Get Involved in MCDA!
2007-2008 Opportunities

MCDA is a thriving professional organization because of the volunteer efforts of its members. Every year there are many ways to contribute, both big and small!

Here are the opportunities available during the 2007-2008 year, and the benefits to you as a member:

Benefits to You

• The opportunity to build relationships with career development professionals from a variety of settings and expand your network of contacts in the field.
• The chance to build new skills in leadership, project management, speaking, writing, editing, program planning, web design, and other areas.
• The opportunity to make a contribution to the profession of career development and the community.
• The chance to earn big discounts on registration for the Minnesota Careers Conference and MCDA's Fall Event.
• The chance to have some fun!

  
  Opportunities for 2007-2008

Fall Event Committee — Plans MCDA's Fall Event. The committee is formed in June and organizes the event. Members choose the topic, secure speakers, arrange facilities, and oversee advertising and registration. Those who help in the planning of the event get free registration! If you'd like to be involved in planning the 2007 Fall Event, contact MCDA President Nancy White (npwhite@comcast.net).

Minnesota Careers Conference Planning Committee — Plans the annual Minnesota Careers Conference. The committee organizes all aspects of the conference. People are needed to help plan a theme; secure speakers; coordinate the Call for Presentations; design advertising, registration, and booklet materials; organize mailings; coordinate food and facilities; recruit and organize vendors; coordinate registration; and plan Professional Development Institutes (PDIs). Committee co-chairs and members get free conference registration. Contact MCDA President Nancy White (npwhite@comcast.net).

The Finance, Audit, and Budget Committee — Prepares MCDA's annual budget and presents it for approval to the Board of Trustees, tracks monthly financial transactions, and oversees the general financial health of MCDA. Advises on event pricing and membership dues. Discusses and
recommends financial procedures. Initiates financial planning. Contact Angie Schmidt Whitney (612-626-0380 or awhitney@class.cla.umn.edu).

The Sponsorship Committee — This team is responsible for developing the sponsorship plan for the annual Careers Conference and achieving goals set forth in the plan. This includes both financial goals, as well as increasing the number and variety of organizational sponsors. The committee has met or exceeded its goals for 2006 and 2007, and anticipates the same for 2008. In addition, the Sponsorship Committee will develop an expanded plan for 2007-2008 that includes innovative sponsorship opportunities outside of the Careers Conference.

The Professional Development Committee — This committee, which focuses on growing and developing new leaders in all areas of the career development field, has an exciting year planned! We plan to implement the first-ever MCDA mentoring program. The program started out as a pilot of five mentoring pairs and will expand beyond that by the end of the calendar year. The mentoring program is a great opportunity for mentors and mentees to develop themselves professionally while expanding their network.The Professional Development Committee is involved with everything from developing the mentoring program to implementing, evaluating, and continuously enhancing it. For more information on how to get involved with the committee or the mentoring program, please contact Melody Kruzic at mcdamentoring@yahoo.com.

The Technology Committee — The technology committee is responsible for reviewing and maintaining the MCDA website. The committee work closely with the executive board, other MCDA committees, partner organizations and members to ensure relative and informative website content is displayed. It also investigates new online technology and guides the board on technology related decisions. The technology committee is in the early stages of conducting a Needs Assessment to determine the vision and purpose of the MCDA website. If you are interested in playing a role in this process please contact Cindy Edwards at cindy.edwards@comcast.net.

The Membership Committee — The membership committee is responsible for the recruitment and retention of MCDA members as well as the development and promotion of MCDA's benefits. It performs various outreach initiatives to promote the association and its member as maintains the membership lists and dues. Contact Vic Massaglia for more information victorm@umn.edu.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) — Currently, MCDA has two active SIGs:

• Organizational Career Development — led by Leslie Philmon and Tom Bodin.
• Northland Career Development Professionals Association — led by Marie Carter Brooks.

Other committees are formed as wants/needs arise. Do you have an idea about how MCDA can better meet its members’ needs? If you’d like to get involved with MCDA in a way not listed here, contact MCDA President Nancy White (npwhite@comcast.net) to learn about additional opportunities.