Our Chapter... Looking Ahead
Posted by [email protected] on Jul. 20, 2024 / Subscribe 0
Hello Rainier Chapter Family.
Hope you are all doing well and having a good summer.
First, I want to apologize that we have not had any events this year so far – either webinars or live events. I have been far busier this year than I anticipated. And, unfortunately, I have not been able to give our chapter the attention it needs and deserves. I will try to organize a few webinars in the next couple of months covering an overview of payroll in Washington state and Oregon.
Given time constraints and lack of resources, we will not be hosting a regional payroll conference this year. Instead, we will take the extra time this year to plan for a possible regional conference next year. I would much rather take extra time to do this right than to rush into something last-minute that – quite frankly – no one would enjoy.
Speaking of next year, it is not too soon to think about officers and board roles in 2025 and after. As much as I enjoy being chapter president, our chapter needs new leadership. We need someone new to lead our chapter and build us back up again. We also need other officers to help build up our chapter with more webinars, live events, regional conferences, networking functions, and maybe even lead CPP and FPC study sessions for aspiring students eager and motivated to sit for the exams. One person cannot do it all, nor can a few people on a board.
We need committees and working groups to organize and manage these events. We need a team to keep our social media active and engaging. Did you know we have a Facebook group? We need to establish a LinkedIn group as well since so many payroll professionals are active there. Our social media groups need content – either state-specific, national, or global – to attract attention and keep visitors interested. Did you know our website has the functionality to host blogs and newsletters? Just like social media pages, we need content there as well.
Is there even a demand for this from our local chapter, especially given all the content already out there from other sources (i.e., PayrollOrg, other chapters, other professional organizations, companies, etc.)? Absolutely! Given that many other local chapters in the area have shut down permanently (or at least indefinitely), there is a void both in Washington and Oregon (and possibly Idaho too). We may be the last active chapter in not just Washington state, but in all three Pacific Northwest states. Given how easy it is these days to host virtual meetings and webinars, just imagine the number of potential members we can reach – not just Seattle, but also Vancouver, Spokane, Portland, Boise, and everywhere in between. As much content as there is out there virtually, payroll professionals crave a local connection. The national programs are fabulous, but people want local events as well. Our local chapter connects us – all of us – to the payroll community.
Our payroll community is local, it’s national, and it’s global. Each component is critical for our professional development and growth. We need all of it. In order to maintain our local chapter and provide the events our members desire as well as content to connect us to the overarching payroll community, our chapter needs active members, robust committees and working groups. And, we need leaders to set a direction, engage these groups, and help build up the momentum our chapter needs to get back to doing what it was created to do in the first place: provide education, professional development, networking opportunities, and building our payroll community.
Even though we’re in the middle of 2024, it’s not too early to think about next year’s slate of officers. Who will run? Who will you nominate? We know what we want from our chapter, and we know what it needs. How do we do it? How do we get started? It starts with one step… a first step. That first step? Choose a leader. Or become a leader. This is your opportunity – your chance – to be that first step.
Please give this some careful thought and consideration. Our chapter is not going anywhere – we’re still active. And we will continue to be active.
Thank you for all your support. If you have any questions, please contact John Lestock at [email protected].
Thank you so much!
John Lestock, President, Rainier Chapter
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