February 22, 2024 by SME Communications Greetings fellow SME members, I reflected recently on my role last year as the chair-elect of the SME Member Council with immense gratitude for the accomplishments we supported and made happen. This year, I’ve assumed the 2024 SME Member Council chair position, and I am very excited about what is coming up in the future. The Member Council has been part of the SME organization since 2003, and in the last few years, I have seen it grow and strengthen through the many volunteers and SME Membership staff who have joined and worked together to ensure membership initiatives are successfully delivered. I want to take this opportunity to share how the Member Council functions so you can see how it brings value to your membership. The Member Council is made up of a group of diverse volunteer members who participate actively in the execution of member-related priorities by providing guidance and support through its standing committees. The Council also establishes working groups to focus on complex tasks to complete assignments, meet goals, and accomplish its responsibilities to advance SME’s strategic membership initiatives. The Member Council chair can also assign or reassign task groups on an annual basis to affect short-term results on projects or to address industry issues. The Member Council works closely with the SME Membership staff to ensure goals support SME’s mission, vision, and purpose. Our strategic priorities for this year are: Brand - Strengthen the SME membership brand and member value proposition. Growth - Increase membership acquisition for target audiences. Engagement - Create an engaging membership community that deepens lifetime value for membership. The three standing committees are as follows: Chapter Enhancement Committee (CEC) – The CEC identifies chapter leadership training topics and supports program marketing efforts to increase attendance at chapter meetings and functions. It also partners with inactive chapters to aid in their revitalization efforts. In addition, the CEC works with our Emerging Professionals and our Chapter Funding & Awards Working Groups on different initiatives and programs. Student Relations Committee (SRC) – Besides reviewing and approving student chapter funding requests, the SRC helps select our annual Distinguished Faculty Advisor Award winners and helps facilitate student chapter recruitment contests if applicable. Technical Communities Committee (TCC) – The TCC is strongest in its ability to develop programming and recruit industry thought leaders for industry-focused events, technical webinars, and other activities. It also cross-promotes its content, technologies, and advisory groups in membership communications and engagement platforms. The Member Council also addresses important issues that affect SME where special focus is deemed critical through task groups. Three task groups currently operate, including: Diversity, Equity Inclusion, and Accessibility Task Group – This task group integrates DEIA initiatives throughout SME’s engagement programs, which may include creating reciprocal membership agreements with other manufacturing professional organizations. Member Census Insights Task Group – Focused on one of the Member Council’s strategic priorities, this task group works to gather insights that address member needs and motivators. Corporate Membership Task Group – Redefining corporate membership and sponsorship programs that support the long-term stability of SME’s Membership organization is this task group’s main activity. Each committee, working group, and task group has a staff lead assigned who helps lead and facilitates the coordination of tasks, creation of calendars, and execution of assigned SMART goals and action items. Being a volunteer for SME has been a great experience for me, which I would highly recommend. Aside from being part of the council, I’ve had the opportunity to meet amazing professionals who are transforming the manufacturing industry. It has been motivating to learn from their experiences and a privilege to work with them. We are a group of volunteers, and there are many opportunities to become one. I encourage you to get involved in the organization, whether you are looking for networking, learning opportunities, events, or if you want to give back to your community. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, use our Volunteer Form to sign up. You can also be considered for a seat on the Member Council by submitting a Candidate Application Form. If you want to learn more about our Member Council, you will probably find many of our council members at SME events or in your local chapter meetings – we all love talking about our experience! And finally, if you want to know how hard SME works to support manufacturing, I encourage you to sign up to attend our virtual State of SME 2024 meeting on March 7th. Thank you for your time. I wish you a great 2024! Gabriela Darras2024 SME Member Council ChairMember since 2010
