Making the Most of Professional Organizations
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- Kristy Burks, Web Marketing Administrator
- 12/21/2017
Professional organizations offer many rewarding opportunities. If you are interested in making new business connections, strengthening your network, broadening your knowledge, or enhancing your professional development, then joining a professional organization is worth the effort. Being a part of a professional society in your industry can provide endless networking opportunities. Additionally, engaged members have the opportunity to advance their careers with professional development services. Members can also receive awards and honors, and gain knowledge about trends, improvements, and updates in their industry.
Jessi Solt, Strategic Quote Representative for Huyett, is one of six board members for the Young Fastener Professionals (YFP). Jessi joined YFP with several goals in mind. “I joined YFP shortly after starting at Huyett hoping to help grow my knowledge of the industry and find other people in my age group who were also newer to the industry and trying to learn and grow. Meeting these people has allowed me to grow my network and knowledge quite a bit.”
YFP is a community of young professionals that seek to offer a glimpse of the fastener industry through the perspective of the next generation. YFP’s mission is to create an inclusive community to empower the next generation of fastener professionals and their companies through education, collaboration and networking. The goals of YFP are often executed at different industry events. Jessi explains, “Historically at the Las Vegas International Fastener Expo – with the exception of 2017 – we hold a Speed Networking Event. Anyone and everyone that is attending the show is welcome to come and each person is given a colored dot in one of two colors. People with one color stay at the table they start at and people with the other color shift tables when a timer dings (like speed dating). This stimulates conversations between multiple companies that might not ever interact with each other. We will be holding this event at the Fastener Fair USA 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio.”
YFP hosted a panel discussion called “Beyond the Speech” while in Las Vegas, NV in October 2017. The panel discussion was open to the audience with recent Hall of Fame and YFP Award recipients sitting in. There was a session time slot on the show floor where board members discussed leadership styles and their effectiveness on the millennial generation. YFP will also be hosting this panel discussion again at the Fastener Fair USA in April 2018.
Chris Bell, Regional Sales Manager for Huyett, is the current Chairman of the Board for the Southwestern Fastener Association (SFA). Chris joined the SFA in 2014. “In September of 2014, I was asked to join the SFA for their fall meeting in Dallas, TX, and much to my surprise, I was elected as a member of the board at that meeting.” Since then, Chris has served as the Assistant Treasurer from 2015 to 2016, and as the President from 2016 to 2017. He has also held several committee spots during his tenure with the SFA. “My personal goals when I joined the SFA were just to network and meet new people. Well, that happened, and I have also strived to sign up new members and secure our current membership.”
The mission of the Southwestern Fastener Association is to serve fastener distribution through conferences, trade shows, networking, information, and scholarships. By serving distribution, we also serve our other members in the fields of manufacturing, importing, processing, and technology. By sponsoring venues to bring everyone in the field together, we will fulfill the original mission started back in 1974. The Southwestern Fastener Association has dedicated 43 years of service to their members. Today, their membership exceeds 140 fastener companies.
Additionally, Chris Bell states that, “One of the biggest things we do is provide up to 11 – $1,000 scholarships every year to the families of our members. We acquire these funds through our trade shows and raffles. We are very proud of this and work hard to make sure we always have the funds to do so.”
The first step to gaining access to the many benefits of a professional association in your industry is to join a society and become an active member. There is a lot to gain just by demonstrating an interest in becoming a member. Getting involved and becoming active in industry organizations can be an important part of your professional success.
Interested in joining an organization in the fastener industry?
Visit:
https://www.fastenernewsdesk.com/organizations/
https://www.fastenernewsdesk.com/organizations/
