Message from the National BDPA President

Pamela Mathews

Greetings! I pray that everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed your time with family and friends. As the season changes from fall to winter, so too does the evolution of BDPA in terms achieving our vision and national strategy.

Thus far, 2014 has been a year of transition, celebration and collaboration. As we march into December and close out the year, let’s all be mindful of a few of our accomplishments:

• Established a strong, tangible framework to achieve our national strategy. Our strategy and expectations are clear and everyone is aligned on our collective and functional area objectives;
• Initiated the review and update of our standard operating procedures. As you are all aware, we have entered year three of our transition to a regionally based structure. As a result, we needed to revise our documentation to reflect this change, specifically roles, responsibilities and processes, to drive greater accountability and execution;
• Executed our 36th Annual Technology Conference and Career Fair. The Indianapolis chapter, Visit Indy, and national team did a phenomenal job of planning and executing a great conference. Similar to prior years, the conference was experienced by over 500 members, corporate sponsors and partners;
• Completing due diligence with prospective partners to enhance our member value proposition. Discussions are underway with several strategic partners to confirm the existence of a mutually beneficial partnership.

Besides the accomplishments mentioned above, I am also excited about the collaboration and execution exhibited by our Regional leadership team. I have had the pleasure to work with each of them for a few years and trust them to work across the organization to bring our vision and strategy to life. As we move into 2015, I am asking each of you to prepare for and/or focus on the following:

• BDPA’s 40th Anniversary, which will be celebrated August 18-22, 2015 as part of the National BDPA Technology Conference and Career Fair in Washington, DC.  Please register now (early bird registration expires January 1, 2015) and start making your plans to attend the Conference;
• Membership renewal. Please renew yours during the annual membership drive. Updated information regarding member benefits will be published and communicated in the near future. Also, bring a friend to the membership drive. BDPA has something to offer everyone;
• 2015 Annual Technology Conference - Call For Presenters. This is a great way to share your knowledge or expertise on a particular topic. If you are interested, please complete the online form by January 26, 2015, on the 2015 BDPA conference page at http://www.bdpa.org.

In closing, I am honored to represent and lead our prestigious organization. Thank you for your past, current and future support. Please feel free to contact me at info@bdpa.org if you have any questions or comments.

Sincerely,
Pamela Mathews, president
National BDPA