|
Thursday, April 29, 2021 06:24 PM |
What I wish I had known about pursuing the CAE designation
By Kimberly Hopkins, DFWAE Board Member and 2021 CAE candidate
I recently started my 14th year in the association industry. About 8 years in, I discovered that there was a designation for the industry and started contemplating whether it was something I wanted to pursue, and its value in my career. In hindsight, I realize I spent much of my early career in association management entrenched in the industry in which the association I work for represents. When I decided to join DFWAE in 2014, it provided an outlet to build my professional contacts and gain access to relevant education for career growth that I had not had before.
As I attended DFWAE events, I would frequently come across DFWAE members who had earned their designation and it was a constant reminder and inspiration to me. I continued to question whether I had the time and focus needed to earn my designation and thought about it as being a far-off goal.
Then, I attended DFWAE A Day in 2018. I was introduced to Darrin Scheid while browsing the expo booth and there is no way he could have known how encouraging his words were. He briefly shared his CAE journey and how the designation has positively impacted his career. It was likely a 6 minute conversation from what I remember, but it inspired me and gave me the first realization that there are study resources available to CAE candidates. After A Day that year I decided that this far-off goal was something I did desire and for the first time, it wasn’t as overwhelming to think about it.
In 2019, I wrote down on a sticky note that my career and personal goal was to take the CAE exam in 2020. The timing for this felt slow and steady and manageable. I had accumulated about 1/3 of the required continuing education hours in 2017 and knew that the hours were good for up to 5 years so also had a sense of urgency and found the focus that I needed to launch me on the designation path.
2020, you were not the year any of us imagined! I ultimately decided I was not capable of adding to my responsibilities in my personal life so let my CAE exam goal slide into 2021.
2021 - a new year offers renewed focus and energy! I registered for the DFWAE CAE Study group, joined ASAE, purchased the recommended reading and for the first time clicked “Start CAE Application” on the website. Once again, it felt overwhelming as I realized I was not as organized as I wish I had been with tracking my continuing education hours, and literally went on a hunt to gather my hours which were captured in various emails, pdf certificates and account log ins. I could have easily decided to forego pursuing the exam, I thought “technically we are still in the middle of a pandemic and life is still a bit crazy”. As I wavered again I attended the first CAE study group meeting and again felt inspired. The small group conversation and guidance I could envision receiving throughout the spring put a stop to my procrastination. Before the application deadline, I submitted all of the required items, and four days later I received notification that my application was accepted to take the exam in May or December.
To other individuals who have thought about pursuing their CAE, here are a few things I wish I had known the first time I dreamingly thought about my desire to work towards my CAE:
- You are not alone in the CAE pursuit. Through DFWAE and other professional groups, there are individuals who are happy to share their experiences and they just might provide the inspiration you didn’t know you needed.
- As a member of DFWAE you have access to one of the most valuable membership resources; CAE’s. DFWAE members who are CAE’s openly share their wisdom and guide you - whether organically through your interactions on a committee, during networking or more formally such as the study group meetings.
- It is never too early to start tracking your continuing education hours. Start a spreadsheet and have columns for the date, total hours, title of the education, brief marketing blurb, instructor name(s) and who the continuing education was through (i.e. DFWAE, ASAE etc.).
- Take a brief inventory of where you feel you are lacking in knowledge based on the CAE Exam Content Outline and look for continuing education that addresses your gap areas.
- When you register/attend a DFWAE event, your CAE hours are tracked in your member profile, making it easy for you to import into your application.
Joining DFWAE to be inspired was not something that crossed my mind in 2014 but the opportunities are plentiful!
Congratulations to the 43 current DFWAE members who are Certificate Association Executives! And, a final thought to anyone who has contemplated their own CAE journey, get a sticky pad and write down “CAE exam ______” and fill in your year and get started.
|
|
Wednesday, April 07, 2021 09:11 AM |
DFWAE Adopts Formal DEI Statement
After months of work, DFWAE's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force and the Board of Directors have adopted a formal DEI statement on behalf of the organization. This philosophy will become part of DFWAE's core values, and be woven into the future work of the association through strategic planning, policy setting, nominations, and all other critical areas.
The statement reads:
People feel a sense of belonging when differences are embraced and valued. DFWAE is dedicated to nurturing equality by creating spaces for the voices least heard, providing educational opportunities to grow leaders, instilling a greater understanding of diverse and equitable environments; and expanding opportunities to collaborate with one another to ensure DFWAE is reflective of the larger, richer community of association voices. We recognize there is still work to be done and commit to cultivating an atmosphere and culture that is inclusive for all.
The 2020-2021 DEI Task Force members include:
Janet Kane, MetroTex Association of REALTORS (Chair)
Shasta Foy, Society of Petroleum Engineers (Board Liaison)
Doug Laher, American Association for Respiratory Care
Laura Venhaus, American Association of Professional Landmen
Mark Jones, enSYNC Corporation
Eme Augustini, National Association of Dental Plans
Julie Kwane, Promotional Products Association International
Katie Gimenez, Plano Chamber of Commerce
Heather Zrubek, National Association of Episcopal Schools
Riane Gay, American College of Emergency Physicians
Sheena Beaver, Dallas Builders Association
Leona Scott, JEP Marketing Communications
Maurice Norris, Promotional Products Association International |
|
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 01:42 PM |
|
Due to continued concerns for the health and safety of all members, industry partners, volunteer leaders, staff and other stakeholders during the COVID-19 pandemic, ASAE announced today that the 2021 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition that was scheduled to take place in Dallas, TX, will be held virtually, alongside smaller, regional hub meetings that can safely take place in person around the country. The dates for the reimagined 2021 Annual Meeting will be the week of August 16, 2021.
Throughout the pandemic, ASAE has relied on public health guidance, federal and state-by-state event restrictions and member surveys to gauge whether to move major meetings on its events calendar to virtual. Given the current pace of COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and member comfort in participating tied to whether they are vaccinated, ASAE concluded it’s not possible at this time to guarantee the success of an in-person, multi-day annual meeting and trade show in mid-August for the ASAE community.
Instead, Annual Meeting attendees can choose to participate virtually with additional options for smaller groups of ASAE attendees to meet face-to-face regionally. Hub locations have not yet been determined but ASAE anticipates that Dallas and other ASAE Alliance Partner destinations will serve as ASAE Annual Meeting hubs in August. Registration for the reconfigured 2021 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition will open May 3 with full details.
While this is disappointing—both for ASAE and its members, and for our scheduled 2021 host city Dallas—we are shifting all efforts to ensuring that this Annual Meeting delivers the best content and experiences possible for our many stakeholders. This will not be a retread of last year’s fully virtual Annual. In keeping with ASAE’s strategy focused on omni-channel content delivery, the combination of a virtual platform and regional hub events should be exciting and meet our community’s varied needs for learning, networking and business development.
The same external factors that contributed to the decision about the 2021 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition have led ASAE to move other major meetings on the events calendar to virtual through the beginning of June 2021. This includes the 2021 Marketing, Membership, & Communications (MM&C) Conference, which was scheduled to take place in Washington, DC, June 3–5, 2021. Currently, Washington DC is not allowing in-person gatherings larger than 10 people, so ASAE staff is reconfiguring this meeting into a fully virtual event June 2–4, 2021. The new MMCC website and registration portal will launch at the end of April.
Please note the changes for other F2F meetings taking place during this time frame.
- April CEO Symposium, April 19–20—Being delivered Virtually
- May Exceptional Boards, May 6–7—Being delivered Virtually with a F2F option re-scheduled for October 13-15, 2021 - Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, CA
- Innovation Launch Pad, May 19–21—Being delivered Virtually with a F2F option rescheduled in 2022 (Date to be determined) in Salt Lake City, UT
- Marketing, Membership, & Communications Conference (MMCC), June 3–5—Being delivered Virtually June 2–4
- Executive Leadership Forum, June 6–11—Moved to September 22–24, 2021 Calgary, AB
- XDP, August 15 as pre conference to Annual—Will premiere in August 2022 as a pre-conference at the 2022 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Nashville, TN
If you have registered or booked a hotel room for any of the above listed meetings, ASAE will cancel your registration and hotel room automatically. ASAE staff will be reaching out to those that are registered for specific programs directly.
Thank you for your understanding and for being part of the ASAE community. We hope to see you at the reconfigured 2021 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition and down the road at future in-person events when it’s fully safe for us all to convene! |
|
Wednesday, October 28, 2020 04:35 PM |
New Distinguished Speaker Series Launches Oct. 2
Texas CASA is excited to launch the Distinguished Speakers Series, a new, advocacy-focused learning opportunity for the CASA network and other community partners involved in the child welfare system. The multi-part series will feature high-caliber speakers sharing their expertise on topics and issues impacting the child welfare system and how we can all enhance our advocacy for children and families involved in the system.
The series begins on Thursday, Oct. 29, with Dr. Jessica Pryce and wraps up on Wednesday, Nov. 18, with Professor Ibram X. Kendi. The full schedule and speaker bios are below.
Register now to secure your spot for all four episodes! Reminder emails with the link information will be sent before each episode.
|
|
|
