ACC / Northeast Chapter – Chapter continues to expand membership, program offerings

As 2007 draws to a close, so does my term as president of the Northeast Chapter. It’s been quite a ride!
When I started in January 2006, we had about 700 members. We now have over 900 members! We’ve increased programming significantly, developed a new Diversity & Inclusion committee, and have a new sponsorship model. Our board is strong and active and will continue with a tradition of excellent leadership.
As president, I have tried to attend almost all of our programs, and am really impressed with the offerings over the past year. The Program Committee has really raised the bar in that regard.
I’ve also met more of our chapter members, and have come to appreciate how important the networking component of our programs is to everyone. Building on this, we are looking into a few “networking only” events for next year so we all can develop and build new relationships.
We recently developed our first webinar, in an effort to reach members who are unable to come to the Boston area to attend programs. The Foley Hoag “Annual Update” program in September was recorded, paired with the PowerPoint presentations, and is posted on our website for our members to view.
I am also hoping our pro bono offerings will be greatly expanded next year. In addition to our Mediation program, we will afford our members other opportunities to help the communities in which we work and live
In the coming year, we hope that more members will ask to become involved with the chapter, working on our committees (Pro Bono, Advocacy, Diversity & Inclusion, Local Events, Programs, Membership) and increasing our outreach to in house non-members. The chapter’s strength is its members, and we look forward to working with you in the future.
William O’Brien, corporate counsel at Hewlett-Packard, is president of the Northeast Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.