Recap: WOMMA Board of Directors Meeting
>> BOD Meeting Notes
WOMMA's Board of Directors (BOD) met in Chicago last week to work through a full agenda and celebrate the astounding success of a great idea -- WOMMA! Founded late in 2004, and with 102 enthusiastic, committed charter members at the end of the first full quarter in 2005, we're celebrating membership growth in excess of 60% since the first of this year -- a phenomenal achievement made possible by the now 370+ WOMMA member companies. Newly-elected directors John Bell, Managing Director/Executive Creative Director, 360 Digital Influence, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide; Laura Shuler, President US, Jack Morton Worldwide; and Julie Wittes Schlack, Senior Vice President, Innovation and Design, Communispace were welcomed and immediately joined in the discussions.
Directors heard reports on committee activities and engaged in an organizational assessment, reviewing WOMMA's mission, assessing the service mix, and strategizing membership models. Enriching the discussion were the results of a survey, to be extended to all WOMMA member companies. The strategy and finance committees of the Board are expected to follow-up on some of the specifics of the discussion.
The exclusivity of member benefits was a focal area for discussion, with the Board emphasizing the Buyers Guide listings that are free to members only, the member center, and the work currently underway to password-protect WOMMA's rich content -- all in an effort to increase the value proposition of a WOMMA membership.
WOMMA's ongoing partnership with the FTC was praised by directors, who encouraged regular conversation and education about ethical word of mouth marketing practices.
>> Board Officers Welcomed
Elected for a second term as Board President was Ed Keller, CEO of the Keller Fay Group. Ed expressed his appreciation for the support of the Board and members. Also elected to WOMMA officer positions were Paul Rand, President & CEO of the Zocalo Group (Vice President); and Laura Shuler, President US, Jack Morton Worldwide (Secretary), as well as two at-large members of the Executive Committee: Pete Blackshaw, CMO, Nielsen BuzzMetrics; and Gary Spangler, E-Business Leader, DuPont Electronic & Communication Technologies. Rick Murray, President, me2revolution for Edelman is serving his second year of his two-year term as Treasurer.
The Board thanked Scott Wilder, Group Manager, QuickBooks Software and Small Business Services at Intuit for his service to WOMMA as immediate past vice president. Scott's contributions were felt across the board over the last year, and the Board is delighted that Scott will remain active as a director. The Board will meet again in the fall.
