She's kind of nervous. Not because she's timid or lacks confidence. But she's already been to several meetings like the one she's about to step into, in hopes that she'll find her people. She hasn't found them yet. She's a manager of a technical writing team who keeps venturing into talent development. She can't help it. She believes that developing people is the key to changing organizations. She wants to make a measurable difference in the business. She's had a hard time connecting with others who have that same drive. She needs a community that understands her and connects her to opportunities. She wants to increase her skills so she can develop others effectively. She has some amazing ideas, but no one to share them with. So she's hoping...hoping that her people will be in that room.  

Who is she and who is in that room? Those of us who volunteer for ATD Dallas know exactly what's going on here. We've stood outside the door of a Special Interest Group meeting or a chapter event, for the first time, hoping that the people on the other side of that door will be our people. Because deep down inside we are driven to empower others. And it sure would be nice to do that with a community that had that same drive. 

A lot of us were like this woman. I was. And when I stepped through those doors, I was greeted by everyone...everyone! Leaders of talent development functions in large corporations, one-person training departments, professionals in organizational development. Managers, practitioners, consultants. All of us gathering for the purpose of connecting and learning from one another through this amazing organization: ATD Dallas. I found my people. 

ATD Dallas members know exactly why they renew their membership year after year. Because we are a community of thriving professionals who are pushing talent development boundaries. Yes, a community. In the metropolis of Dallas, where more and more businesses are setting up shop, there is a growing community with the singular vision of: 

Becoming the talent development capital of the world. 

It's my commitment to you, in 2019, to push our boundaries as a chapter, and to make sure the ATD Dallas story is told in a way that compels the best of the best to join and partner with us in our vision. The board and I will use this webpage as a platform to communicate our strategy and to make sure you know how to take advantage of every member benefit available to you.

Connecting with your people is about to get a lot easier. During the first quarter, every member of ATD Dallas will receive a free account to Degreed, where our in-person connections will blossom into a vibrant online community, centered on skills you are interested in cultivating. Check out a Degreed intro video here and download the app to use the free version.

Once you've been added to the ATD Dallas account, you'll receive access to an enormous amount of Freemium content, including Harvard ManageMentor, edX, Business Insider and all of ATD Dallas's content. Initiate discussion around articles, videos and courses and learn from other TD professionals who are part of our community. Get credit for everything you're learning, like workshops you attend, articles you read and speakers you hear at our own chapter events. 

Get an inside view of some amazing organizations and hear renowned speakers at our monthly chapter-wide meetings. You can kick off your year by joining us at Southwest Airlines University as we welcome Jack Phillips of the ROI Institute on January 22. He's excited to partner with us to speak on The Value of Innovation. As part of our partnership, Jack is offering a registration for an upcoming certification course in ROI at a greatly reduced price. You can place a bid to receive that workshop here. 

Expect deeper skill building opportunities at our Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings, which will be recorded and posted to Degreed, in case you can't make the live event. Each SIG—L&D, Leadership and Learning Technologies—will meet once a quarter, beginning in February, with pre- and post-session dialogue taking place in groups on Degreed. Career Development monthly meetings will continue to offer support for members who want to advance their own careers, break into talent development or search for another opportunity. 

Our annual conference, the Southwest Learning Summit, in August, will continue to be one of the premier regional talent development conferences the United States, attracting over 400 professionals and some of the best speakers on what's most relevant to our industry. And the AXIS Awards, in December, will expand its reach as more and more corporations and organizations look to ATD Dallas for recognition of their innovative work in talent development.

There's so much to look forward to in 2019. More access to our community in person, online, any time, anywhere. More recognition on a personal and a corporate level. And targeted expertise to build the skills you want to master. I anticipate every encounter you have with our community to empower you to change your organization for good. Most importantly, you get to do all of this with your people. 

Rance Greene

ATD Dallas Chapter President

January 1, 2019

Human happiness is a fascinating concept. Psychologists, theologians, sociologists (and all the rest of us) have been considering and pursuing happiness for all of known history. In his book,When Everything We’ve Ever Wanted Isn’t Enough, Rabbi Harold Kushner explained that real, lasting happiness is never found in the traditional symbols of success — job, income, home, car, etc. He noted that the world is filled with people blessed with all of these things — but miserable because “it’s never enough.” Rabbi Kushner and Pastor Rick Warren, in aPurpose Driven Life, came to the same conclusion: happiness is found when we find and serve a purpose bigger than us.

My own purpose includes my faith, my family, and the talent development work that helps others feel safe and successful. It’s among the reasons that ATD Dallas is special — we share a passion for building people and their organizations. We help others during the most critical and important stages of their careers — when they transition to new employers or jobs, learn critical job skills, and prepare for future success. We honor people, their work, and their career interests. It’s why I serve. It’s why I urge you to serve.

I also serve because volunteerism is an expression of deep gratitude. We rarely have the opportunity to thank personally the teachers, mentors, and friends who have contributed most to our success. But we can honor them with our service to others — you have many such opportunities at ATD Dallas.

People often say that time is their biggest obstacle to service. To be sure, we’re all busy. Yet, time is a lot like love. When focused on the right things, both seem to grow. I’m very busy, but I’ve always found time for the things that matter. Our work matters. Our community matters. And your happiness matters. You’ll find lasting happiness in service. Let us help you find it at ATD Dallas. We have many volunteer activities waiting for your unique skills — start being happy with us!

ATD Dallas Community,

At the beginning of this year, I challenged your 2018 Executive Board and team of creative, committed volunteers to deliver “bigger, better, and bolder” value for you. Every time you renew your membership in ATD Dallas, you’re expressing your trust that we’re here to help you build your capability, connections, and career. You saw that commitment if you attended this year’s remarkable Southwest Learning Summit. And we have even more exciting events and value in store for you in the coming months. I think you’ll be as excited about the following as I am. We are among the most successful ATD chapter-communities in the world because #DallasKnowsTalent and #DallasGrowsTalent.

You already know that we’ve been able to offer most program events to members for free. We’ve been able to do this because our financial position is strong. Our net income is up from last year, we have sufficient retained earnings to protect and sustain our community’s financial health, and we were able to invest far more in this year’s Southwest Learning Summit and our upcoming AXIS Awards Gala than we’ve been able to do in the past. That’s because your Board has been working hard to secure sponsorship support for program and special events. We’re asking for your help also. Evangelize the value of ATD Dallas in the organization you serve. Explain how your membership in ATD Dallas is helping you build your capability and secure ideas from our area’s most experienced and creative talent development leaders. An ATD Dallas sponsorship ensures that the entire ATD Dallas team is at their side as they compete and grow.

The remainder of this year is filled with professional development events that will help you develop your skills, and I am looking forward to hosting the October chapter event at GameStop, where I will be having a conversation with you about creating and leading an innovative and imaginative learning culture. This is a shared Dallas and Mid-Cities chapter event, so you’ll have an opportunity to network with talent development leaders across the metroplex. Register today.

In November, the Dallas Federal Reserve will invite us to their headquarters, which you know will be a remarkable event. In addition to their exceptional hospitality, you’ll also get remarkable development, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet and congratulate your 2019 Board Executives, for whom you’ll vote during October. In addition to that vital ballot information, also watch for a member satisfaction survey, which I encourage you to complete. We’re looking for your feedback and ideas.

In December, celebrate with us. Honor and celebrate the remarkably creative and effective work being done by your peers. Yes, you know it: This year’s AXIS Awards Gala will be “bigger, better, and bolder” than ever. Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to honor the creative builders of our community. Like all of our other events, this is also an opportunity for you to network with our area’s best and brightest. I’ve often said that the most successful leaders know how to “imagine like a child and think like an adult.” Our organizations look to us for imaginative ideas and then the maturity and experience to operationalize and monetize those ideas. See how your most successful peers are doing that – meet them and then add them to your network of professional resources.

This year has also been among our most collaborative. Starting this year, all of our volunteers have access to Basecamp, a communications tool that brings our incredible volunteer team together to share ideas and to support you. As importantly, key volunteer leaders are working now with Degreed to bring every ATD Dallas member online development, resource sharing, and a rich repository of learning content at no additional cost. Access is included in your membership. With each Degreed demonstration and project planning meeting, I am increasingly excited by the additional value that this will bring to you. Among our strategic goals for this year has been to connect you all more frequently and completely between SIG and program events – the powerful combination of Basecamp and Degreed will get this done exceptionally well.

I am grateful for you, for our community, for our success, and for our future. Our chapter/community is financially, intellectually, and creatively strong. You’ve found a great home in ATD Dallas; encourage your colleagues and friends to do the same. We build capability, connections, and careers. Let’s continue to build our remarkable success together.

Matt

Matthew Hirst

President, ATD Dallas