Hello Members and Happy New Year!

FIRST, please allow me to send my deepest apologies for the extremely long delay in writing to you. The end of 2010 was an extremely challenging time for me personally and professionally, as I’m sure it was to you. It has taken me six months to get acclimated to my new role as your leader, and I’ve been working to better prepare myself to bring to you the kind of leadership you all so very well deserve. Now that I’ve had that opportunity, I totally focused on the business of moving IAAP and our chapter forward and ready to help all of you in any way I can! I thank you all for your patience and look forward to counting on you for continued support – I can’t succeed without your help! Here is a recap of our progress so far during the 2010-2011 term and what you can expect moving forward.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW IN 2010 brought about a great many changes within our chapter. We changed administration as of July 1, 2010 after two very fruitful and successful years under the leadership of immediate past chapter President,Mona Rosbury-Yoder. Mona left an indelible mark on our chapter’s past, and gave us a wonderful blueprint to follow moving forward. She continues to develop her leadership skills and currently serves on the NJ Division Executive Board as Secretary. In that capacity, Mona will also serve as our chapter’s liaison to NJD. I know you all join me in extending our deepest appreciation for her leadership and wish her well in her newest role. On a personal note to Mona, please know that Prudential Corporate Chapter will ALWAYS be willing and able to do all we can to support you in your new role!

WE held several successful meetings and workshops in 2010. In September, we host the first business meeting for the 2010-2012 term of officers and committee chairs. In October, we presented the “Ms. Competency Pageant,” facilitated by our President-Elect, Yvonne Edmondson, which many of you found very helpful and informative as you began drafting your self-assessments. We also launched our fall fundraising effort to bring in revenue for our scholarship luncheon that will be forthcoming in May 2011. In November, Patricia “Trish” Sgromolo, CPS, NJ Division President, gave a presentation on volunteerism and succession planning. We also successfully negotiated an arrangement with Virginia Tech’s Online Review Course study program for members to enroll in the CPS/CAP Online Review Course. Approximately 10 members are currently enrolled and studying for the next CPS/CAP exam scheduled for the first weekend in May 2011. In December, we took part as we do every year in supporting Prudential’s Community Resources Holiday Family Project, and hosted our Annual Holiday Wrap Party. Thanks to the generosity of our members, we were able to provide our “adopted family” with all of the gifts on their wish list! Thanks again to Monique Jones, Holiday Project Chair, and her committee for facilitating this process on behalf of the chapter!

WHAT'S AHEAD? 2011 began with a mini coaching experience that we hope provided you with some guidance to identify your personal and professional assets that can bolster your professional development. Lucille A. Grey, LCSW, CEAP, joined us in January for a presentation entitled "Boosting Your Self Confidence." We’ve heard a great many positive comments on this informative and interactive session that, hopefully, reaffirmed you self confidence, or gave you a boost to define and identify attributes of self-confidence, that will help to further enhance your personal and professional career.

We are working to develop education sessions for February and March that will reinforce or enhance your skill sets and also will qualify for CEU’s for our CPS/CAP certified members who need them. Look for more details on these topics soon.

IAAP-Prudential Corporate Chapter will once again sponsor its annual essay contest. The contest will be open to high school seniors of New Jersey based Prudential employees that will be graduating from high school this June and moving on to higher education. Winners will be selected and presented with scholarship awards during a luncheon in their honor in May 2011. Prudential-Woodbridge Chapter will also collaborate with us in this effort by sponsoring one of the three scholarships we will award. Details will be forthcoming.

“LUNCH WITH THE PRESIDENT” Beginning in February, you’re invited to join me, one-on-one, for lunch. This will be your opportunity to have a candid conversation with me directly and express what you aspire to gain from your involvement with IAAP. We will utilize the time to address any questions, thoughts or concerns you have about the organization, our division and/or our chapter. I also want to hear your ideas on what you want to see happening within the chapter and division (i.e., leadership training, skill development, coaching) and I would like to engage you to assist us in implementing those thoughts into action to aid in our success. I also would like the opportunity to place names with faces and get to know as many of you as I possibly can on a more intimate, professional level. Our chapter will only be as strong as its members, and all of you play an important part in that success. Please email me directly with the subject, “Lunch with the President” and I will gladly work out arrangements to meet with you. My ultimate goal is to meet every member of the chapter personally, including members who are not located in Newark, before the end of my term in June 2012. . Warmest wishes and thanks,

Ramona