It's about half-way through my year as President and I'm finally sinking my teeth in. It seems the more I learn about AdFed, the more I want us to do. This is a great club, a strong grass-roots organization with people volunteering their time, creativity, energy, and sweat to keep it running and growing. I'm an ambitious, energetic person and I see us doing great things.
Here in Marion County, we have the power to improve our professional lives and the quality of our business. The reward for serving the Greater Ocala Advertising Federation is that good, old-fashioned satisfaction that comes from giving back and making a difference. Pushing positive change along. Rewarding excellence. Bringing awareness to community service issues. Guiding students through professionalism. Bringing new opportunities for professional education and growth. Networking and bringing people together who can help one another. Having fun!
As rewarding as it is, it takes a lot of work. As I said, the more I understand and want to do, the more ideas we all have, the more that to-do list grows. Lucky for me, most of it is fun stuff. Lucky for me, too, I have great board members. Our newest addition, Adriana Rosas, of Purple Cow Communications (our Communications Chair and our Membership Chair), recently came over for a mini, mid-year retreat to catch up on the details and re-evaluate where we are and what we need to do. See us working hard (and having fun):
Adriana is "on it." I am not the only one taking the pictures any more. Way to go, communications chair! Whenever something is happening, I look up and she's taking a picture. Fabulous.
Our other board members have been busy, too. Mark Hershberger of BJ Trophy created and produced the new gold and silver ADDY Award medals. Ooooh, cool medals... get your Addy on!
Andy Stracuzzi of Zed+Zed+Eye Communications is our Branding Chair, he created our new logo and lo and behold, we've got a web page up with all things Addy. You can find it from our website www.ocalaadfed.org . He's hard at work on our overall website, so stay tuned for more. If you go to our current website and click on the cool art that takes you to our Addy page, you'll get a teaser of the art that Kip Williams, of Ocala Magazine, is working on to create a graphic environment fitting for our Creative Blues Addy Gala.
That's just the tip of the iceberg, everyone's to-do list is growing along with the busy season. Tymn Armstrong, Kip and crew are working on a movie for the gala that will have you in stitches! Networking events and programs are being planned for next year. Seminars, media auctions, scholarships, community service, legislative and government affairs, oh my!It's a fun time. If you are interested in volunteering, participating in the fun, sharing ideas and feeling that great giving back satisfaction, give me a ring or send me a note. I'm here, checking off my to-do list.
"Write and update the President's Blog. Check."
Jessi
