A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Board looks at APDT ’ s future purpose
T his is an exciting time at APDT
– very much a transition . As I sat down to write this Chair Message , I looked over quotes about change . Several of us on the Board have been serving for multiple terms and will be transitioning off the Board in the next year or two . Those remaining are serving their first term on the Board . And our new Executive Director , Matt Varney , has had several months now to get his feet underneath him .
This time of transition has set the perfect stage for strategic planning . While ideas were fresh in our heads after the conference in Covington and we closed out 2023 , the Board and Matt were able to come together to start the strategic planning process to help guide the organization through this exciting phase .
As French writer and politician Victor Hugo said : “ Change your opinions , keep to your principles ; change your leaves , keep intact your roots .” Before we could dive into our strategic planning session , we had to identify those defining principles – APDT ’ s roots , if you will . This was easy , as we needed to look no further than why Dr . Ian Dunbar founded APDT in the first place . He meant for APDT to be the inclusive forum for trainers , to give a space to network , receive cutting edge education , and grow the profession .
Those concepts of community , education , and innovation will remain part of our vision and mission . We took the most meaningful step in this direction just a couple of years ago , when we kept membership open to all trainers , but had Professional and Professional Premium members attest to adherence to LIMA . We added integrity to our APDT Trainer Search by limiting the search to those members who attested to LIMA . We also clarified that our interpretation of LIMA does not include the use of tools or techniques that are intended to inflict fear , pain , or startle .
We still see APDT as the umbrella for all trainers . But we see the responsibility of moving the industry in a more humane and professional direction . It ’ s not easy to thread this needle – particularly when attitudes and positions in almost every arena have become more divisive . But it is vital to have a space where these conversations can happen in a productive and open way . There is one thing that deserves mentioning on the topic of conversations and community . We know that our replacement for the “ Communities ” part of the website has not been up to par . But Matt Varney has taken that up as a priority to look at , and we expect to have a great new option in place very soon . Stay tuned for an exciting update on this front !
Now comes the more difficult part of our strategic planning process – what will the new leaves on the tree look like ? As the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said , “ Real change , enduring change , happens one step at a time .” Right now , the organization and the profession are on the cusp of change , and the Board , with an amazing amount of fresh energy , is ready to take these steps . The Board will spend this early part of 2024 taking a good look at what that forward growth and those steps will look like exactly .
One of these steps will include a review of our committee and task force structure . Many of our committees and task forces stemmed back to an era when volunteers ran APDT . Since 2006 , APDT has had the benefit of professional staff , with a dedicated executive director and staff in key positions , including education and marketing . Even with our amazing staff , we still need the input of members on our committees and task forces . As a perfect example of this , look at education . Our Director of Educational Programs , Jennifer Franco , has been with us since 2015 , and she does an amazing job with education , from lining up speakers for conference to identifying topics and presenters for webinars .
But we still need our members for many key education projects , such as reviewing our Body of Knowledge , Certification Matrix , and educational offerings in the Learning Management System . These are huge undertakings that need to happen on a regular basis to stay relevant – and that need your input . This is your organization , and we want your ideas , your voices , and your participation . This goes for our committees and task forces – as well as on the Board itself . We will have several Board positions open in 2025 , and we invite you to join the leadership during this exciting time !
I ’ ll leave you with one final quote from the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres : “ We have to transcend our differences to transform our future .” This Board will continue working on our strategic plan and exactly what the APDT of the future will look like . But we know that our defining principles – serving as an inclusive community for trainers while pushing forward and innovating the training field – will remain intact . We invite you to join us – serving on our committees and task forces and running for the 2025 Board – to help transform and build the new APDT .
Heidi Meinzer , JD , CPDT-KSA , CNWI APDT Chair
6 Building Better Trainers Through Education