From the Executive Director
Debbie Trueblood Witt, MSW, IOM, CAE - debbiew@tcag.com

February 2008

From the Executive Director

IARP is currently engaged in many projects with the goal of serving you better.

Recently we completed our on-line elections for officers for the first time. As a result, our on-line voting vendor made a donation of thirty tree seedlings to impoverished farming families in Central America in IARP’s honor for “going green.” Plus, the online election system helped us to improve accuracy in elections and faster analysis of the results; so, no more “hanging chads.”

In addition to elected honorees in IARP, we also have awards for special people and programs. The deadline for nominations has been extended one last time until March 14. If you haven’t nominated that special mentor or special client in your life, now’s the time. Information is on the website.

Earlier this month, it was announced at the Council of Chapter Presidents meeting that 100% of the commissions made from all IARP Chapter merchandise sales will go back to the respective chapter as a money maker for our chapters. IALCP merchandise proceeds will go to IALCP. So, get your local chapter’s golf-tee or other items to wear at your local events and support your chapter.

In January, the IARP Board voted to approve a new program designed by an IARP committee, the IARP Corporate Membership Discount Program. We will be rolling this out soon and will be sending a new brochure to members at companies with multiple memberships who may qualify for the discount moving forward. The discount applies to companies with 10 or more members and the discount increases at 20 members and again at 30 members. Members will still apply individually and will still need to belong to local chapters.  Corporations will be able to sign up at any point in the year regardless of your membership expiration dates.

IARP Past Presidents, Maria Henderson and Janine Holloman, have designed a program, approved by the IARP Board, to make corporate sponsorships available. Not to be confused with the corporate membership discount program above, this program is for corporations who wish to purchase various packages which include exhibit booths, sponsorship opportunities, job bank postings, and other opportunities to market themselves to IARP members. We will be rolling this out shortly as well.

Another IARP committee is researching potential changes to the IARP membership types; e.g. individual professional member, student, and associate. We are considering making changes to better serve our members and by grouping them in ways that may make membership available to more people.

In Chapter news, we are excited that a group of individuals in Montana are interested in forming a chapter there. We will be working with them to bring them on board.  Also, President Neil Bennett and I are looking forward to a trip to Texas this week to join the local members in celebrating the Texas Chapter’s 25^th Anniversary. Our congratulations to this chapter and all chapters who have been unifying rehab professionals for all these years.

In related chapter news, the IARP Membership Committee and the IARP Chapters recently engaged in the first “Global Membership Challenge” in which chapters competed for membership recruitment during the month of December on a percentage of growth basis. Congratulations to the Oregon Chapter who will receive special recognition at the IARP Annual Conference.

Last but not least, IARP is busily preparing for the 2008 IARP Annual Conference and Life Care Planning Summit. The Summit is co-hosted by the Foundation of Life Care Planning Research.  While registration is not opened yet, the schedule and session descriptions are on the website so that you can begin making plans to attend. My thanks to the Conference Planning Committee and LCP Summit Committee who put this program together. The Summit this year is attached to the IARP Annual Conference. Summit attendees will get to attend the Summit all day on Thursday, May 15, the reception that night with exhibitors, will attend conference sessions the next morning, lunch with the conference attendees, and then will reconvene the Summit, with a reception again that night. If you wish to attend the conference on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a greatly reduced conference registration fee for Summit attendees.  For regular conference attendees, there are pre-conference workshops on Thursday, May 15 with regular conference sessions beginning on Friday, May 16. The exhibit hall opens a day early this year with an opening reception on Thursday night. So, mark your calendars for the IARP 2008 Annual Conference and Life Care Planning Summit at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, May 15 – Sunday, May 18, 2008 and the IARP 2008 Forensic Conference at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on October 30 – November 1, 2008.  The conference planning committees are working hard to make these conferences valuable educational opportunities for members.  More information will be coming soon.

There is so much going on with IARP!  As always, please feel free to contact me with any ideas or suggestions you have to enhance your membership experience.