President's Corner

             As we enter the Fall Season, our Chapter is proud to continue to offer more to our Members.  This has been a record year for our Chapter with IIBA Certification Study Groups, Community Partnerships, BAs and Brew, Ice Cream Socials, Sponsor Appreciation Events, Volunteer Open Houses, and so much more.  By managing our money wisely, our Chapter has been able to give more back to our Members.  For example, through revitalized Sponsorships and growth, and a new Event Sponsor, the Marriot Hotels, our Chapter has judiciously managed our Member and Sponsorship funds.  

We are especially grateful to all of our Volunteers who help us save thousands of dollars each year.  For example, our Technology Volunteer Team helps us to manage and set up our own technology equipment at each event.  We have put some of these cost savings into enhancing technology and now offer the ability to stream LIVE Chapter Meetings to our Members. 

How else do we spend these savings for our Members?  We are proud to offer special incentives such as gift card and SWAG giveaways, subsidized study groups, free leadership books to members, discounts to our Professional Development days, and of course, more events!!

In addition, we recognize service and dedication to support our communities locally and globally.  By providing scholarships for memberships and events, our annual “Hat and Mitten” charity drive, supply donations to our Workforce Development locations in MN, and as a proud contributor to Genesis10 Uplift scholarship recipients (supports new BAs in the workplace and growth of our profession), we are fortunate to be in a position to give back to our communities.

Another way in which we decided to give back was through financial support of the first ever 2018 Central Region Summit, in St. Louis, Missouri.  We are grateful to have been able to co-host this event with our Austin IIBA Chapter.  This event brought together IIBA Chapter Leaders from 13 different Chapters in the Central Region.  It allowed leaders the chance to learn and grow together as we continue to promote our profession.

At this event, we were also able to award our first ever “Founder’s Change Scholarships.”  These scholarships honor the Founders of our Chapter, its leaders throughout the years, as well as our Members.  “Change” is included in the scholarships as we continue IIBA’s direction of Change in 2018-2019.  Three scholarships were provided to Austin, Kansas City, and Nashville.  In addition, scholarship funds were also awarded to North Dakota representatives, who will soon become a recognized IIBA Chapter.

It is a privilege to serve our members while we continue our mission to "Grow, Connect, and Evolve."

Kind regards,

J. Kim

President

The Central Region Summit of the IIBA brought Chapter representatives from Austin, Birmingham, Central Indiana, Central Iowa, Eastern, Iowa, Heartland, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Nashville, Northeast Wisconsin, Southeast Wisconsin and St. Louis together to share ideas on how to improve their chapter.