“What’s In It For Me?”

By Robinil H. Jameson, CPM
Robinil.Jameson@ky.gov

It seems like only yesterday, but in fact it was six years ago that I first addressed this question in the Kentucky Society of Certified Public Managers® (KSCPM) newsletter. But year after year, members are still having the same question asked of them. This is not unique to the KSCPM. Each state and the American Academy of Certified Public Managers® (AACPM) want to obtain and retain members, and at one time or another each state society has had the same question posed to them.

While all states emphasize networking, training, and professional growth opportunities as the “true benefit,” the Alabama Society answered it best at the 1999 AACPM Annual Professional Development Conferences, in Baton Rouge, “you can only get out what you put in an organization.” 

The Board and Academy Committees are composed of volunteers, stuffing membership packets, composing and editing the newsletter, planning programs, meeting with Officials to address member concerns, and planning the hosting of the AACPM Annual Professional Development Symposiums. All of these activities and more are undertaken because AACPM and State Society members believe in the Code of Ethics and the By-laws.

Take a minute to look closely AACPM web site, read your newsletters, review the Strategic plan, or just click on the Amazon.com link on the AACPM website when you make that next purchase. There is so much more the AACPM and your state society can achieve, but only if members are willing to devote their time.

So the next time someone asks you “What’s in it for me?" ask them, have you asked yourself the question “What can you do for your Society and the AACPM?” 

Now dust off your membership information, find your history, and dig out that brochure, because this newsletter contains a quiz! There will be a quiz in each of the remaining 2005 CPM Connection newsletters. All of the answers can be found on the AACPM website.

The rules are simple:

1. The first three (3) correct answers emailed to robinil.jameson@ky.gov by August 1, 2005 4:30pm EDT wins the first prize (there will be (3) prizes total per newsletter); 
2. the email with the earliest time (computer time) wins; and
3. one entry per person.

Good luck to all!

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