Published in TDAN.com April 2003
In April of 2002 while at the Wilshire Meta-Data Conference + DAMA International Symposium in San Antonio, Texas, I hosted a dinner for the members at large (members of DAMA International who are
not affiliated with a local chapter). During the course of dinner, the idea of a virtual chapter was brought up by some of the members in attendance.
Having a virtual chapter would give us the opportunity to offer:
- Online registration using something like PayPal
- Chapter Board Officers – President, WebMaster, Treasurer, etc.
- A website for Members-at-Large only with chat services, knowledge transfer, any sort of content we desire
- Our DAMA dues would go into our own treasury to sponsor events for members- at-large to attend. Establish a meeting at the Symposium and maybe another in-person meeting during the year at the
location of our choice.
Who are our members? Currently, we estimate chapter-based membership to be approximately 5,000 people. In addition to the chapters, DAMA also has more than 250 members at large. While most of these
members are from the United States, they also reside in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cuba, France, Germany, Korea, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Historically, all of the membership information has been maintained within each individual chapter. Our inability to assess a consolidated view of membership limits our ability to provide a robust
set of services to our global members. We must know who each of you are on an international scale. In response, DAMA International has designed a membership database to provide a consolidated
international perspective of membership information. This task is being prototyped now and will be ready for implementation in April of this year. This database will also be wrapped around new and
improved web services available to each chapter.
As we gain a further awareness of our members, our focus can turn to the larger question: What services would you, the individual, like from DAMA International? During last year’s DAMA
International Symposium in San Antonio, members at large requested a special session during the conference to address desired services. The list of tangible services/benefits included a virtual
chapter, as mentioned above. This April we will meet in Orlando, Florida, during the Wilshire Meta-Data Conference + DAMA International Symposium and further develop this concept of the virtual
chapter. What are the tangible benefits you would like to see? We’d like to hear your ideas.
If you would be interested in volunteering for a board position or offering your assistance with the formation of the virtual chapter, please e-mail me. I look forward to serving you and strive to
grow and enhance our numbers and services to our members worldwide. For additional information or if you would like to join DAMA-I, drop me a line at VP_Member_Services@dama.org or lakresl@lindakresl.com.
— Linda Kresl – Vice President of Member Services for DAMA International
