I’m very surprised that it’s already 2016. Last year evaporated before my eyes! Not only that, but January has come and gone and it’s mid-February now and it’s onward and upward for most of us.
By now, you’ve probably gotten an email from CSI about the Institute elections, and maybe you’ve had a chance to read various essays about making sure you exercise your opportunity to vote for the people who will lead us through the next year. Conveniently, the ballot has links to the biographical information and position statements of all of the candidates, so before you make your final selection you can take another look at what each candidate stands for and what she or he has in mind for our organization. Don’t do what I’ve done in the past. Don’t automatically vote for the candidate who’s listed first for each office. Back when I was a relatively new CSI member, that’s what I did because I didn’t know anybody so it didn’t matter, right? Wrong. Also wrong was another of my methods for choosing the candidate: pick the woman who is running for the office in question. Again, I think that was borne of not knowing anybody past my local chapter. This year, particularly, there are some wonderfully talented people running for the national offices. I encourage you to read through the bio information and the candidate statements before you decide. I’ll warn you, though, it’s likely to be tough to make a choice, which tells you how hard the nominating committee worked to get the right people for the right jobs. Now it’s up to us.
While you’re looking at the national ballot, think also about how you can contribute. There are roles for all of us, no matter what our particular talents are or how limited our available time is. Consider volunteering for our CSINext chapter and say yes when approached. If you’re not ready this year, then maybe next year. We’ll always have the need for people to share their time to keep our virtual chapter moving forward. Beyond the chapter, there are also plenty of opportunities to serve on a committee at the region or national level. Maybe your region needs someone to work on a committee for a region conference or trade show – that’s a fixed time, not a continuing thing (although it seems like forever, it really won’t take the entire year). Or, perhaps you have some expertise that could enhance the workings of the Institute education or technical committee. Not only can you contribute to the future of the Institute, but you also learn so much by working beyond the chapter level! It’s an opportunity to work with people from all over the country and to get to know them personally, to grow your network and your knowledge of not only CSI in particular but of our industry in general. Consider how your world can grow, and how you can make a difference. We’re a member-driven organization. Now, really, it’s up to us.
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