Member Connections―History and implementation

March-April 2005 Catalyst―Member Initatives 
  
With a unanimous vote at its January board meeting, The Ohio Society’s Executive Board took a monumental step forward when it voted to fully implement the Society’s Member Initiatives program statewide, effective May 1. 
 
Executive Board Chair Jeffrey H. Tucker, CPA, said, “The full implementation of the Member Initiatives program will complete the transition from the traditional chapter structure to the streamlined statewide program, administered by The Ohio Society.

“The new program was implemented in several areas of the state during the past year and a half and has operated effectively and successfully,” he said. “It has elevated the quantity and quality of programs the Society offers to its members.” 
 
The Executive Board has closely monitored the progress of the Member Initiatives program since initial adoption by the Columbus Chapter in May 2003.
 
The board found that members were receiving more opportunities for networking, education and student recruiting activities than they received prior to implementation of the Member Initiatives program.
 
Benefits to members at the local level include administrative support for volunteers, affordable education and networking opportunities.
 
During the pilot period, 10 of the Society’s chapters elected to suspend traditional chapter operations and transfer their programs and activities to the Member Initiatives program.
 
“All change has its skeptics,” said Matthew T. Boehm, CPA, chair-elect of the Member Initiatives Advisory Council and former past president of the Lima Chapter, “but when the change works and advances the organization and its goals, skeptics are able to be convinced.
 
“Members in the Lima area were initially unsure about how the Member Initiatives program would work,” he said. “After nearly two years of decreased volunteer burden and increasing opportunities, they were convinced it was the right move for our members.”
 
Boehm said that as businesses advance and evolve, so do business models and practices. “The best organizations keep abreast of the trends, realize the need for change and are willing to take measured risks to make that change. The Ohio Society, as one of the leading organizations serving CPAs in this country, has an obligation to all its members to utilize resources in the most efficient and effective way.”
 
Eric A. Roth, CPA, Executive Board member and past president of the Cincinnati Chapter, said, “Members of the Cincinnati Chapter Board remain committed to serving Ohio Society members in the greater Cincinnati area.
 
“The goal is to deliver excellent service to members on a local level. Society leaders in this area hope to ensure this transition is for the betterment of all local members,” Roth said.
 
All of the affordable, quality CPE programs and networking opportunities once provided by the local chapters will remain in place, while the administration and execution of those programs will shift from the local volunteers to Society staff.
 
Local members have continued to be integral in the planning and creation of programming in the areas that have already implemented the program. The administrative burden now falls to the The Ohio Society staff rather than to member volunteers.

Q. What happens to current chapter activities and programs?
A. The programs members have had delivered from their local chapters will be continued. This has been demonstrated in the 10 chapter areas where the Member Initiatives program is already in place. Over the years, chapters have developed many programs that provide value to their members, and these members rely on the availability and quality of those programs. The value of these programs will not be lost. Each year a group of local volunteers will assist staff in evaluating the previous year’s offerings and determine programs for the next year.

Q. Does this change place more power and control in the hands of fewer people — particularly members of the Society’s staff?
A: The Member Initiatives program does place a larger amount of responsibility for the execution of activities on the Society staff, but the responsibility to decide what activities move forward and the control over where those activities are presented still reside with the membership through local volunteers, the members of the MIAC, and the Executive Board.

Q. How does the Society plan to recruit volunteers?
A: The Society has been successfully promoting the Member Initiatives program through the various member publications, such as the Ohio e-CPA Weekly and Catalyst. Through stories in these publications, many volunteers have already come forward. In addition, through discussions with firm and industry leaders, several managing partners, CEOs and CFOs have indicated an interest in having their staffs participate in this new program, which will focus on making the most of every hour a volunteer is willing to commit.
 
If you have additional questions regarding the Member Initiatives program, have an idea for a program or event you would like to see in your area, or would like to become involved, contact Megan Mattison Eufinger, manager, Member Connections, at meufinger@ohio-cpa.com or 800.686.2727 ext. 372.