Association Leadership - September/October 2008 - (Page 16)

cover feature learned the discipline of saving, there’s trouble ahead! There’s much work to be done in Texas to provide our kids with a solid grounding in ﬁnancial decisions. To be where we are now as a state is unacceptable.” Among Lange’s other TSAE objectives is continued cultivation of association leaders. “There are new models of governance that are being successfully employed here in Texas in both the for proﬁt and not for proﬁt environment,” she noted. “If you want to put your friends to sleep, just bring up the word governance – guaranteed to stop a conversation cold – believe me, I’ve tried it,” she laughed. “And yet, if you drill down, today’s board governance is so much more than just ﬁduciary and strategic concerns. “The relationship component is critical. I have the pleasure of working with an inspired team at IBAT, and we are constantly experimenting with ways of engaging and conversing with our four boards. We often have guest speakers to bring us up to speed on trends and current issues ” Given everyone’s time constraints and the multiple ways to connect, this is an exciting time to serve on any board or committee. However, the committee and board work must be relevant to one’s industry, education, and social needs. This can be achieved, she said, by providing the volunteer with a rich mix of real world context, trends data, and intellectual stimulation that will “stoke their quest for being in the know.” The bug has already bitten her twice, leading to her incumbent status on the boards of directors with the Boys & Girls Club of Travis County and Capital Area as well as Junior Achievement of the Capitol Area. “I have learned so much about board dynamics from both of these organizations that has been helpful in my work with IBAT. Both have such strong missions and the board and committee members are passionate about making an impact not only on the kids, but the overall community.” With TSAE, she became a board member in 2003, an executive committee member in 2005 and was chairman-elect for a year after Boon took over as chairman in 2007. “Our volunteers are the critical piece that TSAE and all of our associations strong,” Lange said. “This mix of professionals and the business partners who support the industry is invigorating. It would be a dry world indeed if we all simply studied the IRS rules and had our degrees and certiﬁcations in association management. Add in the layer of social connection, and soon you have new, relevant conversations and lifelong friendships.” ◆ Still waiting for good service? We’ll treat you to Real East Texas Service. To receive meeting services from the Longview Convention and Visitors Bureau is to experience real East Texas style service. Our promise is to provide services that are friendly and professional; our staff can handle ways that result in successful and productive meetings. Let us treat you to Real East Texas Service. 410 N. Center Street Longview, Texas 75601 903-753-3281 www.VisitLongviewTexas.com 16 383753_Longview.indd Association LEADERSHIP | September/October 2008 1 7/1/08 11:28:27 AM http://www.VisitLongviewTexas.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Association Leadership - September/October 2008

Association Leadership - September/October 2008 Contents President’s Column Homepage 60-Second Solutions An Interview with TSAE’s New Chairperson TSAE’s Newest Board Members Vetting Volunteers Orientation of Volunteer Leaders Get on Board – Qualification Considerations Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes Liability Insurance for Volunteer Leaders Committee Planning TSAE’s Annual Golf Outing Congratulations to Our New CAEs Perspectives Association Case Study New Members Community Spotlight San Antonio Beaumont Index to Advertisers Advertiser.com The Lighter Side of Associations

Association Leadership - September/October 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.