Mary Ellen Graham Named Chapter President of the Year

Dedication, drive, contagious enthusiasm, and focus are the words used to describe the chapter presidency of Mary Ellen Graham of the Toledo Chapter. Mary Ellen was recognized as 1998-99 Chapter President of the Year during the 1999 National Marketing Conference.

Mary Ellen started her term as Toledo Chapter President much earlier than expected. When the 1997-98 Toledo Chapter President accepted a new position in another state three months after taking office, President-Elect Graham stepped right in.

During her tenure, the Toledo Chapter membership increased from 14 to 40 members. "This phenomenal increase is directly attributable to Mary Ellen's leadership," said her nominees.

First, Mary Ellen cultivated a stronger board of directors. Second, she asked the board to make an extra effort to make new visitors feel welcome at each meeting, greeting people at the registration table and introducing them to others. Third, the chapter established a "hit list" of people who had expressed an interest in becoming SMPS members.

Under Mary Ellen's leadership the chapter's treasury grew "threefold". At the beginning of her term the chapter had $1,500. The chapter's balance is currently more than $5,500. Because the chapter's revenue comes mainly from programs, she stressed in early planning sessions that meetings and programs must be well-attended and expenses controlled.

Mary Ellen made Toledo Chapter history by developing a monthly newsletter, which has increased the chapter's visibility and added value for the members. She felt strongly that all program attendees should be listed, along with their company names, in the newsletter. According to the nomination, "She believed people loved seeing their name in print and also liked to see who was there when they couldn't attend-and she was right." Her firm donated the time, money, and energy to print and mail the monthly newsletters.

To further increase the chapter"s visibility, Mary Ellen researched opportunities to network with other professional organizations. One of the organizations she felt most strongly about was the Technical Society of Toledo (TST). The goal of TST is to promote technology. The chapter's involvement with TST has had a "powerful influence" on the membership and increased recognition of SMPS within the engineering community. "TST accepted SMPS as a member with Mary Ellen elected to the Board of Trustees. A synergy has developed through Mary Ellen's efforts," according to the nomination.

The 1998-99 Chapter President of the Year was selected by a committee of judges chaired by Dale Walker, Bucher Willis & Ratliff Corporation, Kansas City, Mo. Other judges were Michelle Monnett, Spillis Candela & Partners Inc., Washington, DC, and Brenda Nunes, Associated Earth Sciences Inc., Kirkland, Wash.

Chapter leaders were invited to nominate their presidents this past spring. Judging criteria included letters in support of the nominee and examples of the individual's achievements in chapter financial stability, programs, visibility, membership, and leadership.