Board of Directors Expands Outreach to States

Abstract

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA News1 Feb 2010Board of Directors Expands Outreach to States Janet Deppe Janet Deppe Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.AN2.15022010.21 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In When each state association holds its annual convention in 2010, there’s a good chance that a member of the ASHA Board of Directors (BOD) will be there. BOD presence at state meetings is an initiative instituted in 2009 to increase communication between the Board and ASHA members. During her 2009 term as ASHA president, Sue Hale focused on enhanced communication because of concerns that changes in ASHA’s governance structure, in place since Jan. 1, 2008, would distance the Board from members. The new governance structure encourages ASHA members to contact the Board of Directors directly with issues of concern, and Hale wanted to make the BOD as accessible as possible. “We want the states to know that Board members are ready to hear member concerns as well as to meet those volunteers who are making state associations work,” Hale said. Working with the ASHA State Advocacy Team, she created the BOD Outreach Initiative, which matches members of the Board with interested state associations. To date, 26 states are scheduled to have a BOD speaker at their 2010 meetings, including several states that have never had ASHA board members speak or participate in their annual meeting. States and BOD members are matched based on a number of factors, including geography and availability. “Each board member will visit as many as four state meetings in a year, so that when the program is fully implemented, it will be possible for every state and the District of Columbia to have a board visit each year,” Hale said. Board members will lead sessions at the state meetings and will update members on ASHA activities, request help on advocacy issues, and learn about individual and state concerns—and attendees will earn CE credit. During her year as ASHA president, Hale focused on partnerships throughout the association. “One of those is the partnership between ASHA and individual members and state associations,” Hale said, “and the Board Outreach Program provides an opportunity to strengthen that relationship.” To implement the program, the ASHA State Advocacy Team has: Developed and maintained a board member calendar of state association meetings. Developed a planned rotation for the ASHA president and other officers to visit state association annual meetings. Publicized the availability of BOD members to participate in state association meetings. Coordinated communication between states requesting board member attendance and the identified member of the board. Developed background information for board members traveling to state meetings. Developed a survey tool for board members to provide feedback and information on their state visits. States interested in having a member of the BOD speak at their 2010 convention are encouraged to contactJanet Deppe,director of state advocacy, at [email protected]. Author Notes Janet Deppe, is the director of state advocacy, and can be reached at [email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 15Issue 2February 2010 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Feb 1, 2010 Metrics Current downloads: 79 Topicsasha-topicsleader_do_tagasha-article-typesleader-topicsCopyright & Permissions© 2010 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...