I honestly can’t believe it’s May already. The first few months of 2022 have flown by, and I think we are all holding on for dear life. This year, your board has been busy organizing on the back end and brainstorming new ideas and resources to provide more support to our members. After the last few years, we all agreed we missed out on the member interaction and came up with new ideas to better support you. We kicked off the year with a survey to gauge what we are doing well and how we can improve. Thank you to all of you who took the time to fill out your answers. I know it was a bit lengthy, but we genuinely care about your feedback and want to make sure we covered all the bases.
Some of you may have noticed our new logo and feel to our social media posts! I’m sad the cow mascot did not pass the member vote, but I think our new logo is the fresh look our chapter needs as we continue to grow our footprint. Alexa Ramsey and Bruce Farrell have been hard at work refining content and setting up our new website to match our brand and provide more straightforward navigation and resources. Earlier this year, we had several issues with the website crashing and not serving as the resource hub it needs for our members.
Also, new this year, we are kicking off our first-ever podcast, Shortlisted. Tune in every month to hear from our members, industry movers and shakers, and special guests. Listen to Episode 1 now on our website (https://apmpgmc.org/2022/04/shortlisted-episode-1 ) or Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shortlisted/id1618983929). If you have a topic and want to be a guest, reach out to producer Kati Stutsman ([email protected] ) — we are always looking for new ideas!
Tony Des Chenes is our Lunch & Learn Chair and has a few topics on deck for this year, but we are always looking for presenters and topics. If you are interested in presenting, have an idea for a topic, or want to nominate another speaker, please reach out to Tony ([email protected]). This year, the first Lunch & Learn will talk about the Mentorship Program led by Karin Olson Held. We have a few spots still open if you want to be a mentor or mentee. Tune in on May 19 to learn more about the program and how mentorship can play a significant role in our careers.
I don’t know about you all, but I find it refreshing and odd getting back into the swing of things now that everything is opening. I attended a networking event and caught myself talking about the history of our company’s building — NOT a good conversation starter, I realize. However, that brings me to a good point. We’ve all struggled (or thrived if you’re lucky) finding a balance in our “new” climate for the past two years. Now that cases are going down and more businesses and in-person events are on the climb, I want to remind you to give yourself and others some grace. We’ve all adapted, and it will take some time to feel “normal” again in person. If you are interested in hosting an in-person or virtual local meetup, reach out to Silke Cole. She has all the start up support and resources to get you organized ([email protected]).
I hope to see and meet many of you at the Bid and Proposal Conference (BPC) this year in Dallas! Don’t forget there is still time to register for BPC (https://www.apmp.org/events/bpc/)! We are doing something new this year and hosting a booth in the exhibition hall. We will have our podcast equipment live, so be sure to stop by and say hello and meet some of the board and committee members — more details to come!