Did you know

If you aren’t able to attend ISA’s live webinars, did you know that it’s not too late to gain valuable insight on the topics being presented?  Each time ISA hosts a webinar; the live session is recorded and then made available for purchase, if you were not able to attend the presentation. Each webinar is archived in the “Recorded Sessions” area of the ISA WebEx page, these recorded sessions include not only the verbal aspect of the live presentation, but the presentation slides as well, giving those who purchase a recorded session as similar an experience to the live session as possible.

If you have any questions about accessing ISA’s recorded session or any of the upcoming live webinars, please feel free to contact Michelle Stearns at: mstearns@thesentergroup.com

Around About Blogging

Years ago a New York newspaper featured a column entitled, “Around About Town.” As I remember, it offered observations about the area as seen through the eyes of the columnist. The writings were far ranging and pertinent to everyone’s daily activities. Morning conversations around the office water cooler often started with the question, “did you read ‘Around About Town’ this morning”? It was a nice interlude to start the office day.
Today we use social media, text messaging, Facebook, Twitter and blogging to share happenings with our colleagues. Around About Blogging, an unofficial title, is my way to share with you an on-going question that I have heard from conference attendees over the years, “How do I get involved with ISA?” My frequent answer; join a local ISA chapter and volunteer to serve on a committee.

New members may feel a little overwhelmed by the knowledge exhibited by long time members or may be shy about serving on a committee when you are new to the group or you don’t know or understand the work of the committees. An expedient way to learn more about ISA Committees is to ask for information from the committee chairs.

Presently, there are 11 Standing Committees that are responsible for advising the Board with concerns and activity relating to their area of specialty. These are Antiques and Residential Contents, Awards, Chapter Networking, Conference Program, Designation and Review, Ethics, Fine Art, Gemstones & Jewelry, Nominating, Marketing and Promotions and Specialty Studies. Three of these committees, D & R, Ethics and Specialty Studies, are sensitive to confidentiality and members are invited or appointed to these committees. Committees have specific tasks that are important to the successful functioning of ISA and the number of committees will fluctuate from time to time. The committee chairs are appointed by the President of the Board of Directors and are responsible to report quarterly and annually to the Board.

Still don’t know which committee to volunteer to serve? Contact the present Committee Chairs and ask about the mission and function of the committee. Following is a list of present Chairs:

ARC – Selma Paul
Awards- Martha Peck
Chapter Networking - Nini Hamalainen
Conference Program – OPEN
D & R – Cathy Peters
Ethics – Beverly Morris
Fine Art – Christine Guernsey
Gemstones & Jewelry – Jim Poag (Liaison)
Marketing & Promotions – Libby Holloway
Nominating – Mo Aubry
Specialty Studies – Scott Hale

Get involved, volunteer for an ISA committee. Involvement in your professional organization is a responsibility you will find worthwhile and satisfying for you.

Sally Ambrose, ISA CAPP

Membership Survey Results at a Glance

Earlier this year, a Membership Survey was distributed to ISA members, and nearly 150 completed responses were received. Survey questions ranged in topics including: demographics, membership, education and annual meeting. Below is a snap shot of some of the key results.

Demographics
63.9% specialize in Antiques & Residential Contents
47.1% are at the ISA AM membership level
26.1% have been members for 11-15 years

Membership
94.2% joined ISA for the education/professional development
59.3% are also members of AAA or ASA
44.3% complete 1-25 appraisals per year

Education
90% prefer communication via email
83.2% are interested in online learning options
43% have visited the ISA blog

Annual Meeting
Top 2 Choices of timing for the Annual Meeting:
Spring/No preference……….67.8%
Summer……………………..17.8%

The results of this survey will help ISA assess how we can better meet the needs of our members. Thank you to all who took the time to provide your valuable feedback.

New Applicants

ISA would like to announce our 13 new membership applicants for the first quarter of 2011.

Steve Allard – St. Ignatius, MT
Deborah Batterson – Jericho, NY
Jennifer Bird – Coral Gables, FL
Bruce Cobb – Peterborough, NH
Robert DuMouchelle – Detroit, MI
Leslie Hunter – Edmonton, AB
Francesca LaSala Cobb – Peterborough, NH
Lauren Laughry – Dallas, TX
Daniel Matthews – Nokomis, IL
James Modena – Scottsdale, AZ
Jody Scott-Olson – Royalton, MN
Caroline Shuford – Dallas, TX
Wendy Treacy – Aurora, ON

Please join us in welcoming our new applicants to the Society and congratulations on taking this important step in furthering your professional career.

If you would like to recommend someone for membership, please forward their contact information to Sara Porter: sporter@thesentergroup.com.