Elections are coming once again for the MI UPA, and there are many ways to get involved in your local chapter of the UPA! All of these ways come with excellent opportunities for networking, shaping chapter events according to your interests, and the prestige that comes with taking a leadership role in a professional organization.
Running for the Board
We are holding elections in October (voting will start October 25 and end October 29), but it is not too early to think about running for a position on the board. These positions allow you to take a leading role in organizing MI UPA meetings and conferences, interact with other professional organizations, and gain valuable experience. Although a position on the MI UPA board requires that you be a member of UPA, the MI UPA will sponsor the membership of its board members.
If you are interested in running for the MI UPA board, you must be a member of the UPA and have a bio and statement by October 15th. If you’re interested in running for the board and have any questions about it, please contact Mike Beasley at treasurer@miupa.org, or any of the other officers. We’ll be happy to tell you more and help you get your materials together. Previously, candidates have simply run to be part of the board, and then the new board met to assign officer positions. If, however, you are interested in a specific position, feel free to indicate it!
As a board member, you could fill one of these exciting positions!
- President: Ensure smooth operation of chapter by delegating tasks, acting the primary point of communication with UPA and other professional organizations, and organizing board meetings
- Vice President: Fill the president’s role when the president is unavailable or incapacitated
- Treasurer: Oversee chapter funds and manage the chapter’s budget
- Secretary: Ensure chapter’s compliance with chapter and UPA bylaws (don’t worry, it’s all written down and not that hard)
But wait, there’s more! The most important duty is actually shared by all of the officers: organizing meetings and seeking opportunities for the Michigan UPA to reach out to people and other professional organizations. In this way, everyone gets a chance to shine and to shape the direction of the chapter.
Volunteering
There is another great way to test the waters of MI UPA activity, though. As a volunteer, you can get your feet wet with a smaller chunk of the Michigan UPA’s activities. By joining one of our committees, you can help the Michigan UPA, gain valuable experience, and network with other professionals while maintaining a lower level of commitment. It’s also important to note that you do not have to be a UPA member to become one of our volunteers.
How this chapter works with volunteers is still taking shape, but in 2011 we wish to introduce more structure into the relationship. To that end, we will form event planning and outreach committees where volunteers and officers can meet regularly and work together to do whatever is the focus of that committee.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or learning more, please contact Mike Beasley at treasurer@miupa.org, or any of the other officers. After we complete this year’s elections, we’ll be looking at getting our committees organized and ready to go for 2011.
Michigan UXPA 