Dear ATD Pittsburgh Members,

I hope you had an awesome first half of the year. But wait, isn’t it October? Aren’t we almost done with this year? Well maybe some of you are dusting off your noisemakers and getting ready to ring in the new year. But for talent development professionals, more so than in January, the dawn of the fall season feels like the start of a new year.

https://www.postworksavvy.com/september-month-new-beginnings/

Thinking back to childhood, we are programmed to see September and October as fresh starts. You remember—being excited about new school clothes, new books, new teachers, and the new challenges that being in a higher grade brought forth. The fall is when life settles into a routine. The lazy days of summer are over, kids and young people are back in school, and talent development professionals are busy planning for or preparing to launch new development programs.

As we enter the fall/winter season, I encourage all our members to get involved in the Chapter, attend training workshops, networking events and chapter meetings. We still have a few more board roles to fill, so If you are interested in building your leadership skills and serving in a leadership role, consider joining the board. Maybe you just want to learn more about what ATD Pittsburgh has to offer. Our chapter can always benefit from new ideas, and we have plenty of opportunities to get involved.

Speaking of new ideas, the ATD Pittsburgh board has been busy working on updating our strategic plan. Thanks to the feedback we received from our members, we have made updates to the website, as well as to our mission, vision and values, and we’d like to share them with you! We will be hosting a virtual Chapter Meeting on Tuesday, November 7. This will be an opportunity for you to “Ask the Board Anything”.  The first 5 people to register will be entered in a drawing for a cool prize.  Remember, our chapter meetings are FREE, and a great way to find out what’s going on in the chapter and how YOU can be a part of it.

I hope that you will join me at the chapter meeting next month, and for an exciting time at the ATD Pittsburgh holiday party in December.  The date and location will be announced soon.

It is my pleasure to serve as your Chapter President.

Dana Whatley Smith

Pittsburgh ATD Chapter President, 2023