Value in Volunteerism

I recently returned from ACE2018 where I was struck by our incredible members who volunteer their time and talents to IMA^®. From our latest lifetime award winner, Bud Kulesza (who has spent decades in service to IMA), to students and young professionals who exude enthusiasm and point us toward the future, our volunteers provide us with a competitive asset like no other. And their efforts help enhance IMA’s global reputation.

Here are some ways our volunteers help us advance the management accounting profession:

• Serve as leaders of our 300+ professional and student chapters worldwide.
• Provide insight as members of our many global volunteer communities, such as our Global Board of Directors, ICMA^® Board of Regents, and others.
• Participate in our Campus Influencers program, including speaking with students about the value of IMA membership and management accounting careers.
• Create and deliver innovative programs such as the IMA Leadership Academy.
• Serve as product testers and reviewers for new products and services, including the CSCA^® (Certified in Strategy and Competitive Analysis) credential, CareerDriver^®, and more.
• Speak and present at webinars, conferences, and workshops across the globe.
• Step up to be media spokespeople for the profession and IMA.
• Travel the world to meet with members and potential members and to forge alliances with new corporate, education, and training partners.

I’m especially grateful to those senior volunteers at the local level who worked alongside me during my recent travels to China, Brazil, India, Korea, Japan, Singapore, and the Philippines. These volunteers—several of whom are members of our Global Board—devoted considerable time to making these visits successful, and their presence made a huge difference in the progress we’re making in these regions. They also demonstrate that the “face” of IMA isn’t one person—it’s a diverse group of people who serve the profession and our members with pride and relevance.

We rely on these volunteers in so many ways. This fall, for example, we’ll kick off the third year of our highly successful TV, print, and radio CMA^® (Certified Management Accountant) advertising campaign. We’ll need all volunteers around the world to be our word-of-mouth ambassadors as we launch this campaign globally. If you’re interested in serving as an IMA volunteer and want to learn more, reach out to Pat Stefanczyk at pstefanczyk@imanet.org.

Thank you to every member who volunteers on behalf of IMA. You are the crown jewels of our organization.