Oklahoma President Dana Duran Selected as Chapter President of the Year

The Chapter President of the Year Award exemplifies excellence in leadership that builds a stronger, more vital chapter—the foundation of SMPS. This year's recipient is Dana Duran, President of one of SMPS's newest chapters: the Oklahoma Chapter. Dana is in marketing and communications with Flintco Inc. in Oklahoma City.

In its first year, the Oklahoma Chapter has made major gains in establishing itself in the local design and building community. Dana's colleagues on the board attribute much of their success to her leadership and "pioneer spirit." Among the chapter's accomplishments:

• developing an active board of directors with balanced representation from the major cities throughout the state
  
• creating awareness of the local benefits of SMPS membership among more than 1,000 potential members-one-tenth of whom have now attended a chapter program
  
• in only seven months, recruiting 29 members from across the state (the average "small chapter" has been in existence for 12.6 years and has an average of 38 members)
  
• securing press coverage before the first program in one of the state's premier news journals
  
• raising $1000 in corporate sponsorship to start the chapter
  
• within three months of establishing the chapter, hosting a free program for 100 attendees and, after expenses, netting a $750 profit through sponsorship dollars.

The Oklahoma Board says of Dana: "She is the heart and soul of our chapter; and we believe that she represents the very best of what SMPS calls for in a president, which is excellence and strength in leadership. How lucky SMPS would be to have a leader in every city with her combination of positive energy and action."
Dana received the Chapter President of the Year Award during the SMPS Awards Gala on July 29 in Chicago.

The Chapter President of the Year is selected by a distinguished jury of former SMPS Chapter Presidents. This year's jury included Chair Melissa McLaughlin, marketing manager for Telesis Solutions PC, Atlanta, GA; Carolyn Ferguson, CPSM, vice president of The Lentz Group Inc., Houston, TX; Scott Mickle, marketing director for Stewart Cooper Newell Architects, Gastonia, NC; and Rhodes White, CPSM, director of corporate marketing at KLG, Atlanta, GA.