Minnesota Rehabilitation Association
From the desk of the President Lindsey
Cornell
Happy
Summer!
I’d like to give a quick update as to what JPD has been up to so far this
year. In February we held a Membership Drive that closed at the end of
the Spring MRA conference. I am pleased to say we welcomed 4 new members
as a result of this effort; we are at our year goal of increasing
membership to 35 and will continue to work on exceeding that goal. JPD
hosted a training in May titled “Bridging the Gap in Transition!” This
training was well attended and provided great information on working with
clients in this particular aged group. The Executive Board is looking
forward to providing a retreat in July for all Board Members as a way of
saying ‘thank you’ for all of their hard work. During the retreat we hope
to spend time updating bylaws and working on future goals. JPD will be
hosting the Fall MRA Pre Conference in Mankato this year on October 8th.
Please watch for details on that training.
JPD meets on the third Thursday of the month from 10:00 am-12:00pm. The agenda of the meetings will see a new look this year. Please join us at the beginning of the meeting for a host update, training topic and time to discuss any questions you may have related to the field. The second part of the meeting will be dedicated to board reports, anyone is welcome to stay and hear the updates. You can find the monthly meeting schedule on the MRA website, which includes meeting locations throughout the metro and non-metro areas. We have representatives from several districts to provide you with up-to-date information on placement trends, issues and successes happening throughout the state. Other benefits to meeting attendance include regular updates, job placement resources, and networking opportunities. Regular attendance also provides you with the opportunity for a chance at winning a free registration to an MRA conference!
We currently have the following committees:
- Membership & Marketing Committee: Welcomes new members, maintain long-term membership of others, and plan marketing events.
- Training Committee: Provides a spring Job Placement training as well as a pre-conference training for the fall MRA conference.
- Awards Committee: Recognizes and awards employers and placement professionals nominated for their excellence.
- Governmental Affairs Committee: An inclusive, resourceful and advocacy focused group on government updates.
Each of the above committees welcomes new members and fresh ideas. Involvement in a committee is a great way to become active and to meet other professionals in the field.
Some of the goals JPD will work on in 2008 include:
v Increase membership by holding a membership drive
v Finish updating the bylaws and position descriptions
v Hold a JPD member retreat
v Host two successful trainings
v Participate in Day at the Hill
v Maintain our budget
Please feel free to share your feedback and ideas with me and/or the board. The continued success of JPD is due to active membership, bringing your thoughts, ideas and feedback forward. I am honored to hold the role of JPD 2008 President and I look forward to an exciting year!
Thank you,
Lindsey
Cornell
JPD President
(651) 379-5963
lacornell@goodwilleasterseals.org