by Lynn Tipton, Executive Director
We have recently sent out notices for FCCMA committee sign-ups. You might have skipped over it, or figured you don’t have time to serve. For professional associations, committees are the lifeblood, and as the old saying goes: you truly get out of the association whatever you put into it. Each year, dozens of your colleagues help make this difference for FCCMA. Some years there are task forces or special committees like by-laws that have one specific task, but most of them work on continuous programs and projects. Volunteering a few hours per month for conference calls (our committees do not meet in person to reduce costs) and agreeing to take on certain tasks might seem daunting (especially if you are new to the profession), but it IS rewarding! The networking with your colleagues, idea sharing and sense of accomplishment when projects are completed really do happen…all it takes is agreeing to serve. For the cyclical things we do (planning the conference, for example) the workload is parceled out by person and attached to a timeline. For project-specific committee work, the task is divided up topically, or geographically (connecting to students at each public administration program, for example). Your time, talent and energy are greatly appreciated, and will not go to waste as you help the association. Committee activity is also viewed by many within the association as a prerequisite to board service. So if you aspire to move up within the association, find a great committee and share your leadership!
