November marks the end of my three-year adventure as President for ASTD Cascadia, starting as "Incoming President" then "President" and this year "Past President." The structure provides leadership continuity for our chapter. It's true! We get "spoiled" and fall back on Kathleen Bergquist, our business manager, who always remembers what we did five years ago, why we did it, and the policy that resulted. Nevertheless, the overlapping leadership structure established by our by-laws is a great thing. Larry has provided strong leadership this year, I know that Aaron will bring great energy to the board this next year.

This makes four years out of the past six that I have served on the board. So, as you can see, I find it rewarding and worthwhile. Let me share three reasons why you should definitely consider board service -- In fact, they are the same three reasons why most of us join ASTD, but taken to a new level:

Networking - I've made life-long friends with board members. These are people who I call for support or use as resources. In fact, my first local consulting job after moving to Portland came from a board member.

Learning - Board service has given me the chance to practice leadership and project management skills. In fact, with the variety of board positions, there's something for just about anyone who wants to use (or develop) a skill.

Serving - To be sure, there are meetings to attend and work to be done. But there is also great reward in knowing that I have contributed to maintaining this great organization that benefits so many of us professionally.

The bottom-line is that you get out of your membership what you give. So, talk with a current board member about your interest, and let us open doors for you to network, learn, and serve.

I look forward to continuing to be involved in the chapter in new and different ways in the months ahead. Specifically, I am excited about the Community Consulting Initiative which will put member's skills to work for worthy non-profits in the community. I'm certain to be at many of the monthly events as well...so see you later!

Dan Vetter
Chapter Past President
drvetter@aol.com

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