WVSAE............ News to Use
February 2016
Two Quick Reminders
- We encourage you to renew your membership or join WVSAE! Visit www.wvsae.org for complete details. Your dues entitle you to attendance at seven luncheon meetings per year; only the annual meeting carries a separate registration fee.
- The WVSAE Membership Directory will be available by April. Advertisers are urged to reserve their ad space and send artwork to info@wvsae.org by February 15.
This is YOUR organization and we want to meet your needs!
IOM Scholarships
The West Virginia Society of Association Executives is proud to partner with Institute for Organization Management, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s professional development program for non-profit executives, and offer two $500 partial tuition scholarships to one of Institute’s 2016 sites. The two scholarships, available to our members, will be awarded to students attending Institute for the first time to assist with enrollment fees and cannot be combined with any other Institute scholarships.
For 95 years, Institute has educated association, chamber, and other nonprofit leaders across the country through its national program, highly rated curriculum and high caliber instructors. Thousands of executives have attended Institute sites across the country to strengthen their management skills, learn industry best practices, and gain a broad national perspective from peers. Institute has helped them build stronger organizations, become stronger business advocates and better serve their members. In addition, you will earn points towards your CCE or CAE certification as Institute’s curriculum is directly tied to the bodies of knowledge of both the American Society of Association Executives and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.
Upon completion of the Institute program, graduates receive the IOM recognition which allows them to use the letters “IOM” in public mention and professional correspondence. The IOM recognition signifies the completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management and commitment to the industry.
If you are interested in this scholarship opportunity, contact Diane Slaughter, CAE, APR, at info@wvsae.org by March 25th. Early registration deadline for Midwest and Southeast Institute is April 22nd. Early registration deadline for West and Northeast Institute is May 27th.
For more information about Institute’s curriculum, sites, and dates, visit the Institute Web site and Prospective Student Toolkit to help you gain insight into the program.
Election Trends
On the day after the Iowa Caucus, political pollster and researcher Mark Blankenship shared his take on current election trends.
Blankenship, owner of Mark Blankenship Enterprises, LLC, said West Virginia is now a more competitive state with no dominant political party, meaning elections will have smaller margins of victory.
The current trend started in 1996, when Cecil Underwood defeated Charlotte Pritt for governor when the state was 3-to-1 democrat. In 2000, Gov. George Bush carried the state for the first time since Herbert Hoover, giving rise to now Senator Shelley Moore Capito. Since then, the Republican nominee has carried this state by double-digit margins.
What's behind this trend? Blankenship explained that Democrats are turning out to vote in lower percentages than before, while Republicans are maintaining a third of the turnout and Independents have quadrupled their turnout in recent year, with two-thirds of new Independents breaking to the Republican candidates.
Voter concerns are simple, he said. Every voter decision is now seen through the fiscal prism of their own lives; education is rising as most voters see the connection between education and jobs; and more people are concerned about national security.
On a state level, Blankenship feels the Republication presidential nominee will "juice" the turnout here. The House of Delegates may not change party control, but the Senate will be more competitive thanks to a "thin number of voters in a thin number of districts." The Democrat race for governor will be interesting, with President Obama still casting a shadow on the race. He said the nominee will likely have a plurality, not a clear majority. He thinks Congressman Mooney will face the toughest Congressional race.
Blankenship closed by saying he thinks the coming demographic shifts will be interesting to watch in the political arena.
2016 Dates and Locations
2016 Meeting Date and Location Schedule
March
No meeting
April 5
Creating Fun for Members
Jan Vineyard and Traci Nelson, OMEGA
Marriott Town Center
May 3
What Can I Shred? Getting Your Business Records in Order
Martha Nepa, CPA, JD,
Jackson Kelly PLLC
Charleston Civic Center
June 7
Capitol Conference Center
July
No meeting
August
No meeting
September 13
Holiday Inn Express
October 4
Waterfront Place Hotel – Annual Meeting Oct 3-4
November 1
Holiday Inn and Suites Charleston West
December 6
Embassy Suites
Contact us at WVSAE
Email: info@wvsae.org
Website: wvsae.org
Location: PO Box 4353, Charleston, WV 25364
Phone: 304-984-0308