SMPS Advances

SMPS Advances: Update From the Board of Directors 

In our continuing effort to improve transparency and expand member engagement, SMPS HQ will provide an executive summary of the board of directors’ discussions and decisions following each meeting. The eight-member board of directors meets in person at least four times each fiscal year to fulfill its responsibility of governing the Society and advancing the strategic needs of our members, the organization, and the A/E/C marketing profession.

At the most recent meeting on January 25–26, 2018, the following matters were on the agenda:

• Continued deliberation on the 2017–2020 strategic plan. The board and its committees are finalizing the objectives and strategies for the current triennium. The strategic plan will focus on improving the chapter and member experience, advancing the value of professional services marketing, and adjusting the organizational structure and functions as needed to meet those requirements. A full report will be completed following the board’s April meeting and shared with SMPS members then.
• The board approved the following items:
  • An updated short- and long-term investment policy.
  • Received and accepted the report of the Community Engagement Task Force. The task force was organized last year to inform the board of directors on its deliberations regarding the attributes, needs, and impacts of any Society-sponsored or supported community engagement (e.g., service projects and donations) or other philanthropic efforts. As part of the recommendations, the staff was directed to provide at the board’s June meeting suggestions on how to update the Striving for Excellence program to include recognition for service, as well as provide a proposal on how to organize a Society-wide day/week of service (with emphasis on hands-on involvement).
  • A revised committee and task force policy that provides easier and more opportunities for member participation. The policy will be published when the request for volunteers is presented this spring.
• Other pertinent discussions included the following items:
  • Membership enrollment and renewal activity, as well as future strategies.
  • Changes to the 2018 MCA program.
  • The SMPS Foundation’s research project and fundraising efforts.
  • The 2018 Presidents Leadership Symposium.
  • Chapter visits by staff and volunteers.
  • Build Business 2018 and 2022.
  • The 45^th anniversary of SMPS in 2018.
  • Implementation of a board of directors’ experience and impact evaluation tool.

If you have any questions regarding these matters or the Society’s board meetings, please contact SMPS Chief Executive Officer Michael V. Geary, CAE, at michael@smps.org.