In my term as President of the Chapter Presidents Council, I’ve learned a lot. My greatest learning, however, is how little people outside the chapter system know about it. I’m pulling back the curtain on this very impactful GBTA community.
There are 36 U.S. chapters and each runs as a separate entity including financing and bylaws. They have their own members and volunteer boards to manage operations, including communications, sponsorships, and events. For the most part, they have no hired staff to support all the work that they do. Each chapter is run by dedicated volunteer leaders who also have full time jobs. When I served as a local Chapter President, I often joked that I was heading to my other day job − thankfully, my bosses would usually laugh. As a chapter member you have access to your local business travel community as well as education opportunities close to home. And as an All-Access GBTA member, you can visit any chapter and pay the member event price).
Chapters vary from 20 to 400 members with a scope from just a city to multiple states. Some pre-date GBTA, with the oldest chapter, New York City, celebrating it’s 70 anniversary this year. The newest chapter, the DC Metro chapter, was formed last year, combining Baltimore Washington and Northern Virginia Chapters to better serve the local community.
The Chapter Presidents Council (CPC) convenes on a quarterly to solve collective issues, share best practices, and work together to improve everyone’s organization. Current CPC committees include: BTSA, Chapter Exchange, Financial Oversight, Membership, Scholarship, Standards & Guidelines, and Chapter Leadership Summit planning. The Summit brings together volunteer leaders from across the U.S. chapters annually to learn how to best manage their organizations.
As I close out my term as CPC President, I’m reminded of how I got involved. After complaining about the chapter, the president encouraged me to run for the Board to make those changes. Being a volunteer leader has provided me with amazing opportunities and a network of fantastic colleagues and friends… I urge you to get involved in your local community and if you’re visiting the U.S., join a Chapter meeting!
Rosemary
The GBTA Board of Directors Elections Process Begins Next Week
It’s that time to nominate and ultimately vote on the future of the Association. Five GBTA Board seats in all are up for election: four seats for Direct Members/Buyers and 1 seat for Allied/Suppliers. Specifically, the available seats are: President, Vice President, Canadian regional Buyer, at-large global Buyer, and at-large Allied/Supplier.
On Monday, April 24th, all eligible GBTA members will receive an email from “gbtaelections,” marking the start of candidate nominations.
Active members are key to the health and growth of every association. This is one of the most important times where your engagement matters most. Your participation is key for GBTA to have a diverse Board that is representative of the industry and continues to meet the needs of the GBTA membership.
Make an impact and nominate yourself or someone else by the May 8th deadline for the open Board positions −and VOTE when the elections begin on July 19th.
Tags: GBTA’s Board of Directors, GBTA
