New President's Message by Angie Kemp, CPCE

Your Board members spent a full day in January developing innovative new programs for 2008. The Board’s abilities and creativity is astounding - It’s going to be a great year!

You are the heart of this association and my goal is that the educational opportunities, networking possibilities and exposure to new experiences and ideas will inspire you to reach your definition of success, both professionally and personally.

Please feel free to contact me at any time with your ideas, concerns or feedback. We're the best chapter in the nation, and we're going to keep it that way during my tenure. See you at NACE!

Membership News by Duffy Fainer

As we say in in skydiving before exiting, "Ready, Set GO! Hey..It's a new year. Take advantage of your investment in NACE and put all those second Tuesdays of the month on your calender. We're gonna be there with or without you, so be in the program. Attend frequently. There are so many new members, that if you're not there, they'll never know about you. Everybody is in networking mode this year, so get your namebadges ready, and I'll see you at NTC on February 12th!

Email me if you have any changes to your contact information, need a namebadge, changing properties, questions, or have issues of concern. See you often in 2008...right?

by: Chris Agrippe, CPCE:

NACE members and friends joined the "after work chic set" on January 8 at barWEST in PB as we wound down from the busy holiday season and did what we do best… meet, mingle and schmooz. Our chapter can take socializing to an art form, and the evening was designed to simply let it roll.

We snacked on some of the more popular offerings from barWEST's dinner menu including Pizza by Cirro, Salads, Imported Cheeses, and some of the best Sliders we've ever tasted.

Drinks were made by mixologists who were hired for their personality and as well as good looks, and the dj kept the vibe chill with down-tempo house grooving softly in the background

Our program for the evening was networking, and NACE members were the stars, as new and old business acquaintances were made and renewed.

In case there were novices in the crowd we even provided a list of networking how-to's at the door.

Some of the tips included:

•Look for ways that your resources and talents can help fulfill colleagues' personal and professional goals.

•Think of networking as teaching what you're good at.

•Introduce people to one another.

•Explain what you do in a way that starts a conversation.

•Use conversations as a way to exchange business cards.

•That "always on" attitude is an important step toward making new contacts that can help build your business and career.

"You never know when an opportunity will present itself, and when it does, you have to be ready and willing to act!"