By Mary Conger
IOA Communications Committee Chair

Change has been afoot for IOA on many levels since July. Board members, volunteers, and consultants alike have been working doggedly to chart a healthy course for our association as the transition to new management nears.

As updates from the Management Transition Task Force and others have chronicled, many decisions have been thoughtfully made and implemented in the past few months. The Board approved a new hybrid management model. An interim transition director joined our ranks. A new management partner was selected. A PR consultant was engaged. The beginnings of a search for IOA’s first CEO are underway.

All these efforts have been interrelated, of course, and their symphony is starting to crescendo. A subtle yet important theme coursing throughout has been the digital infrastructure assessment. Begun in June, this project was meant to evaluate whether IOA’s technological investments were well suited to the association’s goals and, if not, to point a way toward alignment.

As coordinator of this project for IOA, I am delighted to share that it officially concluded in early December, under budget and far exceeding expectations. The firm hired, The Nerdery, issued a suite of bespoke technical and organizational recommendations to help IOA streamline its operations and realize its full potential. To their great credit, The Nerdery took the news of Kellen’s impending departure in stride, pivoting midcourse to deliver a targeted report as well as provide services beyond the original scope of work in order to address IOA’s new reality.

The final report to the Board, which included 16 total recommendations and a thorough technical inventory, has been a touchstone throughout this period of transition. For example, a central recommendation was that IOA switch to an all-in-one Association Management System (AMS). This in turn shaped how potential association management companies were considered–did they operate with an AMS suitable for IOA’s unique needs or would they require IOA to contort itself into a predetermined mold?

In this case, The Nerdery vetted the AMS preferred by SBI as due diligence in advance of entering into a new management partnership. That AMS, MemberClicks, received two thumbs up as precisely the type of all-in-one system determined best for IOA. This is but a single example of how The Nerdery’s expert guidance facilitated swift, solid decisions for IOA.

It may not seem like much has changed, but very soon the cymbals will crash and the strings will soar. Implementation of MemberClicks is breathlessly underway, with teams at SBI, IOA, and Kellen working to complete the handoff in these final few days of 2018. Some services (and the December holidays) will require a slight intermission during this time, so please be patient if you encounter a delay. By early January, all users should expect a greatly enhanced online experience of IOA. Stay tuned!

It’s been a privilege to shepherd this important initiative for IOA. Congratulations and sincere thanks to the many committed individuals who have contributed to leveraging the digital infrastructure assessment for IOA’s continued success.

Excerpts from The Nerdery’s findings below: