It all comes down to you and me. (From the President).

This month, I would like to celebrate ARMA's volunteers. From its chapter leaders to the board of directors, ARMA is a volunteer association. It is members sharing with each other and giving back to the profession that makes ARMA as special as it is. This is the time of year when we ask interested members to come forth and be part of our leadership team. If you have served as a chapter leader and are ready for a new challenge or have experience with other organizations, I encourage you to apply for one of ARMA's leadership positions.

As a region coordinator, you will have an opportunity to work with chapters in your area, helping them achieve their full potential and pro vide quality service to their members. Serving on one of ARMA's many committees lets you focus your interest and expertise to areas such as education (EDC), membership (MRC), standards (SDC), international issues (IRC), legislative affairs in the United States (GRECO) and Canada (CLARA), technology (TAC), publications (PEB), elections (EMC), and awards. The program committee for our 2004 Long Beach Conference will be seeking members with "out-of-the-box" ideas on how to make our annual conference bigger and better. Last, but certainly not least, the many industry specific groups (ISGs) desperately need both leaders and members to focus in on the records and information management (RIM) needs of their specific industries.

Applications for committee membership can be found on the ARMA Web site (www.arma.org) and are due to ARMA headquarters by May 1. If you have any questions on just what a committee does or how it functions, contact the committee chair (contact information available at the Web site) or Connie Hardy at HQ ([e-mail]).

What does it take to serve? Time, of course, but not as much as you might think. By dividing up committee tasks, the individual load is much more manageable. Most committees and ISGs do the bulk of their work via e-mail and teleconference, so volunteers can participate more easily. Those attending usually try to meet in person at the annual conference, and if other face-to-face meetings are needed, the costs (travel and subsistence) are covered by ARMA, not the committee member.

The ultimate volunteer positions, of course, are those on the International Board of Directors. As chair of next year's Election Management Committee, I encourage you to start thinking now about applying for one of the seats, as an at-large director, treasurer, or president-elect. Officer candidate information forms (OCIF) will be available this summer for next year's election. My committee will be looking for ways to streamline our election process and make it easier for members to participate.

ARMA depends on its volunteers. Without ARMA members willing to participate and serve their fellow members, our association would certainly flounder. In the spirit of former President John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your Association can do for you, ask what you can do for your Association," because it is this service that ultimately benefits us all.

Juanita M. Skillman, CRM, FAI
President
[e-mail]