August 2008 Chapter of the Month—The Central Iowa Chapter

Founded 60 years ago, the Central Iowa Chapter is among the oldest ASTD chapters. Since its inception, the chapter has strived to find new and creative ways to provide networking and learning opportunities for its members. The chapter prides itself in having monthly meetings that feature industry-expert speakers, opportunities for members to connect with each other in casual settings, programs for CPLP preparation, and initiatives to help connect the chapter to the local community.

Under the leadership of a dedicated board, the Central Iowa Chapter received SOS recognition for their “Chapter Budget Planning” submission. The chapter developed tools, including Excel templates, that are used for both budget planning and monthly financial reporting—with both processes becoming more efficient as a result. These tools help new chapter board members with no prior financial experience to better perform their jobs. In addition, the templates help  dramatically reduce the time needed to produce the chapter’s annual budget. 

In addition to their SOS submission, the chapter actively participates in a partnership with the Iowa Public School System through the “Character Counts!” program. The program is designed to help train a generation of Iowa’s young people on the qualities that contribute to strong character and citizenship. The Institute for Character Development in Iowa is working on taking these concepts into Iowa workplaces. The Central Iowa Chapter is currently helping to repurpose the program’s materials and make them ready for use in business-based sessions.

Looking ahead, the Central Iowa Chapter will strive to build on its successes with creativity and financial responsibility as it continues to find new ways to “Inform, Inspire, Innovate!”

Congratulations to the Central Iowa Chapter for being selected as the August 2008 Chapter of the Month.