Feature: Five Reasons to Join SMPS SFBAC’s Board of Directors
by Ava Cunningham
Nominations for the SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (SFBAC) Board of Directors open soon—keep an eye out on our website for news when nominations open. If you’re still on the fence about nominating yourself or one of your fantastic colleagues, we hope to convince you with these five benefits of serving on the Board.
1. Influence important chapter decisions
Joining SFBAC’s Board exemplifies a higher level of commitment than volunteering on a committee, but also offers a higher level of impact. Our dynamic Board of Directors are encouraged to think out-of-the-box, demonstrate leadership and accountability, and participate in governance of our chapter. Board members are responsible for overseeing our chapter operations, amplifying our purpose and mission, and voting on all important decisions, ensuring their voices are heard in shaping the future of the chapter. Our chapter recognizes Board members and their employers in every communication, elevating your profile as an industry leader.
2. Gain leadership skills (and confidence!)
One of the main reasons to get more involved in SMPS is to develop and refine your leadership skills. By volunteering to serve SFBAC, you’ll have a variety of opportunities to plan events, create educational programs, write articles, and conduct market research at the local and even national levels. We have new openings every year within our chapter and the SMPS national headquarters.
3. Develop relationships with other industry leaders
With over 200 marketing professionals, SFBAC is one of the largest chapters within SMPS. New members are automatically enrolled in our Buddy Program to get familiar with the organization. We also host several virtual and in-person industry networking events throughout the year, including educational workshops, happy hours, awards nights, and our annual holiday party.
4. Test out new marketing strategies in a low-risk environment
Volunteering with SMPS SFBAC cultivates opportunities to develop new skills, master existing ones, and try out your creative ideas in a supportive environment. We encourage using our chapter’s marketing platforms to try out different strategies and bring back lessons learned to implement at your firm.
5. Build professional credibility at your current or future job
By serving on our Board of Directors, you can further your career by preparing for similar leadership roles within your firm, other organizations, or even the SMPS national headquarters. To continue growing professionally, SFBAC offers member-exclusive groups including the Mentoring Pathways program, the Business Leaders Forum, and the CPSM study group. We also provide opportunities to gain recognition for your professional achievements; each year, our chapter hosts the Topaz Awards honoring individual members. Serving on the Board is fulfilling both personally and professionally and opens doors to many positive learning experiences. Board positions start on September 1st.
Not yet an SMPS member? Many of these benefits extend to all members, including volunteers, check out volunteer opportunities on our website here: https://smpssf.org/Volunteer_Opportunities. Email us at [email protected] to learn more about joining our community of A/E/C marketing professionals. We can’t wait to meet you!
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Ava Cunningham serves as Vice Chair on the SMPS SFBAC Communications Committee. She works as Solutions Marketing Manager at Black & Veatch, a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction. Ava is responsible for strategizing content marketing for various Black & Veatch solutions including construction management, data centers, and design-build project delivery. Connect with Ava on LinkedIn!
