Engaged committee members to be honored with MPI-CAC Spotlight Award
To recognize hard-working committee members, MPI-Chicago Area Chapter recently revamped its monthly member awards program.
Now known as the Spotlight Award, the program will aim to honor committee members who have gone above and beyond. The chapter’s Training & Development Committee oversees the program.
“We wanted to revamp the program to make our members excited about it again,” said Hilary Saurer, who serves as director of leadership development on the MPI-CAC Board of Directors. “I think being recognized by the President and receiving the certificate and gift card is a really big deal.
“It can mean a lot to a member and also, to the employer who could be investing in that team member. However, it has lost its traction over the past couple of years. We are hoping to have these winners be highlighted in new ways within the Chapter and hoping for social media coverage, newsletter coverage, onsite event recognition and the ability to take on more responsibility within the Chapter because of the recognition.”
To be nominated for the award, a committee member must be nominated by the committee’s director who “provides a detailed description of their accomplishments during the recognition month. The engaged committee member invests their time and resources, participates during monthly meetings and provides an impact in support of their committee.” The committee, through an anonymous voting process, chooses two nominees based on information provided by the directors as the winners.
As for the name change, Saurer said it was all part of the revamp of the program.
“In the effort to revamp and get folks excited again, we wanted a new name and a new ‘look,’ she said. “We want our members to know they are not a number or just another member but actually, they matter to the success of our organization and they are the spotlights!
“This is a really cool achievement and recognition, and we want it treated as such. We love to spotlight our members and we love to spotlight great volunteers who are giving MPI their all!”
The committee plans to honor two members per month, or 24 for the year. Saurer did add that the committee will not award it “if the month doesn’t give us great candidates to choose from.”
Saurer did encourage directors to be sure to include top-performing committee members in their reports.
“The more we hear, the more we can recognize,” she said. “Ask your Director or VP how to shine the spotlight on someone you know that is doing great things.”
Winners for June-December 2019 include:
• June 2019: Maria Horvath (Membership Recruitment) and Justin Bell (Holiday Party)
• July 2019: Erika Johnson (Trivia) and Jeff Durocher (PDC)
• August 2019: Ethan Carter (Holiday Party) and Caroline Thompson (PDC)
• September 2019: Romanita Ross (Education Content) and Lindsay Plath (Education Committee)
• October 2019: Sarah Piggott (MarComm) and Dillin Ravenscraft (PDC)
• November 2019: Stephanie Mathews (Membership Recruitment) and Peggy Kennedy (PDC)
• December 2019: Christine Morettini (Trivia) and Michelle Dallas (Awards Gala)
About the Author:Heather Warthen is Chief Events Officer and Chief Marketing Officer for 22nd Century Media, an award- winning media company specializing in hyperlocal content in Chicagoland. Hired as its first employee in 2005, she is a former award-winning journalist and photographer who now manages the planning, logistics, marketing and executing of more than a dozen community events and expos. She serves on the 2019-2020 MPI-CAC Board of Directors as Director of Marketing & Public Relations.
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