Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1480758
28 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2022 Boguski: It's a nice town. It's a small town for a big town. People are friendly and hospitable. e convention center is nice. It's easy to get to, with lots of airline connections. You might need a jacket in November. It could be a little chilly, but not a problem there. Shaughnessy: Are there any other updates about SMTA, or anything else that you'd like to mention? Boguski: Yes. SMTA has gone through a strate- gic planning process in the past year. We hired a consultant specializing in nonprofit orga- nizations who put together a plan, which the board is in the process of evaluating and hope- fully adopting. is will be our guidepost for the next five years about the things we do and how we do them, the framework for how we execute as an organization. It's built around four strategic pillars. Basi- cally, the themes are strong industry work- force, member connections and engagement, organizational excellence, and advancing tech- nical knowledge. Each theme has several sub- sidiary points as to our strategy for accomplish- ing those themes. at will be the framework we work in as we expand and further diversify the benefits of membership in SMTA. You'll see a lot of new offerings in the form of activities and initiatives. In the past year, we simplified our membership structure, which has been a big hit with everybody. It's a lot easier to understand. We have three catego- ries of corporate membership—bronze, silver, and gold—that are a big hit. We're revamp- ing our training programs as part of advanc- ing technical knowledge. You will hear and see about a lot of new offerings there in the next 12 months. I already mentioned the career center and a lot more in the way of follow-up and inter- action with our chapters and our members to make sure they're taking full advantage of their membership and getting their money's worth. It's a lot more sitting down and listen- ing to our membership, not telling them how to do things, but listening to what they want, and then putting proactive programs together to help them achieve what they want in their careers, with their chapters, and in their com- panies. We've got a lot going on. Shaughnessy: Very good. anks for speaking with me, Rob. Boguski: ank you, Andy. SMT007