My fellow SCIP Greater Washington Chapter members,
Happy New Year! I’m glad to write to you today with three updates about steps we are taking to make your local chapter more valuable to each member.
First, I am excited to announce that our chapter has a new co-chair! Jeff Trexel, the CEO of Infoition, has agreed to transition into the role as Chapter Chair. This is an important step for our chapter because new leadership brings new energy and new ideas, and Jeff is already showing an abundance of both. I will continue to support Jeff, and we’re both committed to broadening the opportunities for volunteering and leadership within the chapter. This is an exciting time for the chapter, and we all wish Jeff the best as he takes on this new role. Please join me in welcoming Jeff to his new role.
Next, I want to take this opportunity to introduce the SCIP Greater Washington Chapter blog. Point your web browser to http://www.scipdc.org to share your opinion on the goings-on with the chapter, explore the topics raised in recent programs and interact with the chapter membership. In the coming weeks and months we’ll be adding authors to the blog, and any member or interested party is welcome to comment.
Finally, we are happy to report a successful completion of the recent member survey. Special thanks belong to Denise Baken for all of her efforts to move this survey forward. The survey report and results can be viewed at the SCIP DC blog here: http://scipdc.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/results-of-2008-scip-dc-members-survey/. Here are some of the highlights:
- Chapter members hold diverse roles in their organizations, and the majority of our survey respondents are not full-time CI professionals.
- We have an experienced membership.
- Tuesday at 6:00 PM is the best day and time to hold a chapter meeting.
- Locations in Arlington near metro stations with available parking are the ideal locations to hold meetings.
- Our members are not as satisfied with the chapter as we would like them to be. Hopefully some of these steps we are taking will move us in that better direction. We can’t stress it enough that specific feedback about what you would like to see is welcome. Volunteering to help make the programs you want to see happen is even more welcome.
- We received some great guidance on the kinds of programs you want to see in the future. Expect to see more programs on analytical frameworks, industry-specific events and programs about human source collection. If you know of local speakers on topics of interest please recommend them. We’ve received some great suggestions in the past few months.
The coming months are going to be very exciting ones for the chapter as we transition to our new leadership. Stay tuned and visit the blog often to share your own thoughts and feedback. You can also send questions, comments and inquiries about the chapter to chair@scipdc.org.
All the best,
August Jackson
Greater Washington SCIP Chapter Co-Chair
