The Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD) Board of Directors (BOD), composed of part-time volunteers, delegates the day-to-day management of ANPD to our management team. The BOD retains responsibility for developing the association's mission, vision, and values and from these establishes our strategic plan. The BOD meets regularly with appropriate members of the management team to provide strategic direction and retains fiduciary responsibility for the association. In a previous column (September/October 2016), I discussed the role of the Board, introduced new members, and highlighted the BOD's contributions to the ongoing transformation of ANPD. As I wrote that column, I keenly realized that, although the BOD sets the direction and maintains responsibility, we are supported by a phenomenal management team, and I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge them, the wind beneath our wings. ANPD contracts with SmithBucklin to provide our association management team. This team is organized according to responsibilities: executive leadership of the team, operations management, professional development, event services, and marketing and sales.
EXECUTIVE AND OPERATIONS
Executive Director Kaye Engelbrecht is the leader of our management team. She started working for an association upon graduating from college and has worked in association management since. For the last 25 years, she has served a variety of associations as executive director, the last four as our ANPD executive director. In addition to leading her team in the implementation of ANPD programs and services, her input to our strategic planning process is invaluable. Kaye is impressed with ANPD BOD's willingness to move the association by investing in new products and services. She describes her tenure with ANPD as one of the most rewarding times in her career.
Operations Manager Kelly Keane joined SmithBucklin right out of college. She started as an associate with the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses and now, 6 years later, divides her time between the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses and ANPD. This is her first year with ANPD, and in her role as operations manager, she plans, arranges, and supports the BOD meetings and more importantly manages our budget, provides monthly financial reports, drafts the budget, and arranges for audit. In addition to these responsibilities, she supervises other staff to ensure that the day-to-day operations run smoothly. She is assisted by Membership and Operations Associate Heather Nichols, who works with Kelly on day-to-day operations. Specifically, Heather manages the website, membership, and sponsorship fulfillment and also serves as the staff liaison to the Spirit of Inquiry Task Force and Recognition Committee. When Heather is not busy working for SmithBucklin, she is completing course work for her master's degree in public administration.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The nursing professional development team is led by Dr. Mary Harper and includes Molly Somerville and Allie Mandel. This team is continuously working on educational products and services to enhance the value of ANPD membership.
Director of Professional Development Dr. Mary Harper is a Nursing Professional Development Specialist, who was President-Elect of ANPD when the opportunity to apply for a contract position as the Director of Nursing Professional Development for ANPD opened. Mary applied and was hired by the BOD in April 2013. Although Mary works closely with SmithBucklin, she is not a SmithBucklin employee. She works directly for ANPD and reports to the ANPD BOD. Since Mary joined the management team, ANPD's value to members has soared. Mary was a coinvestigator in national research that defined the role and value of the NPD practitioner. As Director of NPD, she is responsible for ANPD's educational products to include their publications. She unveiled two major publications in 2016, Nursing Professional Development: Scope and Standards of Practice, 3rd Edition and Leadership in Nursing Professional Development: An Organizational and System Focus, and is currently working on a third major reference for NPD practice, a legal text. Other publications are underway and will be unveiled at the 2017 convention in New Orleans.
In addition to the publications, the Professional Development Center is available and chock full of educational activities that include webinars, the Frontline Nurse Leader Development Program, and NPD certification practice examinations. Each month, there is a free webinar for ANPD members on timely, relevant topics. These are available on the Professional Development Center for 2 weeks after a live presentation. ANPD's great educational programming and services is not accidental. It is the result of careful planning and design. Under Mary's leadership, ANPD has become an American Nurses Credentialing Center-accredited provider of continuing nursing education with distinction and recently was reaccredited through 2021. Mary serves as the staff liaison to the content planning committee, education committee, and products and services committee. She provides guidance to these committees of volunteers as they analyze membership's responses and requests to decide on the best educational activities and products to serve our membership.
Education Coordinator Molly Somerville assists Dr. Harper with the educational products. Molly juggles a number of different education initiatives for ANPD, but her primary responsibilities are to assist with the planning and coordination of the annual convention and support the creation and implementation of new educational products. To do this, she supports the Convention Content Planning Committee and the Products and Services Committee throughout the year. She does the onsite coordination of convention educational offerings. Next summer in New Orleans, just look for the tall, energetic woman moving quickly between sessions to ensure that each one is running smoothly.
Education Associate Allie Mandel works closely with Mary and Molly, the other members of the NPD team, to support the planning and implementation of ANPD's educational programming. More specifically, she is responsible for facilitating the monthly webinars, providing the logistical support for the NPD Certification Prep courses, and recruiting authors for the NPD Dialogue.
EVENT SERVICES
If you have attended our ANPD conventions, you have experienced first-hand the work of our outstanding event services team. The team consists of Catherine Perkins, the team manager, who leads two events coordinators and an associate in orchestrating all the many facets of the annual convention.
Event Services Manager Catherine Perkins oversees the logistics for the convention. These include locating the best venue and lodging and then negotiating for the best value. She not only is responsible for arranging lodging, meeting spaces, audiovisual support, and food and beverages but also must make sure that the registration process is smooth and the exhibitor space is well planned and member friendly. As mentioned earlier, she has a team to accomplish this. She is joined by Ms. Jenny Worchester, the event coordinator, who manages convention registration. Jenny has a goal of implementing demand badge printing, thus allowing registrants to print their own badge. Another team member, Ms. Lauren Alexander, the event services convention coordinator, arranges the lodging and food and beverage for the convention. Ms. Teddi McLaughlin, an event services associate, works to streamline our sponsorship fulfillment process, making it easy and seamless.
MARKETING AND SALES SERVICES
Marketing and sales services are last in this article, but certainly not least. Sales Services Manager Shane Adriatico, although new to the team, has hit the ground running. Even though the convention is not until July, exhibit space must be sold well in advance, and Shane is moving quickly on this. Shane is joined by Ms. Ricci McDonald, who is responsible for the Trade Show Service (Exhibitor Hall); Ms. Kelly Mantick, who is responsible for the publication of the Trendlines Newsletter; and Ms. Lisa Schellenberg, who facilitates the marketing and communication services for ANPD.
SUPPORTING US INTO THE FUTURE
ANPD is a transforming association. We have a strong foundation with a dedicated and committed BOD and volunteers, but our day-to-day operations continue when all the volunteers are otherwise engaged in their own lives and activities. We are fortunate to have the SmithBucklin management team and our contracted Director of Professional Development working continuously to support the achievement of our strategic aims and move us into the future. They are truly the wind beneath our wings.