Join the Journey: EFBC Committee Opportunities for Every Member
July 2024 marks the beginning of EFBC’s 35th anniversary year. The programming committee is hard at work finalizing the details of our programming plan for next year. We have so many great events in store, and I’m excited to see each of them come to fruition. It’s fun to work with the committee and our very hardworking staff to put the plan together. It’s rewarding to fulfill a mission of business education and social connection for people I hold so dear and an organization in which I believe so strongly. So it is in that spirit that wholeheartedly extend an invitation to all EFBC members to consider committee participation and join in giving back to EFBC.
We need you. It’s important to understand EFBC is not a high-priced heavily-staffed peer group with teams of employees developing programming and impersonal content for members to consume. By design, EFBC is an organization that asks its members to be involved in creating the membership experience we all share. Aside from our very hard-working staff of three (yes, three), our members and strategic partners create, curate, or arrange each of the blog entries, programs, keynotes, round tables, panel discussions, and every other aspect of the EFBC experience. As it is with Forum, the cornerstone of EFBC is shared experiences, from member to member, and the only way to achieve that is to have members involved in creating the experiences we all enjoy. Committees are where members make EFBC come to life. As members, we need your help to keep creating the magic of EFBC. We need your expertise, experience, and wisdom to help drive our fantastic and unique member-driven organization.
Most committees meet 2 or 3 times per year. The actual time commitment is small, but even in a short amount of time you can make a big difference. Committee members lend their expertise and leadership, or sometimes their connections (know any great keynote speakers?) These are invaluable contributions that may not take much time. Also, EFBC draws from the committees for its future leaders. Most committee chairs sit on the Board of Directors. The board leadership (Vice President, President, Past President) are rotating positions that have to be filled with new people each year.
In addition to the Board of Directors, the EFBC has five organizational committees that cover all the major aspects of the organization, our members, and strategic partners. Here is a basic rundown of what each committee does and how you might get involved:
- Forum Chair Committee – This is often the first committee many EFBC members encounter when they find themselves as new members after becoming Chairs of their respective Forums. As the name suggests, the Forum Chair committee provides a venue for the chairs of each Forum to meet as a group twice a year and discuss Forum best practices, raise concerns, share experiences, and learn from one another. The committee also provides a direct connection between each Forum and the EFBC Board and Staff It represents an excellent opportunity for you to represent your Forum to the broader EFBC family, effectively communicate and advocate for your Forum, and to share your knowledge and experiences to help other Forums provide the best experience for their members. If this interests you, you need only volunteer to be your Forum’s Chair next season.
- Forum Protocol Committee – This committee is also dedicated to delivering the highest quality forum experience for every member with a focus on how the organization can support that experience. This committee is the keeper of the Forum Protocol and provides protocol training for new and exiting members. They also assist in onboarding and placement of new members within forums. More than anything this committee concerns itself with the forum experience as a whole and enabling each forum to provide the best experience for each member. The question of what makes a forum experience great is important and complex. The members of this committee are well-suited to answer it and support EFBC’s Forums every step of the way. If this is the kind of work that interests you, you may be interested in the Forum Protocol Committee.
- Programming Committee – The programming committee brings to life all of the educational and social events for the organization outside of Forum. Everything from keynote speakers, to leadership courses, to HR roundtables, the programming committee is responsible for creating and planning the events and assisting our incredibly hard-working staff with the execution. These programs are how we deliver the EFBC mission of educating, empowering, and providing social connection to our members as well as how we introduce future members to who we are. We play an outsized role in shaping the impact the EFBC will have for our members and strategic partners as well as the legacy of the organization overall. If this sounds interesting to you, we need your experience, expertise, ideas, and enthusiasm to join us!
- Marketing and Membership Committee – As business leaders, we can all appreciate the need for a well-planned and well-executed marketing program. In a nutshell this is the role of the Marketing and Membership Committee. The committee is responsible for design and implementation of the annual marketing plan, membership outreach, recruitment, and retention initiatives.
- Strategic Partner Committee – Our strategic partners our vital members of the EFBC family. The strategic partner committee fosters dialog, collaboration, and shared experiences among strategic partners, enhancing their ability to support the EFBC members. The committee also ensure strategic partners derive professional and personal enrichment from their commitment to the EFBC.
I hope this article has helped illustrate what a vital role committees play in EFBC and what an import role you can play by joining a committee that interests you. Whether you are a new or long-time member, a past committee member or someone who has never joined, I hope you will please consider giving the gift of your time and talent to the EFBC.