Human Resources and an MS in Organizational Behavior. Her company, Management Skills Resource Inc., works with organizations that want to build the confidence, competence and courage of their management teams through creative training workshops.  Ms. Avrin holds a lifetime Senior Professional in Human Resources certification and keeps current in training and human resources trends by her affiliation with the Dallas Human Resources Association and teaching the SHRM Learning Systems through the University of Dallas .  She is the 2007 President of Dallas ASTD.