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Birmingham Chapter Launches 'The Bottom Line'
Chapter Newsletters Are Worth Their Weight in Words
By Susan S. Garcia
Is the voice of your chapter heard by those you want to reach? Communicating to chapter members and potential members is a priority for all local APA chapters. Many local chapters have discovered that offering a specialized newsletter is the most beneficial and successful way to communicate directly with their chapter members and payroll professionals in their area.
Decide on a Format Chapter newsletters should be the voice of your chapter. You want your message to be communicated in the most effective manner possible, so get creative! First, decide on a format. There are many options to research, including numerous free resources on the Internet. You can also create your newsletter from Microsoft Office or most programs already loaded on your computer.
The Birmingham Payroll Association in Alabama recently announced the creation of its new chapter newsletter, "The Bottom Line."After a year of planning, the bimonthly chapter newsletter made its debut in March. Susan King, CPP, Birmingham Payroll Association Chapter President, said she hopes the newsletter serves to entice the local payroll community to get involved with APA and join her chapter.
"We are working hard to grow our chapter,"King said. "I'm so proud we achieved our goal of creating this newsletter."
Give Your Newsletter a Name
Want to have fun naming your newsletter? Get the chapter members involved, like Birmingham did, and make it a contest. Chapter members can vote on their favorite name and feel like they have some ownership of the newsletter endeavor. Besides, the name of your newsletter should reflect the personality of your chapter, so having members offer name suggestions is not only fun, but effective.
Choose Your Content
What information do you want to include in your newsletter? For example, do you want a legislation update corner, upcoming events or activities, study group information, member of the month, GLO report, payroll related articles, and/or light-hearted fun stories? For your newsletter to be effective, it needs to be a source where readers know they will find the most up-to-date information.
Including vendors is often a wise move , because it promotes good relationships between vendors and your chapter. The Washington Metropolitan Area Chapter (WMAC) in D.C. has an advertising section in their newsletter, "Capitol Payroll News."
"Our vendors feel the advertising we post in our newsletters really benefits them,"said Tricia Tumarkin, CPP, WMAC Chapter President.
Many chapters, like the Houston Chapter, have discovered that including member recognition in their chapter newsletter (in Houston's case, "Chapter Chatter") is very important for chapter members' morale.
"People like to see their name in print, so we publish birthdays, as well as new CPP and FPC certifications," said Tracy Higgins, CPP, Houston Chapter President.
If you're still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the task of creating a newsletter, seek out creative individuals within your chapter. Make sure your chapter has a few members who can proof your newsletter before it is printed or e-mailed to your members.
Add Color, Graphics, and Fun
Grab readers with eye-catching color. Add some fun to your newsletter by inserting graphics and pictures. A funny cartoon strip will surely draw some light-hearted laughs. The Lehigh Valley Chapter in Pennsylvania brought their newsletter, "Lehigh Valley Voice" to life with a wide array of well-blended graphics, colors, and photos.
"Nothing catches your eye quicker than an interesting picture or graphic,"said Marilyn Phipps, CPP, Lehigh Valley Chapter Vice President and "Lehigh Valley Voice" Editor. "We try to make the 'Lehigh Valley Voice' visually appealing to grab the attention of both members and nonmembers while providing important payroll information."
The Birmingham Payroll Association's newsletter, "The Bottom Line" includes a word search. They use mystery words found throughout the newsletter as clues.
Electronic vs. Paper
If you're not sure your chapter can afford a regular publishing expense, consider sending your newsletter via e-mail. An e-newsletter can save your chapter a considerable amount of money and the time spent to print and mail. The Houston Chapter sends their newsletter, "Chapter Chatter," to chapter members via e-mail monthly, and it also posts each newsletter on its website. Visitors to the website have easy access to the current edition and back issues.
Electronic newsletters can increase visits to chapter websites and related websites if you use hyperlinks throughout the document.
It doesn't matter if your chapter newsletter is produced monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly; the benefit of the communication is invaluable. For questions on newsletter creation and production, please use the CHAMPS Mentor referral program on APA's website. Let your chapter's voice be heard through a chapter newsletter!
Hooping It Up in Region 7
By Jim Bolek, Region 7 Advisor
The second annual Region 7 NCAA Tournament Contest came to a close when Kansas beat Memphis on April 7, 2008 for the NCAA championship. Oddly enough, southeastern Pennsylvania was as jubilant as the state of Kansas while the Baltimore area was as disappointed as southwest Tennessee.
Why the crazy geographical allegiances? The Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter (SEPA) had chosen to root for the Jayhawks while the Baltimore Metro Chapter was rooting for the Tigers in the championship game.
The Contest Was Simple
For the Region 7 contest, each of the 16 chapters in the region were randomly given four schools whose teams were playing in the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Tournament. The best 16 teams were divided up so that each chapter could choose one team, leaving the other three teams determined by the random draw.
If there was any geographical significance in the top 16 teams to one of the chapters in the region, that chapter automatically got that team (Western Pennsylvania Chapter and the University of Pittsburgh as an example). After the teams were selected, a list of who had which teams was forwarded to the chapters and the chapters took the contest from there.
The goal was to excite chapter members and get them involved in the contest. Chapters sent e-mails to members and posted information on their websites telling members who to cheer for during the tournament. It also excited chapter members to know the chapter that finished with the most points would win a prize, which would be provided by the chapters with the fewest points. When a team won, points were awarded to the corresponding chapter. The number of points was dependent on the round of the tournament.
The Miami Valley Chapter got off to a quick start in the contest when all four of its teams won the first round. With all the close games and upsets, the fate of each chapter seemed to hang in the balance with every game. When it was down to the Final Four, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, the Baltimore Metro Chapter, the First State Chapter in Delaware, and the Greater Cleveland Chapter were the four chapters remaining in the contest.
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It wasn't long after the top 16 teams began fighting for the championship that it became clear who would be among the bottom chapters. The North Jersey Chapter knew it was going to have a tough time getting out of the cellar, so chapter members began thinking of ways in which they could "reward" the winner. In previous years, the West Michigan Chapter had exchanged boxes of goodies with the The Alamo Chapter of the APA and the Dallas Chapter and last year's winner, the Columbus Chapter, had donated everything they received to a local Ronald McDonald House. North Jersey knew it had a tough act to follow.
Everybody Wins!
SEPA, which had Kansas, was the eventual winner. A group of nonbasketball fans suddenly became very interested in games and scores and began to keep track of which schools were winning. But this wasn't an exercise in turning people into college basketball fans; this was an exercise in creating unity and camaraderie within the chapters.
Even in defeat, your membership can step up! The brainstorming of the North Jersey Chapter resulted in a charitable donation to a local food bank on behalf of SEPA. They encouraged their members at a meeting to "pass the hat"and see how much money they could raise for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. The North Jersey Chapter then matched, dollar-for-dollar, the $100 in donations from members, making the total amount donated $200. They also sent SEPA screwdrivers with their logo and a couple of cases of Oreo cookies, which are manufactured in north Jersey.
SEPA gladly accepted the "spoils," because a main focus of their chapter is community service and giving back. SEPA was the contest winner, but the North Jersey Chapter had a winning idea for a prize that not only unified its members, but made a difference in the lives of others. Also, there is now a formal connection between the two chapters that will be around for many years to come.
If your chapter wants to have the same kind of unifying experience and potential for growth, be sure to take part in the 2008 Member Get a Member National Membership Drive. If you are looking for a way to get people excited about unifying and expanding your chapter, this is it! So start getting your members to recruit new members because you could win some great prizes from APA. Contact the Chapter Relations department for more information.
Chapter President Profile: Deborah Cash, CPP
By Judith Aquino
When Deborah Cash took the reigns as President of the Joplin Chapter of Southwest Missouri, she knew what she wanted: growth.
"I was already involved in leadership roles in the chapter and wanted to see greater improvements, so I stepped forward and took the job," Cash said.
Her enthusiasm and dedication were contagious. For two consecutive years, the Joplin Chapter has won first place in a National Payroll Week contest. In 2006, the chapter won first place in the Local Media Outreach contest, and last year they snagged first place for their work in Educational Outreach / Community Service.
"Winning these contests has excited our members and provided great publicity for our chapter,"Cash said.
As President, Cash strives to increase awareness of the chapter's educational and networking benefits by sending out press releases and organizing community activities. A luncheon for members and their bosses was covered by the local paper and attracted new members.
Cash is grateful for the support of her employer, Employer Advantage, which encourages its employees to become members and obtain their FPC and CPP certifications.
In addition to being proud of her accomplishments as President, Cash is proud to have earned both a bachelor's degree in accounting and her CPP certification in 2006. During her free time, she enjoys creating scrapbooks, cross stitching, and gardening.
Welcome APA's 145th Local Chapter!
Central Savannah River Area Chapter Launches in Georgia
Shortly after ADP opened its doors in Augusta, Teresa Jordan, CPP, along with a few colleagues, realized the need for a local chapter. With payroll associates not only new to the company but new to payroll, Teresa knew a chapter would benefit the surrounding communities as well. That's why she helped found APA's 145th chapter, the Central Savannah River Area Chapter, located on the Savannah River in Augusta, Ga.
For more information on the Central Savannah River Area Chapter, please contact:
* Chapter President, Teresa Jordan, CPP, ADP, (706) 731-2401
* Chapter Secretary, Tracy Robins, ADP, (706) 731-2291
* Chapter Treasurer, Heidi Padovano, ADP, (706) 731-2262
Register for Free NPW Audio Seminar
Start planning your chapter's National Payroll Week (NPW) celebration now with APA's Free NPW Audio Seminar Friday, June 27, at noon CT. There is still time to register by e-mail for the Free NPW Audio Seminar -- you have until June 20. Please include the following information in your e-mail to APA's Chapter Relations Department: your name, APA ID, chapter name, company name, city, state, Zip Code, e-mail address, daytime phone number, and the estimated number of listeners.
Guest Speakers David Pena, CPP, NPW Chair for the Denver Chapter Payroll Association, and Debbie Cash, CPP, President of the Joplin Chapter of Southwest Missouri, will share their award-winning chapter secrets on planning successful NPW events. Also joining the audio is APA's Public Relations Manager Mark Coindreau, , who will share details on Money Matters National Education Day. He will also offer tips on how you can get media coverage for your chapter's NPW events.
Don't miss this important event! If you have any questions, please e-mail the Chapter Relations Department or call them at (210) 226-4600, ext. 2212.
Don't forget--NPW will be celebrated September 1-5
Susan Garcia Named Chapter Relations Manager
It is with great excitement that APA announces new changes within the Chapter Relations Department:
Teresa Lopez, who began her role as the Chapter Relations Manager in July 2006, was promoted to Executive Office Manager on June 9. Teresa wants everyone to know how much she has enjoyed working with such a dedicated group of payroll professionals. Although her new role takes her away from Chapter Relations, she will now serve APA as an integral part of the Executive Office, working with APA's senior directors, board members, and committees.
Susan Garcia will assume the role as Chapter Relations Manager. Susan joined the Chapter Relations department in January 2005, one short year after she arrived at APA.
"I have found this department rewarding on so many different levels,"she said. "Chapter officers and members are the energy that feeds APA and I'm proud to be a part of it. I look forward to working more with APA's chapters and watching them grow with the payroll profession."
Susan and Monica Montalbo, Chapter Relations Coordinator, say they are excited to continue assisting and supporting APA's local chapters. Please feel free to contact Chapter Relations at any time with your chapter-related needs.
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