As Viancca shared in her May update, one goal of the current AFA Board of Directors is strengthening transparency related to board service and decision making. We hope that sharing timely updates on board processes and actions will enable you to better engage with the Association and to consider ways that you want to be more involved.
During our summer meeting in Indianapolis, the current Board maintained a strong focus on the future of fraternity and sorority advising and the implications for the Association. Topics included:
- Considering the role of AI in the day-to-day work of members, and how it can be appropriately used to increase the capacity of our dedicated AFA staff and volunteers.
- Examining the landscape of professional standards, skills, and best practices to determine what role the Association should play in educating, guiding, and validating the work of our members.
- Ensuring a strong financial future, both through robust fiscal management of our Association resources and through the tireless work of the AFA Foundation, which will allow us to continue the work of the Association and strategically invest in new initiatives.
- Hearing progress updates from the Forward to 50 Strategic Plan including expansion of our Community Collectives and Communities of Practice, the Ignite Research Showcase Lunch at the AFA Annual Meeting, a new Educational Partners model, and the continued growth of AFA Learning.
- Continuing with on-going improvements to our database system to improve communication and member experience.
- Discussing how AFA continues to engage members and Educational Partners outside of the Annual Meeting.
As Board chair, Josh Welch also led us in an exercise to examine our board effectiveness, in an effort to serve the membership to the best of our abilities. The Board demonstrated a high level of candor and a strong desire to continue our impactful leadership of the Association. I am incredibly grateful to serve with a group of individuals so clearly committed to the membership and to have Josh’s leadership focused on continuous improvement.
I would also be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the Board is able to remain focused on the strategic future of the Association because of the hard work of our amazing AFA volunteers and staff. If you are interested in learning more about volunteering for the Association or the work of the Board, feel free to reach out to any member of the AFA Board of Directors.
