Presidential Thoughts: Grateful, Awed, Excited
Posted on Aug. 31, 2022 / Presidential Thoughts / Subscribe 0
AUTHOR: Andrew J. Beaton Contact
Fellow SMPS Boston chapter members,
This is my last week of my SMPS Boston presidency, so I thought it would be fitting to file a final Presidential Thoughts. But how do you recap a wild, exciting, challenging, wonderful year in a single blog post? And without boring everyone to tears???
Let me put it this way: I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'm in awe of my fellow volunteers' commitment. And I am excited about the board's vision for the future.
Thankful for the opportunity to lead
In my opinion, the greatest benefit that SMPS Boston (and SMPS in general) offers each member is the opportunity to build their skills, take on new challenges and develop their leadership potential. Every event you help plan, every committee role you take on, every seminar you attend is a chance to grow, build connections and flex new professional muscles. And it's a deeply supportive environment filled with people who want to see you thrive. I have been around long enough to see our chapter tackle an array of challenges. Our volunteers and leaders never fail to work together and support each other through every difficulty. It's been deeply inspiring to witness the professional development and mentorship that takes place within our chapter, growing entry-level marketers into wise and visionary firm leaders.
I know that at every juncture of my professional development in the AEC industry, SMPS Boston has offered me opportunities to grow and challenge myself. Obviously, taking the chapter presidency was the greatest challenge yet, and the most rewarding. Leading such a talented and energetic board was an exciting and daunting responsibility, and I know I took away lessons from this experience that I will carry with me throughout my career. Most of all, I'm grateful for the relationships I was able to develop with my fellow board members and chapter advisors.
When SMPS Boston gives you an opportunity to lead, big or small, I truly encourage you to seize it—even if you feel like it's scary and you're not ready. Actually, especially if it seems that way. Your friends and fellow members will have your back!
Inspired by the commitment of our volunteers
My lasting memories of this past year will be focused on the incredible commitment I witnessed throughout the organization. From the board of directors who juggled demanding jobs, energetic kids, and their many SMPS responsibilities; to the dozens of volunteers who do such great things for the chapter, much of which often goes unseen and unheralded; to the volunteers who support regional and national conferences on behalf of our chapter; to the team at SMPS HQ that provides support, advice, and connectedness for chapter leaders—it's all been truly spectacular and inspiring to witness.
I honestly felt last fall like I already knew and appreciated everything the chapter did. Now I realize that I'd only seen it at a surface level. And the impact that SMPS Boston has is 100% a reflection of the commitment of its members, and especially its volunteers. Our chapter does such a vast array of things to benefit our profession, the AEC industry, and the greater Boston community. Throughout the year, I found myself constantly amazed at the talent and dedication of everyone involved.
And we needed all of it to tackle our "comeback" from the depths of the pandemic and our efforts to stay one of the most exemplary SMPS chapters. Our team ran effective membership drives, planned an array of virtual and hybrid events, stood up a new website, revamped our financial system, and brought many of our best-loved events, like the Awards Gala and Boot Camp, back in person for the first time since 2019. SMPS Boston members also played a huge role behind the scenes at NERC, making for an amazingly successful conference at Lake George; our commitment on the regional and national levels continues to be exceptional. Our volunteers came through brilliantly throughout.
Our chapter is also blessed with a fantastic community of past presidents and long-tenured members, so many of whom were in attendance at the 2022 reunion-themed Awards Gala. We are so fortunate to have their support, and I know we will be tapping their insights more in the future!
A vision for the future of SMPS Boston
This past year, through the strategic planning process, we focused on developing a meaningful and impactful vision for the future of SMPS Boston. We zeroed in on the need to grow our membership from its pandemic dip; by the end of the chapter year, we'd increased membership by 25% and we expect to see our numbers continue to swell. We had a vision for our programming that brought together the best of pandemic adaptations (virtual breakfast seminars!) with the in-person events we'd missed the most. And we have long-term goals to continue to evolve SMPS Boston's offerings, benefits, community-building, and opportunities for marketers at all phases of their careers.
To that end, the incoming leadership of our chapter could not be better suited. Abby Iorio and Shannon Koop, our incoming president, and VP, are true visionaries and brilliant leaders who have played a crucial role in our chapter for years. They'll lead the way as we revise and evolve our plans to build an even stronger SMPS Boston. I know Abby will have a lot to share with the chapter about plans for the coming year, so I will keep my comments brief except to say, the future of the chapter is bright!
When I joined SMPS Boston, I didn't foresee that I would have so many chances to grow and to lead, that I would meet so many amazing people and learn so much. The commitment of my predecessors, mentors, and fellow volunteers has buoyed and sustained me through this past year and my entire participation in SMPS Boston. And I hope you'll join me in supporting the vision for the future of the chapter that is constantly being refined and improved by new generations of leadership. Thank you for the opportunity, and I love you all!
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