By Andrea Stannard

I did not know what to expect at Chapter Leadership Training! I was completely overwhelmed at the thought, but the minute I walked into the room, everything changed. Who knew this topic could be exciting and fun? It was that and much more.

I knew that AMTA is a non-profit organization based on volunteerism (at the chapter level only, so I thought). However, the low number of actual AMTA employees is astonishing…most of the national members are volunteers also!

The structure of how decisions are made is equally impressive. What stood out is the member-driven aspect, where our voices count. This is reflected in the importance of completing the surveys they send out…all this data is measured and weighed where programs and initiatives are developed and reviewed. As a result, this knowledge-based decision making comes from our members, for our members. It’s a full circle!

Equally impressive was the enthusiasm, diversity, experience, cleverness and wit the presenters demonstrated. I felt honored to be part of such a vibrant group of like-minded folks, and it made me more willing than ever to step up.

In closing, my respect for AMTA National and AMTA-CT has grown and fostered a need to stay involved, thanks to all our visionaries.