By ISPI HR
Sazara Johnson talks about the COVID -19 pandemic and the importance of active volunteers needed.
To Our Wonderful ISPI Hampton Roads Members and Extended Community:
In the beginning of 2020, I became the next President of the International Society of Performance Improvement Hampton Roads chapter. After less than two months into my tenure, the pandemic hit the earth like we've never known in our lifetime.
I was impressed with the care, concern, and patience of the ISPI Hampton Roads Board Members, the new members who joined ISPI Hampton Roads during such a challenging time, and members who joined the "Building the Collective Agreement" workforce committee that we created and developed during the pandemic.
PANDEMIC CHALLENGES
During the pandemic, some volunteers resigned because of health challenges or because of beautiful blessings such as newborn babies or family caregiving.
Also, in-person meetings ceased --to consider the health and well-being of our members.
PANDEMIC VICTORIES
We were able to:
Focus on staying healthy during COVID-19
Restructure our website and debut a more modern one
Conduct town hall meetings with members and guests to give you a voice about ISPI Hampton Roads' next steps
Actively obtain new members
Create the business professional-workforce-post-secondary student initiative called "Building the Collective Agreement" helping colleges, universities, and schools prepare students to be the next generation of contributing workforce professionals, and
Revisit and restructure half of the ISPI Hampton Roads Board Member volunteer leadership descriptions to better serve our community
but we can't stop here; your volunteerism will make a difference...
WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENT
ISPI Hampton Roads (ISPI HR) is a very special place dedicated to improving the performance of businesses and business professionals.
In the U.S. historic region of Hampton Roads, ISPI HR serves as a professional hub for discussion, networking, learning, and innovation- offering opportunities for business professionals and students preparing for the workforce to learn and develop as contributing workplace experts.
THE POWER OF YOUR SUPPORT
I believe that you- our members especially- and you- the Hampton Roads community and extended areas that we've adopted such as certain northern communities of North Carolina upwards until the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area; are vital to the virtual presence, social networking, accomplishments, and existence of ISPI Hampton Roads.
Your consistent support of this workplace community of professionals allows us to:
Help equip businesses with high-performing working professionals
Help colleges, universities, and educational facilities develop the next generation of working professionals
Continue training and sharing research to improve the performance of businesses and professionals
Provide opportunities of public speaking and sharing best practices outside of the job, and
Ensure that working professionals and students preparing for the workplace have access to our resources and benefits
TYPES OF SUPPORT
By:
Joining ISPI HR
Volunteering to work on tasks for ISPI HR, and/or
Making a financial gift to ISPI HR this year,
you are investing in our objectives to:
Serve through mentoring, networking, and education
Promote and enhance corporate and public perception of performance improvement technology and technologists
Promote our objectives through meetings, speaking engagements and workshops for the business community and public relations opportunities
Thank you for having me as your president during the 2020-2021 season. I look forward to having you as a part of our working ISPI family to assist current and future ISPI HR members.
Sincerely,
Sazara R. Johnson, M.A., ITIL, MOS, SM
President