Moving Forward -- CSI's Future
John F. Kennedy wrote, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
I started my term as CSI President with an article contemplating the future and how to create a better CSI. Today, I am excited to share we are poised to do just that. On Sunday, March 20, 2016, your Board of Directors took steps to modernize CSI and its governance—and give us the platform for future success—by unanimously recommending needed Bylaws amendments to you, the CSI voting member.
You may be asking, how did the Board develop this proposed Bylaws referendum, what exactly are the changes and what do they mean for me? Over the last year, we have been listening to your concerns. We heard meaningful change was needed to help you prosper and advance our professions well into the future. We recognized that change needed to start with us--your Board of Directors. During this self-examination, we examined and discussed trends and business factors. We also reviewed current and expected member demographics and explored best practices in effective association management.
The Board realized a new, clear, and streamlined approach to accountability and delegation will enable CSI to be more responsive to you. It will allow us to optimize resources, become more nimble, and focus on strategies to ensure CSI's essential ongoing place in our fast-changing industry. Part of this new approach means presenting you with amendments to Institute Bylaws.
These changes are a much-needed evolutionary step. They create a framework to be more proactive so CSI will provide an environment conducive to realizing your full professional potential. We, as your Board, will focus on end results and benefits for our members.
An effective board must understand its role and pursue it with passion while having concise outcomes in mind. The Board has clear understanding of CSI's strengths and weaknesses, its history, and what we must accomplish to be relevant. We are moving forward, building on and improving our technical, certification, and education resources—positioning them, and you, to be sought after globally.
Voting on the proposed Bylaws Referendum will begin in late April or early May, and will close after a four week voting period. Results will be communicated shortly thereafter. For more information visit
www.csinet.org/bylaws. You can e-mail additional questions to
referendum@csinet.org.
We are at a pivotal moment in CSI's history. We have the opportunity to create an environment that clearly enables your success. By approving the Board's request to amend our Bylaws, you will help us guide CSI toward the performance-based organization we all know it can be, should be, and must be to serve the interests of our members.
Lane Beougher, FCSI, CCS, CCCA
CSI President