Weasels & opportunity ... (NAMA Leader's Message).

About two months ago as incoming Chamber Chairman, I had the honor of giving a little speech at our local Chamber annual banquet (some might say "putting people to sleep" would be a better description.) Be that as it may, my presentation focused around one simple word ... Opportunity.

I'd like to believe that I made a difference, that I helped my fellow members identify and grasp the opportunities that active participation in the Chamber provides. I also asked everyone to become a weasel, but that's another story for another time (some crazy thing about eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.) I will say that many of the 500+ people present laughed (nervous laughter?), the eyes of many others glazed over. Oooh, not good. Again, another story for another time.

Well, back to "opportunity." I believe that opportunity may only knock on your door two, maybe three times, during your lifetime. But, there are many opportunities that pass by your door every day, sight unseen. The key is do you recognize them? Do you want them? Do you take advantage of them? It's a simple rule of success that opportunity comes to those who look for it. Do you?

Knock. Knock. It's NAMA, knocking on your door.

Do you recognize it? It is opportunity wrapped in a nice, tight, career building package. It's a package offering self-improvement, career enhancing seminars, leadership building activities, networking events and industry education. NAMA IS OPPORTUNITY. It can open these doors and much more, if you take the initiative and act. By being an active, vocal, and enthusiastic worker of NAMA, you'll find that career, professional achievement, and self-growth opportunities abound.

One of my most pleasant challenges as president-elect of NAMA was to help identify, and confirm, our national committee leaders and vice chairs for this next year.

The new Chairs are Mike Flesher (Ag Day), Vicki Henrickson (Agri-Marketing Conference), Carol Anderson (Agribusiness Forum), Bob Hothem (Best of NAMA), Beth Burgy (Careers), Jeff Tennant (Chapter Services), Susan Armstrong (Membership), and Jane Schroeder (Professional Recognition).

I extend my sincere appreciation to Mike Ricciuto, Sarah Vacek, John Finegan, Sharon Larson, Saundra Campbell, Melinda Schwab, Robert Ratliff and Janice Person for accepting the vice chair position for their respective committees.

What's the commonality here? All of them heard opportunity knocking on their collective doors, and they opened them. They recognized the fact that, through becoming a NAMA national committee leader, their leadership skills, decision making ability, interaction with peers, visibility, and their own personal careers will grow. Exponentially. And, they will make a difference.

You can, too,by taking advantage of the enormous opportunities NAMA offers when it comes knocking at your door. All you have to do is open the door wide and become involved.

Better yet, maybe we all should become weasels.