September 03, 2010 - A few weeks ago, I attended the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) Conference in Los Angeles. This was my first time attending a Conference as IIMC’s Executive Director and Delegate. All the major components that IIMC promotes to its members about its own Conference were present at ASAE’s, also.

There were plenty of networking opportunities, education sessions and, most of all, a sense of learning, rejuvenation and growth.

This is a huge conference, approximately 5,500 attendees with more than 300 exhibitors, but it offered exactly what IIMC promises its Delegates: networking, education, and a chance to learn in a community environment specifically designed for the Delegate.

Like most conferences, there were plenty of sessions from which to choose and, of course, too many good ones held simultaneously, forcing you to make a decision.

I focused on three areas that I thought are important to IIMC: 1) non-profit law and the Organization; 2) legal issues surrounding social networks (web site, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn); and 3) why committee participation is important to Associations.

The first two are interesting if non-profit law and how it affects associations interests you; otherwise, they can be tedious to discuss, especially in this format. I found them educational, pertinent and highly interesting.

The third area is something that IIMC experiences daily. It focuses on volunteers and committee participation.

An IIMC Committee is one of the most productive tools this Organization has to work with. Whether you are chairing a committee or serving as a committee member, you face the challenge of getting involved in the work the committee was formed to accomplish.

Your contributions and your participation on the committee will determine its success or failure. If you participate, get involved, and encourage others on the committee to do so, the committee will be successful. Enthusiasm is contagious.

The findings of a committee have a direct impact of the decisions made by the Board of Directors. The energy you put into your work on the committee has a direct influence on the direction your Organization takes – there is no better example of this than the Program Review/Certification and Policy Committees work the past two years.

In the next few months, I will list the functions of a committee, guidelines for chairing and serving on committees and a committee’s structure.

I’ve been with IIMC for 17 years and if there’s a consistency to IIMC growth and success these past years, it’s been IIMC members doing Committee work.

Thank you.

Chris Shalby
Executive Director
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June 2010 -Getting To Now – A Synopsis Of IIMC’s Board Approved Strategic Plan -- How We Got Here And Where We’re Heading

In 2008, the two incoming presidents – Dyanne Reese and Mary Lynne Stratta, respectively - agreed to embark on a two-year process to develop a comprehensive strategic plan – one which utilized the input of the entire membership, Institute Directors and staff.

This was a collaborative effort that encompassed five Board meetings spanning from May 2008 through May 2010 -- and much work in between those meetings.

A Strategic Plan links various aspects of an Organization to find a common thread that ties in objectives with finances and outcomes to accountability. These are key areas that keep an organization such as IIMC on track, providing a process to maintain stability while producing a coordinated vision for the future.

The plan began with a membership wide survey, which was conducted in August of 2008. That survey produced approximately a 25 percent response – well above the norm. A telling sign that members had something to say about their Organization.

From the responses, we determined there were five key areas in which IIMC needed to operate within a confined yet flexible structure.

The Plan – which can be found on this web site under About Us and Announcements -- outlines the five Key Results Areas – KRAs - that are part of the strategic plan and what IIMC will be accountable for in future years.

Each KRA had a Board member as its leader with the rest of the directors and staff filling in as part of the KRA groups.

There are several objectives within each Area that the Board – through the results of the survey – determined were imperative for the Organization’s health. As you can see, these areas are not in numerical order but in strategic order with Membership and Education being IIMC’s foundation. Communications Technology and Board Development are integral to the other Areas while Finance anchored the central points in tying the plan together. Rest assured that although you’re reading a streamlined version of two years worth of work, there are many components – primarily procedural – that provide direction and vision.

Each objective will be staff’s responsibility to implement. These objectives feature various procedures, deadlines and cost centers that will ensure the plan is followed.

Since this is an iterative process, the Board will review the plan semi-annually - ascertaining that goals are met and installing possible new objectives as they arise.

The one common denominator that was salient from the survey was the need to improve communications through technology, to embellish marketing, to attract new members worldwide, but more importantly, to have an educational facet that can be used toward member outreach and programs. We are happy to report and -- with many thanks to the Municipal Clerks Education Foundation for providing the funding -- that our new web site is indeed the jewel in the plan. We ask that you take some time to explore and acquaint yourselves with this site, its benefits and features. This site will be a work in progress as new modules are created and embellished.

The plan is on our site and, as changes occur, we will apprise you of objectives met and revised.

IIMC’s strategic plan is intended to provide you – the members -- with much optimism that your Organization is traveling in the right direction. It was exhaustive work, very much a labor of love, with the results of a stronger foundation. On behalf of the Board, we thank all our members who voiced their opinions and concerns. I believe we heard you.

Chris Shalby
Executive Director