January 2006

MESSAGE FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT

Dear friends,

Most of you know me, as I have served this chapter as an officer for the past four years. For those of you I haven't yet met, allow me to introduce myself:  Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, at your service.

I am honored to serve this chapter as president in 2006. Following in the footsteps of the fine leaders who have come before me, I pledge to uphold and forward our chapter mission: To promote awareness of the coaching profession, provide practice development support for our members, and cultivate a community of professional coaches.

I will be supported in this effort by our talented, enthusiastic, and hard-working leadership team, but we still need YOUR support.  We need your feedback, participation, and commitment to this mission and to this chapter.

Here are the highlights of what we are planning to do to fulfill our mission:
1. Develop closer ties to the national coaching community through the ICF.
2. Continue to improve our chapter meetings by providing balanced agendas that serve the needs of both the neophyte as well as seasoned coaches through a two-tiered programming strategy.
3. Pursue CEUs for our meetings.
4. Hone our systems and processes so that membership is easy and convenient as well as personally and professionally enriching.
5. Introduce new programs and opportunities for all members' success.

Woodrow Wilson said that "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of home and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand."

Although he was not talking about coaches specifically, I've always thought this quote was particularly apt for our profession.  We are here to enrich the world, and with your participation, this association of professional coaches can help us all do just that.

Wishing you all blessings and good fortune in the coming year.

Warmly,
Ronnie

Veronika Noize
NWCA 2006 President
360-882-1298
ronnie@veronikanoize.com

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NWCA MEMBERSHIP CONNECTIONS

It is said that thoughtful reflections on past accomplishments can both energize and realign one's direction for the future.  Well, the accomplishments in 2005 for the NWCA Membership efforts are energizing indeed: THANKS TO EVERYONE!!!

* 90 registered coaches as of December 05: Hoorah, a record!
* Cheerful hospitality to the membership at monthly meetings
* Successful phone blitz to ICF senior coaches
* Strategic membership focus:  Recruitment, Retention, Rejuvenation
* Welcome addition of a Co-Chair for Membership Services

Looking ahead to the realignment of membership goals for 2006, we are recommitting ourselves to the NWCA community to sustain the high level of service achieved in 2005 as well as targeting the following new initiatives:

* Listen better to the membership, via surveys, comment cards and leadership team feedback
* Launch a pilot Mentor or Buddy program for new member orientation
* Review our new member application packet process
* Experiment with a program to engage more of the busy active coaches

Other membership initiatives are always welcome. Whatever you, the membership, feel would enrich our vital coaching association is important to us. We really hope this MEMBERSHIP CONNECTIONS newsletter can be a "dialogue forum" to encourage coach participation and feedback as a valued growth tool.

We welcome Christine Smith, design-creations@verizon.net , as our new Membership Co-Chair for 2006.  Christine brings vision, energy and an engaging spirit to the membership team.  We especially thank her for over-the-top efforts to make the food segment of our Christmas Party absolutely delicious! 

"The highest reward for a person's toil
is not what they get for it,
but what they become by it."  John Ruskin

Bob Renggli and Christine Smith
Membership:  Chair & Co-Chair
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TREA$URY NOTES

Please remember that our annual NWCA membership dues are due in January. Bring your check for $75 to the January meeting and you'll be good for the whole year.

Thank you,
Karl Heckman, NWCA Treasurer

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GREETINGS

I want to thank and acknowledge last year's board members for the excellent job they did.  We had fabulous programming, events and networking opportunities.   Every meeting was top notch.  GREAT JOB!!!  And THANK YOU!!!

I am very excited to serve as your NWCA secretary this next year.  I am looking forward to working with the rest of the board to continue to make the NWCA the best it can be.

Respectfully submitted,
Kelly Cooper-Slayton
Secretary

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NWCA PROGRAMMING

MEETING DETAILS

WHEN: Tuesday, January 10, 2006

PRE-MEETING WORKSHOP - 5:30 to 6:30 PM

Did you miss the ICF 2005 Conference that was held in San Jose last November? Well, here's your chance to learn what you missed. Join NWCA members Caroline Weitzer and Kelly Cooper-Slayton as they share with you the highlights and their experiences.

NETWORKING - 6:30 to 7:00 PM

Get to know the other members, meet new people, and become known
yourself!

MEETING PROGRAM - 7:00 TO 9:00 PM
Creating Sustainable Transformational Change!

As coaches, our goal is to help others make the changes they want that:
 
1. Really work in the big picture of their whole life (ecological),
2. Are lasting in the long run (sustainable), and
3. Provide built-in motivation to keep the change (transformational).

The field of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) offers a treasure chest of tools to help you do just that! Learn and experience how walking through the neurological levels of experience can transform goals into reality. You'll learn a simple but powerful tool you can put to use immediately, for yourself and your clients. Please come with a change in mind that you'd like to experience for yourself.

Jan Shannon is a consultant, coach, writer, and the founder of InnerAction Tools for Change, a leadership, communication and organization development company. (http://www.toolsforchange.com). She has worked with small businesses and large corporations for over two decades, specializing in healthcare settings. Jan is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, with advanced training in health applications of NLP. She is an instructor with Baraka Institute & Center for Creative Change, a former staff trainer with NLP Institute of Oregon, and a passionate, lifelong learner and teacher. She works collaboratively with other coaches and consultants to create processes that empower people in their relationships and their lives.

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REMEMBER: NWCA NEW LOCATION

Reminder: The NWCA meets at its new location:

Holiday Inn Express
2333 N.W. Vaughn Street
Portland, Oregon, 97210.

There's a link to a map from the homepage (http://www.nwcoaches.org)

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AS YOU RENEW

As you renew your membership for the coming year, I hope you will take a minute to review the information on your membership profile (links to your profile found on this page: http://www.nwcoaches.org/current_members). Has your email address changed? Need to add a website address? How about adding a photo to make your profile more personable?
Please email updates to me at this email address: help@nwcoaches.org.

Warm regards,
Kristy Schnabel
Virtual Assistant to NWCA

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit the Northwest Coaches Association web site:
http://www.nwcoaches.org

Go to the International Coach Federation (ICF):
http://www.coachfederation.org

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