Chapter News Pres Message Archive

January 2009 President's Message by 2008/2009 ASID WI President Catherine Hempfling-Prossen, ASID, LEED AP

 

A New Year's Resolution

With the dawn of a new year many choose to form New Year’s Resolutions. Some work very hard to fulfill all of their resolutions while others allow them to fall by the wayside, getting caught up in the day to day activities. What are your personal and professional goals for 2009?

Have you considered that ASID can help you accomplish your goals?

It is not news to anyone that our economic climate is changing. Today, as I write this letter to you, a new President of the United States is sworn into office. He spoke of all of the challenges and work that lies ahead. The work he speaks of is not only work that must be done by him but by all members of society. The same is true of our organization in the state of Wisconsin. We have a very solid Strategic Plan but because of the unforeseen hardships that have surfaced it’s more important now than ever before to be an active member of ASID-Wisconsin.

So, our first question is….What can ASID do for you?

ASID National Support:

• ASID National has formed an installment plan for members to pay their dues monthly instead of in one annual sum. This is a great way to incorporate the cost of your membership into your monthly budget and see no lapse in communication or benefits.
  
• ASID National has also put together a promotion to waive the application fee for new practitioner or Industry Partner members
• www.ASID.org continues to be where members can stay informed of professional advancements and threats to our organization
• Need CEU’s? There are currently CEU programs available online at http://www.asid.org/events/ceus/online/
• Have you used Connex lately? This online community site links you to all of the members in the ASID organization. http://www.asidconnex.org/web/guest/home

ASID Wisconsin Support:

• Have you been to a Design Café? We are all social beings that enjoy networking and staying in touch with friends and colleagues. ASID Wisconsin is trying to help give members additional social outlets with others in our design community. Design cafés are held in your area and there is no program or structure to follow. It is just a time allocated to get together and catch up. Our next Design Cafés will be held in February so check out the calendar to find a café in your area. http://www.asidwi.org/txp/Calendar-and-Events?m=2&y=2009
• Our Communications Committee continues to streamline our website and email blast format so that they are user friendly and informative. Have you been reading the weekly email blasts that are sent out? The information shared there is the most current information relevant to our Chapter’s news and events.
  
• Did you know that ASID – Wisconsin has a message board available on our website? This is a great area to post questions or relevant articles to the Wisconsin design community. http://www.asidwi.org/phpBB2/
• The programs committee is working on some great chapter events for March, May and July. Stay tuned for further developments as the committee secures locations.
  
• Students continue to be a focus as we build a Student Leadership Fund to create scholarship opportunities and other development programs for our future practitioners. 

Outlined above are just a few of the critical areas that are part of our New Year’s Resolutions. The ASID – Wisconsin Board of Directors, along with the help of our volunteers, will work to stay on track and not let anything in our strategic plan fall by the wayside. What are you doing to make sure that you get the most out of your ASID membership in 2009? Staying informed and continuing to build your network during this critical economic time is the only way that you will stay on top of the profession.  ASID can support you, but we need you to participate and become a part of what will be accomplished in 2009.

What are YOU going to do for your profession in 2009?

Best Regards,
Catherine Hempfling-Prossen, ASID, LEED AP
ASID-Wisconsin Chapter President

September 2008 President's Message by 2008/2009 ASID WI President Catherine Hempfling-Prossen, ASID, LEED AP

 

Where do we go from here?

The ASID Wisconsin Chapter is an incredible chapter with many great accomplishments. In the years I have been involved, I have witnessed a massive transformation in our communication channels through the development and implementation of our website as a single source of information. I have also seen us develop a great leadership structure for our students. From Career Day to scholarships and monetary design awards - we demonstrate our commitment to the future of the profession. There have been so many changes and there are so many people to thank.  On behalf of the incoming board, I thank you all.

Now the question is…Where do we go from here?

Have you read our Strategic Plan? Did you know that we update our Strategic Plan every year and members get involved in that process to make sure that we stay focused on the issues at hand? This year we had great participation in the membership survey and Strategic Planning. We feel we have a good grasp on your needs and wants – how ASID-Wisconsin can support you. Please take some time to review our Strategic Plan by going to [Insert Link]. We welcome your comments and suggestions.  Even more, we hope you find an area of interest that makes you want to get involved and truly make the most out of your membership.

Now is the time to move our profession to the next level…

Interior Design is what we all have in common here at ASID-Wisconsin. Now it is time to keep pushing to make sure that our profession continues to be valued and respected. We need to keep advancing within our careers and within the ASID structure. How can you advance your own career and support ASID?

- If you are a recent graduate, have you rolled your Student Membership into an Allied status?

- What about Allied Members? Are you ready to take the NCIDQ? We know you can pass, and we want to welcome you as professional members into our organization.

- Professional Members – we need you too…you are the people who have been the foundation of our organization and with out you we would not be where we are today. Now is the time to mentor our Student and Allied Members so that we, as an organization and individuals, can continue to grow into great leaders of our industry.

- Industry Partners, we could not be where we are today without your continued support. Please know that we value your membership and participation in our organization and look forward to new opportunities to work with you in this next year.

Now is the time to get involved…
    
We have great volunteers for the many committees that keep our organization running smoothly. My goal is to see new faces at every event and to get people excited to be a member of ASID. The members who have been active in our chapter already know the benefits of being an ASID member. Please take the time to reach out to others who may not be members yet or may just need some encouragement to become active within our chapter. With out active membership and productive volunteers we cannot continue to improve - we need your help.  Please, get involved!!!

You decide where we go from here….

Best Regards,
Catherine Hempfling-Prossen, ASID
ASID – Wisconsin Chapter President

October 2007 President's Message by 2007/2008 ASID WI President Jodie Thill, ASID, LEED AP

 

Welcome to a new year for ASID Wisconsin. I am honored to serve as your president for the coming year. Below are the words that I shared with the chapter at the annual meeting held at the Overture Center in Madison. I hope to see you at an event soon; you just might find a new connection or a new source of inspiration. Please check the website and calendar often as there will be many exciting events throughout the year that you will not want to miss.

get Informed      get Inspired      get Involved

As I was trying to think of what to say this evening, how to kick off the coming ASID year I clicked on the ASID National website looking for inspiration. Each time I head to the website I find a new nugget of information. What I found was a little flash movie talking about design, what we practice everyday. It put into images that which we try to capture in each of our projects – a human centered solution that enhances the spaces we inhabit. It ended with three statements: get Informed – get Inspired – get Involved. It fit perfectly with what I have been trying to put into words, what has been floating around in my head for weeks. Thinking about what this year can hold for all of us. Challenging us to take the reigns – to get informed, get inspired and get involved. It is, in my guess, why we are all here. We are all looking for something to spark our creativity, to keep us interested, engaged, to answer our questions and help us find successful solutions. It may be as simple as looking for information about an Industry Partner Member’s product you are thinking of using or as complex as finding information on the impact of design on the capacity of young children to learn. Information – it is what we look for in the greater world everyday. This year will be about continuing to keep you informed through electronic communications, both by e-mail and on the ASID Wisconsin website as well as to host talented speakers who will present information you need to know to keep ahead in the industry.

Inspiration, what inspires you? I am inspired by the many volunteers of this organization; how they work tirelessly for the betterment of the world around them in their work and transfer that energy for the improvement of their profession. Each member has a story, whether they have been members for 30 days or 30 years. Students, so full of energy and excitement may not even be exactly sure what Interior Design holds for them, but are sure that they want a part in designing better spaces for a better world. Seasoned Professionals who have seen our profession grow and develop into the leading Interior Design Organization. For all of us, ASID Wisconsin has something to inspire-either within us or within someone we encounter. There are so many new and exciting developments in the chapter I hope you check out. One that is very inspiring is the opportunity to connect members from across the state with our new ASID Wisconsin electronic bulletin board. Check the weekly e-mail blast for the past several weeks, and you will find information on how to register. It is a great way to connect with members of all types practicing interior design throughout the state. In the coming year, I hope that you will find many ways to be inspired; whether connecting with an old friend or co-worker, meeting a new member, or finding a fellow alumna of your design program, attending a program, CEU or building tour, or finding inspiration through the work or words of others. Maybe you will be inspired by the incredible design celebrated at the ASID Design Gala to be held on Friday February 8, 2008 – inspired to enter your own project. Take a chance to recharge your creativity.

I find the last words found of the flash movie to be most important – get Involved. This organization continues to amaze me with the incredible people that step forward to volunteer each year. Whether it is meeting with students, planning an event, coordinating other volunteers or balancing the budget, there so many wonderful stories to be discovered, all it takes is to get involved. It is simple to get involved as well. I know that it may appear that for some of us, ASID is a lifestyle, something that we eat and breathe. That is not the case for most of our wonderful volunteers. There is a place for each of you to contribute whether you can commit to several hours or several months. For those of you interested in volunteering in a specific area, do not hesitate to contact the respective board member. You will find their contact information on the website. We hope that you find the board and all of our volunteers open to your new ideas and accessible to share your thoughts. I know that we as professionals and as individuals are always attempting to find more time, but I do know that the time that is given to involvement in ASID Wisconsin can be fulfilling in so many ways. It is my goal this year to provide opportunities for all of you to get Informed - get Inspired – get Involved. I look forward to seeing you at a chapter event, or connecting with you via our new ASID Wisconsin electronic bulletin board soon.

Jodie Thill, ASID, LEED AP
WI Chapter ASID President 2007-2008

September 2007 President's Message by 2006/2007 ASID WI President Jessica Mahne, ASID

Dear Fellow Members,

As your president, I feel very lucky to be surrounded with such enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who make our chapter a model for other ASID chapters around the country.

Our chapter successes this past year are many:

We are continuously growing the chapter’s membership.  To that end, this year, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and my biased favorite, Madison Area Technical College all founded ASID Student Chapters at their schools.  This is in no small part due to the efforts of the Student Affairs Committee to reach out to all of the interior design students in Wisconsin.

Once we have new ASID members, it is very important to make them feel welcome and a part of the chapter.   This year, a new committee was formed, the New Member Orientation Committee.  This committee has been personally contacting members as they join and publishing member biographies in the blast emails.  They have done a fantastic job getting this committee started.  In addition, the chapter implemented a member-networking concept, the ASID Design Cafes, to better serve our members in their local communities.

Our programs committee has continued to provide our members with high-quality continuing education, and this year addressed both ASID Platform issues of Sustainable Design and Aging-in-Place.  Because continuing education is an important part of ASID membership, in April, a new membership bylaw was enacted by the National ASID Board of Directors which requires practitioner members of ASID to complete 6 hours of continuing education coursework every two years.  This new member requirement strengthens the interior design profession and maintains ASID’s reputation as the premier interior design professional association.

Because ASID is the most recognized professional interior design organization, the National ASID Board of Directors recently approved the use of a new Professional Member mark.   Use of the mark will help you stand out in the marketplace by allowing consumers and clients to quickly identify you as a highly qualified and experienced ASID Professional interior designer.  If you are an ASID Professional member, I encourage you to go to the ASID national website and download this ASID Professional Member logo for use in your business.

Another change this year that you may have noticed, was the mandatory legislative assessment in addition to your annual membership dues.  The National ASID Board of Directors voted to assess practitioner members in order to finance legislative goals at the levels required to be successful.  Those of you who have been involved in the legislative efforts in Wisconsin certainly know that it is a challenge to find money to support legislative initiatives.  The monies collected through this assessment will be directly channeled into legislative initiatives making us a stronger voice for the interior design profession.

The movement toward legal recognition of the interior design profession across the country directly impacts your professional future by defining our qualifications and the value of the services we provide. I encourage you to educate yourself about the significance of interior design legislation and to get involved in the Interior Design Coalition of Wisconsin - our advocate and representative for legislative concerns and actions in Wisconsin.  The coalition is currently looking for additional volunteers to serve on the board.  Please consider volunteering your time to the coalition.  ASID and the coalition will continue to work together to ensure to the future of our right to practice.

One of the many great benefits of ASID membership is being associated with a professional organization that is well respected and recognized throughout the design community.  Nationally, ASID is launching a progressive, three-year marketing initiative to further develop this recognition. This will involve advertising and targeted public relations efforts in major interior design industry and consumer publications.

As part of the new initiative, ASID has begun an ongoing photography campaign, meant to capture members’ design projects, both residential and commercial.  Our chapter was chosen to be a part of the pilot of this project, and the National ASID Director of Marketing selected three ASID Wisconsin 2006 Gold Design Award winning projects to be photographed.  Look for the work of our ASID members, Bill Beaudreau, ASID, Debra Alton, ASID, Stacy Wieme, Allied Member ASID and Karen Claffey Koller, Allied Member ASID in upcoming ASID advertising!  These are exciting developments that will increase the awareness of both ASID and of the professionalism of our members.

None of these great achievements would be accomplished without our dedicated group of volunteers.  Thank you to the current board members for implementing the chapter’s strategic plan initiatives in partnership with their committee members.  This board was a tremendous help to me, they were always on top of things and willing to pitch in wherever and whenever needed.  I am so appreciative of everyone’s contributions to our chapter’s success.

It has been my honor to serve you as ASID Wisconsin Chapter President.  I know that the incoming Board of Directors, led by incoming president, Jodie Thill, ASID will continue to keep building on the successes of the past year.

In the words of the great Vince Lombardi, "The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual."  I look forward to seeing more great achievements by the Wisconsin Chapter of ASID in the months and years to come. 

Sincerely,

Jessica Mahne, ASID
Wisconsin Chapter ASID President 2006-2007

April 2007 President's Message by 2006/2007 ASID WI President Jessica Mahne, ASID

Dear Fellow Members,

Spring is finally here!  The flowers are blooming, the robins have reappeared, and there is snow on the ground – yes, it is Wisconsin in spring.

Our chapter has been very busy over the past months, hard at work making our strategic plan goals a reality while incorporating ASID’s brand values – Inspiring, Personal, Indispensable, Enriching, Stewardship, and Reliable.  

Our Design Awards committee created an inspiring evening at the Milwaukee Art Museum in February.  The Gala’s theme of “Green with Envy – Sustainability Meets Style” played out with a sustainable-textile fashion show and for the first time, a Sustainable Design category in the awards.  Congratulations to all members who submitted a project!  It is wonderful to celebrate all of the talented designers we have in the Wisconsin chapter.  To check out award winning entries, click here.  A big thank you goes out to the committee chairs, and all of the committee members who spent many hours working on the awards and gala.  Also, I know there are many more talented designers out there, working on award-worthy projects.  So, start thinking about entering those projects in next year’s awards!

Our chapter is working on bringing ASID to you on a more personal level, with our Design Cafés.  The ASID Wisconsin Design Cafés are opportunities to meet and network with ASID members in your community in a casual setting.  Please check the website calendar often for Design Café events in your area!  Thank you to all of the volunteers helping to get this initiative off the ground for our chapter!

Along with these casual networking opportunities, our chapter has had several enriching continuing education opportunities this year.  In January, we learned more about sustainability in the lifecycle of products and how to identify eco-effective products.  In March, members delved into innovative ways to use color and light in interior environments.  Future educational opportunities are planned for spring and summer; continue to check the website calendar for these upcoming events.  Our chapter Programs Committee is to be commended for their hard-work to bring these wonderful learning opportunities to us!  

There are so many activities going on in our chapter is it difficult to highlight them all in this message, but I would like to acknowledge the many ASID members in the Madison area who have been bringing the brand value of stewardship to life for the past few months.  These members are working on a service project to provide pro-bono design services to Common Threads Family Resource Center, a start-up non-profit preschool for children on the Autism spectrum.  The project will continue over the next several months, and the team will need additional help to bring the project to successful completion.  Please consider giving your time, talent and resources to this very worthwhile project.  

Finally, one additional “Thank You”, and it is a BIG one, to all of our Wisconsin Chapter ASID Sponsors who have committed to support us this year, they help make our chapter reliable for all our members and we sincerely appreciate their support.  Check out our sponsors, consider using their products and services, and thank them the next time you see them!
"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful." -Albert Schweitzer  

I wish you a happy and successful spring!

Sincerely,

Jessica Mahne, ASID
Wisconsin Chapter ASID President

"Welcome to a New Year" by 2006/2007 ASID WI President Jessica Mahne, ASID

Dear Fellow Members,

Welcome to a new year for the Wisconsin Chapter of ASID. As of October 1, the new chapter board officially took office and they have been hard at work to manage the many committees that will implement the chapter’s strategic plan initiatives and goals.

The chapter’s primary strategic plan goal this year is to engage our members to utilize the many membership benefits and resources that ASID has to offer. With 700 members throughout the state of Wisconsin this can be quite a challenge at times, but together we can accomplish this goal. One of the many great benefits of ASID membership is being associated with a professional organization that is well respected and recognized throughout the design community.

Over the past two years, ASID has worked hard to elevate this recognition through the creation of a new brand identity. The visual identity of the ASID brand has been fully integrated and is becoming widely recognized within the design community and the general public. Nationally, ASID is launching a progressive, three-year marketing initiative to further develop this recognition. This will involve advertising and targeted public relations efforts in major interior design industry and consumer publications. These are exciting developments that will increase the awareness of both ASID and of the professionalism of our members.

Now that the visual brand identity of ASID has been realized, it is important that we begin to live the spirit of the brand as a chapter. ASID has identified the spirit of the brand with six brand values: Inspiring, Personal, Indispensable, Enriching, Stewardship, and Reliable. Over the next year, I will highlight how our chapter and its members are already answering the following questions:

Inspiring – How do we generate enthusiasm among our members, both for ASID and for the interior design profession?
Personal – How do we make ASID membership valuable for each member – student, allied, professional, educator, or industry partner?
Indispensable – Is ASID an essential part of your career?
Enriching – Is ASID your definitive source for design knowledge?
Stewardship – How do we share our talents as designers to enhance the lives of others?
Reliable – Is our chapter organized, well-managed, and financially secure?

I challenge you think about these values and to answer these questions, so that together we can make the Wisconsin Chapter of ASID -Where Design Comes to Life®.

I am looking forward to sharing another successful year with you as we build on our chapter’s solid foundation.

Sincerely,

Jessica Mahne, ASID
Wisconsin Chapter ASID President

“Connect, Share, Create – the time in now” by 2005/2006 ASID WI President Sandy Weber, ASID

Connect, Share, Create – the time in now…….

“Where design comes to life” is our chapter’s vision. Our chapter is filled with talented individuals who bring good design to life in Wisconsin.

Over the years our chapter has worked together to advance the design profession in our state. Our chapter is strong due to the commitment of our members who continue to contribute valuable volunteer hours and knowledge of our profession.

As my year as president winds down Jessica Mahne, the president-elect, and the upcoming board are very busy organizing and planning our new year which begins October 1st.  The last several years our chapter has experienced enthusiasm, excitement, wonderful friendships and a lot fun.  Please join together to maintain our chapter’s incredible momentum. Now is the time to get involved for the next year.

Connect with the people in our chapter to continue to bring good design to our great state.

Share your knowledge and insight to inspire others to reach their professional best.

Create spaces which are comfortable, safe, environmentally responsible and accessible to everyone.

Sandy Weber, ASID
WI Chapter ASID President 2005-2006

“Where design comes to life” by 2005/2006 ASID WI President Sandy Weber, ASID

“Where design comes to life.” That is the vision statement for the American Society of Interior Designers. Design is coming to life in our chapter due to the dedicated volunteers and our strong group of leaders who are committed to excellence.

Continuing to ride the wave of excitement and momentum that Past-President AnnMarie Wittig, ASID and the Board created last year, this year promises to be an exciting one with new opportunities in our chapter.

Here are some of the highlights so far:

• We have a new chapter administrator, Heather Westgor, who has improved the chapter’s communication through her responsiveness and informative weekly email blasts.
• The new Student Affairs Committee lead by Sandy Gordon, ASID has been very busy. Their accomplishments so far have been organizing and implementing Student Leadership training in September for all student chapter leaders and holding three Student Gatherings at their respective schools. Currently they are working on the statewide Student Career Day for February.
• Another new committee is Industry Partners Affairs. This group, lead by Jennifer Meyer, is addressing the needs of our IP Members. One area they are concentrating on is looking at ways to enhance IP Member involvement.
• Our chapter website has been tremendously improved by the Chapter Communications Committee lead by Pam Cramer, ASID. Our website now gives you access to news, events, membership information and educational resources.
• Our chapter continues to be strong financially thanks to membership growth and the support of our Industry Partners and Sponsors. With this financial backing we are looking to provide members with more CEU programs and better communication through our administrator and the website. We are also focusing time and effect on our valuable student members. We will be providing them with training and educational events along with support and guidance as they move toward their professional careers.

So, what’s in it for me? The rewards are many if you get involved: education, access to resources, friendships, professional and personal growth to name just a few. Our membership is made up of a very diverse group of interior design professionals, students, educators and industry partners located all over the state. We have a great group of volunteers who are dedicated to making our chapter strong but we always would like more.

As GE’s Jack Welch said “Excellence is not a spectator sport. Everyone’s involved.”
Help our chapter achieve excellence, get involved.

Sandy Weber, ASID
WI Chapter ASID President 2005/2006

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