Over the last two years, the conversations we have been having as professionals, volunteers, and members have changed. Our conversations are less about the “what we are doing” and more about “why we are doing it.”

What has become most important to us are the results we expect to achieve for the effort we put in. Also, what value doing something brings to us as individuals, and to our organizations. Our association has been no different in this regard. We saw an inadvertent shift in how the association had to support and serve our members as a result of the pandemic. In doing so, we learned a lot about what works, what doesn’t, and what is valued. We now have an opportunity to use everything we’ve learned—with intention and a focus on member value.

This year, we were able to meet again face to face in San Antonio for our annual ConEx. It was such a thrill to see everyone back in three dimensions. This year’s conference saw a few changes, but there were many of the same things too. There was an excellently curated list of seminars and papers, an engaged and knowledgeable group of sponsors, and an enthusiastic turnout.

As Jim Krebs noted in his remarks, we’ve spent a lot of time looking at ourselves since the implementation of our strategic plan.   As professionals, who seek to bring best practices to our organizations to effect successful outcomes, we have been actively practicing what we preach for our association. We’re seeing early results of our efforts—which is very encouraging. But, as this year’s Board of Directors moves from the development stage to the implementation stage of our strategic plan, we still have a lot of work to do.

The strategic plan is predicated on and structured around addressing issues, concerns, and recommendations from members. The objectives are set to tackle some of our big-picture issues. Many of these have been lingering for a long time, waiting for proper review and address. But most importantly, the goals of the plan were created with the intent of preserving and enhancing all the best things about us. Also, innovating on those things which can be improved—as all strategic plans should.

Over the next year and beyond, we will continue to put in place the strategies and tactics to achieve the objectives of our goals. Initiatives that are already under way or recently completed include:

• The hiring of a new member engagement staff member who will work with volunteers, communities, and sections to provide support.
• The ratification of our new Certification Institute. It was established, in alignment with best practices, to elevate and promote our certifications in ways which were not possible before.

Some Areas of Focus This Year Include:

• The development and strengthening of our key strategic industry and association partnerships. This will expand the depth and breadth of the value these partnerships may bring. Examples include our recent renewal of the partnering agreement between AACE and the DOE; our MOUs with CMAA, ABA, SAVE; and a continued industry survey participation and engagement with RICS.
• A continuing expansion of our online educational materials and concerted efforts toward the development of higher education curriculum.
• Ongoing technical improvements to our website and online interfaces.
• Dialogue and deliberation with respect to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). For our association, this is an issue far bigger than what is portrayed in the media or discussed in the human resource (HR) offices of our various organizations. If we are to be truly international, we need to recognize that we are already diverse. Therefore, we must tackle such questions as:
  • How can we be equitable in achieving the value proposition for every type of member – from the member who is a subject matter expert in their field with 30 years’ experience, as well as the member who is just starting their career path.
  • How can we be inclusive to our members in sections who want to connect but cannot fit into the existing engagement definitions.
  • How can we be accessible by making available guidance in other languages, or with accessibility tools.

While we do not have all the answers to these questions yet, I appreciate that we are an association that is ready and willing to ask them. Also, we have the intent of truly seeking answers and making change happen. The answers to many of these questions will tie into our marketing and section engagement initiatives. These are best served by us being informed by your voice. And so, I will close this message with a request—remember that project scope, correctly executed, has a higher rate of success when stakeholder feedback gets incorporated. So, answer the survey, respond to the post, send the email, comment on the article, take your mic off mute—however you want to share your thoughts—just let your voice be heard.