Thinking Ahead After A Wonderful June
July 2, 2021 | Mike Ralston, ABI President
Every July 1st, ABI begins a new fiscal year. As I always note, the date is much more than a simple accounting mark.
July is important to ABI, because it provides the opportunity to take stock of the year past and to implement plans for success in the year ahead. Did we meet the charge from the ABI Board of Directors to be fiscally responsible? Did we meet our financial goals during the past year and are we well established for the year ahead? Did we meet our programming goals? Is ABI serving members and providing resources that help improve member companies' bottom line?
The answers to those questions better be in the affirmative (and they are). Each ABI member company has countless demands for support, with more arriving every day. For ABI to deserve your investment, our organization better be providing value. It is that focus that is the goal all year at ABI, but especially every July 1.
Speaking of programming, it never stops, of course. Summer is a very busy time for ABI and the ABI Foundation. Upcoming events include the Okoboji Executive Forum (don’t miss this event, which is ABI’s fastest-growing annual program), policy committee meetings, IIPAC work, Business Horizons and Leadership Iowa University, board orientations and executive committee meetings; all of these and so much more are a part of summer work at ABI. Go to https://www.iowaabi.org/events/ to find out more about each of these programs and to register.
As for members, you likely have seen from the ABI Quarterly Iowa Business Survey that association members are optimistic about the coming quarter. We saw significant double-digit increases in each of the questions for expansion of sales, growth in employees, and plans for capital expenditures -- an overall sign of great news for ABI members and for Iowa.
Finally, please allow me to thank you for making the 2021 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference a smashing success. Hundreds of ABI members from Iowa and beyond converged on Coralville/Iowa City last month. Thanks to you, the event was a terrific annual meeting. Of course, plans are already well underway for a fabulous 2022 conference. On behalf of ABI Chair Jack Hasken, I look forward to seeing you in Dubuque next June!
In the meantime, and on behalf of the Board of Directors, THANK YOU once more for your support and investment in ABI. It is never, ever taken for granted.