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30 Jan Thinking and ThinkWORKS

Posted at 22:18h in VMAE Meetings by
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A colleague of mine is fond of saying “Don’t just do something – sit there!” I’ve kept that admonition on a sticky note that I see when I open my desk drawer, a simple reminder about the value of taking time to contemplate, to stare out the window, to reflect. Often our busy days force us to do, do, do and then do some more, inhibiting our good intentions do less and think more.

Enter VMAE | Thinkworks 2018. A perfect opportunity for a deep dive with a stellar faculty into one of the most challenging issues facing us – our associations, our teams, our member’s workforce and clients, our veterinary colleges, and our society. That’s why the ThinkWORKS program group identified this year’s topic:

  • Diversity & Inclusion: A Roadmap for Success in Organized Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Profession

We’ll be in Houston, April 12-14 at the gorgeous new Hotel Alessandra for this program. Click here for the brochure and/or you can check out the details and register online here.  Just a few tidbits:

  • Did you know … that 50.3% of kindergarteners in 2014 were children of color? By 2050, nearly half of the people in our workforce will be people of color.
  • Did you know … that diversity and inclusion have been added to COE accreditation standards for veterinary colleges?
  • Did you know … that VMAE is inviting AAVMC members to join us at ThinkWORKS 2018? How great will it be to chat with and learn with the deans and diversity officers during our sessions!
  • Did you know … that Houston is the most ethnically diverse major metropolitan area in the country? A recent LA Times article noted “Census projections have opened a window into the America of 2050 – and it’s Houston today.”
  • Did you know … that a recent article in Social Innovations Journal stated “To be truly responsive to the needs of a changing population, nonprofit organizations need to focus on addressing cultural incapacity, cultural blindness and gaps in multicultural representation in organizational leadership and program design.”
  • Did you know … that ASAE’s website states “Associations that intend to remain relevant today and long into the future recognize the strategic importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) as an association management discipline.”

I could go on, but hopefully my point is clear. D&I matters. VMAE is offering up an incredible opportunity to learn, to think, to examine implicit biases, to gain practical tools that allow us, ultimately, to act. To be thought leaders. To effect change.

Houston.  April 12-14. Diversity & Inclusion. Registration for ThinkWORKS now OPEN!

Ralph Johnson, CEO  | VMAE