IECA’s Continued Growth and Strength Continues to Defy National Association Trend
by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA
I attended several meetings yesterday in Washington DC which provided the opportunity to hear how our fellow associations—educational and otherwise—are faring. The two general areas of concern include how the economy has impacted membership and programming, and how social networking has resulted in membership losses, sometimes in significant numbers.
IECA’s experience has been quite different. While maintaining our significant requirements, our membership has been increasing at 20% a year with no significant loss due to the economy. As the profession becomes better known and the field more established, serious professionals continue to come to IECA for a sense of professional community, mentoring and education, and the assurance membership gives to families of an ethical, knowledgeable, professional source during an anxious time.
I also recognize the tremendous difference the IECA staff makes in our ability to attract and retain members. We have six full-time professionals working in our office outside of Washington, DC, all of whom work longer hours with greater intensity than anyone knows. Our ability to introduce new member services monthly, maintain a current listing of campus tour invitations, and assist those seeking membership is a tribute to Janice Berger, our manager of member services.
While many associations are losing members who have found they can associate through online resources, IECA’s manager of communications, Sarah Brachman, has made sure that IECA is in the forefront of using new media to engage our members, invite new members, and extend our reach into tens of thousands of families who find us through our Web site, blog, Facebook page and more.
At a time when most associations are reporting declines in conference attendance of as much as 40%, Rachel Diamond, our conference manager, has helped create a dynamic program with enhanced opportunities for learning and networking, so that our attendance at next month’s Charlotte Conference will be higher than either our fall or spring conferences last year. That she has been able to accomplish this while planning for her wedding—next week—is remarkable.
In the midst of all this planning, of course we are still mailing out SAT materials (an exclusive arrangement with College Board), Common App materials (another exclusive arrangement with The Common Application), marketing materials, STI certificates and all the other things that make our office operate smoothly, and our administrative assistant, Sheila Kirk, does so while remaining helpful, upbeat, and positive, with the scores of inquiries she gets from schools, parents, and consultants.
Behind the scenes but at the core of everything we do is Sue DePra, who may hold the title of director of education but whose role is far in excess of this: re-designing our data management system, coordinating all education and training initiatives, heading up the Summer Training Institute and Transitioning to Private Practice workshop—our two flagship programs for new consultants—and so much more. With incredible organization skills, she literally and figuratively puts her stamp on everything we do.
I also want to acknowledge the tremendous work that our volunteer board members, committee members and chairs, conference host committees, and others do to develop new ideas, new initiatives, and new approaches. They are truly the source of so much and the staff alone could not do this without them. Those starting our new affinity groups will be key to keeping our members feel connected as our growth continues.
So why this reflection right here, right now? Easy. Yesterday when I heard the stories, one after another, of associations shrinking and declining I pondered how fortunate I am to be working with the amazing professional staff and volunteers who have made the Independent Educational Consultants Association a national model of what to do, even during difficult times, to be a successful, thriving, growing organization. I am grateful!
Related posts:
