Chapter Report – Spring 2014
AMWA North Central CHAPTER REPORT Spring 2014 – Board of Directors Meeting
- North Central Chapter–11
- Current Membership Count: 113
- Tax Identification Information (State EIN or Federal ID): Federal EIN 27 2578246
- IRS Tax-Exempt Status (501c3 or c6, other, or n/a):Nonprofit, small tax-exempt organization receiving all revenue from AMWA, which is a 501(c)(3).
- Chapter Leadership/Officers
- Theresa King-Hunter, Immediate Past President, 1 Year
- Ruth Taswell, President, 1 Year
- Nissa Mollema, President-elect, 1 Year
- Joy Frestedt, Treasurer, 2nd year of 3 Years
- Carolyn Peterson, Secretary, 2½ years of 3 Years
- Naomi Ruff, Secretary, 1st of 3 Years
- Delegate(s) Assigned for BOD meeting
- Nissa Mollema, President-elect, 1 year
- List of Chapter committees
- Finance Committee: Karen Bannick (Chair), Theresa King-Hunter, Ellen O’Malley
- Membership Committee: Jenny Michlitsch (Chair), Mary Beth Nierengarten, Colleen Sauber, Mary Van Beusekom (LinkedIn manager)
- New chair and members
- Program Committee: Karen Steinhilber (Chair), Joy Frestedt, Theresa King-Hunter, Ruth Taswell, Nissa Mollema
- Offer 2 to 3 events a year: cover a writing or science topic, and hold at least 1 event in Rochester vs in the Twin Cities.
- Publications Committee: Deb Sugerman (Chair), Marie Fleisner (Editorial Assistant), Paul Mamula, Carolyn Peterson, Sharon Rosen, Naomi Ruff, Scott Wessels, Kelly Haagenson
- Continue the monthly newsletter feature “What We Do,” which offers our membership a glimpse into chapter members’ various vocations.
- Provide chapter book club notes, profiles of chapter members and announcements.
- Wisconsin Regional Chair: Marie Fleisner (no activity to report)
- North Dakota Regional Chair: Nancy Gustafson (no activity to report)
- South Dakota Regional Chair: Jeff Kuper (no activity to report)
- Brief Financial Status Report
- See last page.
- 2014 Chapter Conference dates
- Planning is underway for events to be held in the fall and spring of 2014.
- Summary of Progress Since Last Report
- List of Action Items or Discussion Items
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- The chapter is looking for new ways to include members throughout our chapter area through the utilization of web-based educational programs.
All committees added new volunteers in 2013, with particular growth in the Publications Committee. Leadership within the executive committee changed: Nissa Mollema was appointed president-elect and Naomi Ruff was appointed co-secretary.
The Publications Committee focused on generating educational resources and opening up opportunities for networking within our chapter. For the monthly newsletter, the committee featured AMWA North Central chapter members in a regular “What We Do” series and member profiles that highlighted the skills and experiences within our group. The Publications Committee also wrote articles summarizing chapter book club meetings, chapter programs, the annual meeting, and the BELS exam.
The Programing Committee hosted two events: “Bringing the Social Media Revolution to Health Care” in spring 2013, and “Emergencies in Medical Writing” in winter of 2014. Both events incorporated educational presentations and opportunities for networking. The recent winter 2014 chapter program was held at the St. Anthony Library in Minneapolis on Saturday, February 22. Given the road conditions, the program was bravely attended mainly by local members. Five panelists (Mary Van Beusekom, Ruth Taswell, Theresa A King-Hunter, Michael Livingston and Marty Swain) conducted a lively discussion around six scenarios faced by medical writers or people who hire medical writers and offered valuable perspectives on handling medical writing emergencies with professionalism. Following the program, several panelists and attendees gathered for lunch. The Programing Committee also plans to develop web-based events to encourage the participation of our members outside of the Twin Cities–Rochester corridor. Some of these ideas include utilizing Google Hangout, developing podcasts, and making program content available for download.
The Publications Committee coordinated a well-received “Networking Happy Hour” in the fall of 2013. There are plans to organize future happy hour events where members can meet, exchange cards, and discuss their expertise in a casual atmosphere. There are plans to organize future happy hour events where members can meet, exchange cards, and discuss their expertise in a casual atmosphere.
In 2013, the Membership Committee developed a lapsed-membership survey to better understand why chapter members decide to leave AMWA. The survey was distributed to two individuals who dropped in early 2014. The survey results indicated that the individuals were no longer working in the medical writing field, and one noted that she wished AMWA membership fees were lower. The Committee also developed a welcome letter for new members.
The Chapter Book Club continues to meet, and the coordinator requested that members suggest books, meeting times and locations to expand participation. Chapter discussion groups in SE Minnesota and in the Twin Cities continue to focus on topics pertinent to medical writing and editing and project management.
We recognized two North Central members for awards in 2013. Jane Buchwald received the Erick W. Martin Award and Anne Marie Weber-Main received an AMWA Fellowship. The chapter is beginning to formally congratulate award winners and those who receive AMWA certificates.
AMWA North Central Chapter Current Budget
AMWA North Central Chapter
Budget for July 2013 – June 2014
| Balance as of June 30, 2013
Projected receipts |
$15,510.05 |
| Chapter rebate from National ($18 x 136 chapter members) | 2,448.00 |
| Chapter rebate from National (ref. Dec. 2012 rebate) | 1,296.00 |
| Total projected receipts | 3,744.00 |
|
Projected expenditures Fall and spring events (honoraria, facilities, refreshments) |
1,000.00 |
| Delegate travel expenses (spring and fall meetings, 1 delegate each) | 1,000.00 |
| Marketing (incl. competitive awards & advertising) | 500.00 |
| Website hosting fee* | 300.00 |
| Gifts for outgoing officers (3 officers) | 225.00 |
| Teleconference charges (ILD Telecom: RollCall) | 120.00 |
| Chapter meetings (e.g., refreshments) | 100.00 |
| E-mail marketing service | 100.00 |
| Membership mailing costs (postage & envelopes) | 50.00 |
| Total projected expenditures | 3,395.00 |
|
Projected balance for June 30, 2014 |
$15,859.05 |
|
*Website hosting fee estimated $300 to cover 3 years, through October 2016. |
Prepared by Alexandra Woods, Treasurer (through September 30, 2013) Approved August 15, 2013
