IMA Volunteerism: A Steady Influence

This constant relocation has exposed me to new experiences, people, environments, and opportunities. I decided early on in my career to volunteer locally to give a little something back to each community that was so welcoming.

This philosophy led me to participate in a school reading program in Southern California, a community crisis center in Northern California, a civic association and library foundation in Virginia, and my local church in Japan. These diverse experiences broadened my management and leadership skills, took me outside my comfort zone, and allowed me to positively impact the communities where I lived.

Despite the frequent moves and constant job changes, one steady influence has been IMA^®. I became an IMA member in 1999. In 2013, while stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia, I began volunteering as part of the Editorial Advisory Board for this magazine and Management Accounting Quarterly. This experience has exposed me to both the depth and breadth of the finance and accounting expertise of IMA members as well as the position of IMA as a thought leader for finance and accounting professionals worldwide.

Most recently, I was selected to serve on the IMA Global Board of Directors beginning in 2019, and I’ve served on the Governance Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Nominating Committee, and Governance Task Force, and chaired the Performance Oversight and Audit Committee and the CEO/Executive Compensation Subcommittee.

Volunteering with IMA allows me to contribute to a world-class organization committed to supporting finance and accounting professionals on a global scale. There are so many opportunities to volunteer with IMA, and each offers ways to contribute to IMA’s important mission.

While my various volunteer experiences have been different, they share certain commonalities. They allowed me to:

• Meet interesting people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives who also share similar interests.
• Be part of a larger community and contribute to a common goal.
• Gain valuable management and leadership experience.

In a time when it’s so hard to maintain connectedness due to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteering—either in person or virtually—continues to provide opportunities to grow and develop both personally and professionally. I encourage all members to find ways to enjoy the benefits of volunteering.