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Point of View

What's Your Inspiration?

July, 2017

Colleen M. Niese

Has anyone figured out yet how John Van Horn’s head works? If so, please email me – any insight is warmly welcomed! In his John way, back in 2014, just in a moment, he approached Ruth Beaman and me and said, “I want to dedicate an upcoming issue of Parking Today to Women In Parking. Can you do that?” When John poses an intriguing question in the moment, I’ve learned to just say yes and figure out the rest later.


Fast forward three year later, he still likes to light- heartedly share in various ways how he can hand off this month’s edition to the WIP Board members and me while he takes off the month to go fishing or something. I can assure readers that this particular edition remains under his watchful eye.


While every WIP Parking Today issue has been memorable for all the expected reasons –and many, many thanks for all those who’ve contributed over these past years–I have to give a nod to this year’s edition contributors in that you have each raised the bar!


You know how you have those moments of inspiration? Maybe you’ve attended a really good presentation or read something that was so moving, it stays with you for a day or two and you wish you could somehow translate that a-ha moment into action? I believe you’ll find in this issue one article after another that offers both the strategies and tactics that align with this month’s overarching theme: HR, Training and Professional Development.


Employer branding, leadership, successful M&A integrations, the value of gender diversity are all highlighted on the pages. In between the articles, be sure to pay attention to the ads – you’ll notice a number of organizations acknowledging Women In Parking in their specially designed pieces.


For me personally, I’m once again amazed and inspired by the energy and level of commitment displayed by everyone involved with producing this month’s magazine. Reading through all of the articles, I find myself reflective of where Women In Parking started and where it stands today. From John Van Horn’s early support and innovative thought of dedicating an annual Parking Today issue through our third annual conference, we’ve seen WIP evolve from a handful of folks to now hundreds of parking professionals all centered around driving our mission, to promote the advancement and achievements of professional women in our industry, within their respective organizations.


If you believe gender diversity at every level of any company rises the tide for all in terms of profitability and sustained success and would like to put supporting strategies and tactics to work, while building your network and potential business opportunities, then read on to learn how to become a member and/or leverage your Women In Parking membership.


WIP Matters: this quarterly newsletter is always looking for contributors to share best practices in the workplace, member–based business cases that have yielded positive results or simply accomplishments either an organization or individual member has earned. Submitting articles is a great way to share insight while taking advantage of promotion across the WIP organization.


WIP Blog: for more immediate outreach with membership, WIP has recently launched a Blog Series and all members are welcomed to participate. If you’d like to learn more about this new benefit and how to be a part of it, go to our Linked In Group Forum to review past posts or our website, www.womeninparking.com/, for further details and guidance.


Mentoring Program: Easily our most popular benefit, the WIP Mentoring Program connects emerging leaders with tenured parking professionals who meet on a monthly basis to discuss individual career goals, workplace challenges and opportunities and parking institutional knowledge. This particular program continues to facilitate memorable conversations and a number of lifelong friendships for many of our members.


Quarterly WIP Webinar: As this particular Committee is in the final phases of outlining the remaining 2017 schedule, we need speakers! If you’re interested in presenting on a topic in your particular field of expertise, we want to hear from you. These quarterly events are highly attended with members from all spectrums of the parking industry who are engaged and keenly interested in sharpening their respective skill sets. You’ll find our sessions highly interactive and well balanced, in terms of strategies and tactics that can immediately be put to use in anyone’s work environment.


Learning From The Pro’s Regional Event: On July 27th in Houston, TX, WIP is introducing our first regional event where WIP members and those interested in joining the association are invited to participate in a networking lunch followed by a panel of diverse seasoned executives who will provide key insights and facilitate a highly interactive discussion regarding career development and advancement.


Member Volunteerism: Maybe you’re not big on writing or presenting? No problem! Our member volunteer committees are always looking for individuals to help jump in and move any of our member benefits forward in terms of better value, innovation and continuous improvement.


Okay! Ready to jump in? Great. Just go to www.womeninparking.com and either complete our Contact Form or reach out directly to any member of the WIP Leadership Board. We’ll connect you to the right resources so you can turn your goals into action. We can’t wait to hear from you!


 



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