August Board Meeting Update

Hello Everyone,
The AALNC Board of Directors held our summer Board meeting  in Chicago recently.    We had a very productive meeting.    
We completed a thorough review of the 2011 budget, which was then approved by the Board.  Marianne Hallas, AALNC Secretary/Treasurer, did a great job of leading us through the budget process with the support of our staff.  The entire process was done differently this year and worked very well.  There are several new ideas on the horizon; I look forward to updating you on those changes in the future. 

Another key highlight from our meeting was a thorough review of the strategic plan, with updates to our Plan of Work and goals for 2011.  An ongoing evaluation of where we are and where we need to be is important to the health of the organization.  It was great to reflect on how much we have accomplished so far this year.   

The meeting concluded with a brain storming session about new revenue streams for AALNC.  The board members were very engaged in the process, and many geat ideas were discussed!  All in all it was a great meeting, and I returned home feeling very optimistic about our future.

Another highlight from the weekend was the opportunity to represent AALNC at a meeting wtih Henry Givray, President & CEO of Smith Bucklin.  Sharon McQuown, President Elect, and Kaye Englebrecht, AALNC Executive Director, attended the special meeting with me.  The discussion centered on association leadership, association trends (especially in light of the economy), and ideas for growth.  Henry shared several inspiring articles, including ,"7 Things only a Board of Directors Can Do" and "12 Characteristics of Tough-Minded Optimists."  The latter is a new favorite of mine; I read a few quotes to the Board for inspiration during the meeting. 

I hope to tell you more about these articles in a future post.     

Karen

Karen J. Huff, BSN RN LNCC
AALNC President