A TRIBUTE TO MELISSA THORNTON 
PRESIDENT OF THE ICF-CT CHAPTER 
FROM APRIL 2002-SEPTEMBER 2004

Presented by Betsy Rodriguez, Chair, Program Planning Committee

At this moment, as Melissa moves from her role as President to Past President, it is my great honor to spend a couple of minutes telling you about what she has accomplished in the past 2 ½ years as President of the ICF Connecticut Chapter.  This will also give you a "State of the Chapter" overview.

To quote our incoming President, Jerry Sinnamon, “Melissa has nearly single-handedly resuscitated the Chapter since she assumed the Presidency, by encouraging new members to participate, recruiting new leadership, and infusing the organization with her energy and enthusiasm”.   

Let me give you some specifics:

First, under Melissa’s administration, Melissa has evolved the Leadership position from Chapter ‘Host’ to fully functioning President and the ‘guest’ role of attendees to more involved and actively participating members (and more needed!)

I. We have begun to tighten up our association by becoming a coordinated, comprehensively integrated ICF-CT Chapter

v    Created a more strongly unified association with mission, goals, officers and structure

v    Full Board of Directors-8 voting members: four Officers, and four Committee Chairs, meeting regularly, with concrete, measurable projects and specified outcomes

o       She personally persuaded many of these dynamic coaches to become Chapter leaders

v    Increased our Chapter membership 80-120

v    She is currently working with Steve Rovin to capture all we’ve learned in a Chapter Policies and Procedures manual

II. COMMUNICATION CHANNELS: Broadened and deepened the channels for sending and receiving information into the coaching community
      o       Through her formal President’s Announcements
                    §        Keeps members informed regarding ICF-CT, state and ICF 
                          international professional activities

o       Melissa finds time to attend all of the ICF Chapter President Calls and all of the ICF Large Chapter calls, to bring back international information that might be of use to the Chapter (she even attended one meeting from her kayak, via headset and cell phone!)

o       For more informal communications about coaching opportunities, Melissa set up the ICF-CT Listserve and administers it herself
§        i.e. office rental space, shared travel to conferences, great coaching tools, techniques,

o       Perhaps most important of all information tools, Melissa envisioned, designed, built and maintains the ICF-CT Website, (with special thanks to Steve White who built the Membership Directory).
§        Describes our mission and goals for ICF-CT members and client prospects
§         Clearly describes our benefits to prospective clients and referrers
§         Highlights and showcases ICF-CT members’ qualified work in coaching areas 
§         Allows greater inter-member identification and provides opportunities for Coaches to refer to other coaches, coaching 
 sources, etc. 

III.  DEVELOPED FOUR FULL COMMITTEES: with charges and projects

Under Melissa’s direction, and Betsy's leadership,
We have strengthened:  

1) Program Planning Committee

v    Responsive to annual membership surveys about topic.
v    Continues high quality educational presentations to add to our coaching knowledge

v    Provides opportunities to increase recognition (among colleagues and professionals) of ICF-CT members as qualified coaches

v    Highlights and showcases ICF-CT members’ work on relevant issues

v    Together, she and I successfully pursued ICF (and CAMFT) CEUs as proof of continuing ICF-CT training and qualification 

We have separated into its own entity the:

2) Meeting Management committee

v    In response to the surveys, we have explored new sites through out the state to find a set of ‘reachable sites’ with comfort, quiet and welcoming, professional atmosphere

v    Added the speakerphone/bridgeline capability for those who cannot attend our meetings in person

v     Created a new Membership Activity fee to make participation less expensive and more streamlined (see website for details. www.icf-ct.com) 

Under Melissa’s guidance, we have created:

1) Membership Committee
 v    welcomes and educates new members

v    increases membership

v    encourages members to become involved in committee work

v    provides venues for new member meetings and networking

v    motivates membership to participate in ICF-CT events

AND a new

2) Marketing Committee

Melissa kicked off and Chaired the first Marketing committee in 2001 and remains an active member of the current Marketing committee. Melissa just wrote the first draft of a formal ten-step marketing plan for the Chapter—to raise awareness in the community about coaching and coaches, to grow the coaching ‘pie’ and to increase the number of referrers who know about coaching and about our members’ areas of expertise.

And as Past President, she will work with the Marketing committee to bring it to fruition. Also, she will be the first presenter on Marketing at our November meeting. 

3) A new Mentor Program is in the works, where senior CT coaches will take new coaches under their wings and show them the ‘ropes’. Carole Jacoby will be the Director and work closely with Melissa to get this initiative off the ground. 

Just in case we’re worried that she’ll be bored in the next weeks and months, Melissa has designated her continuing projects as Past President to be: 
a) WebMaster-continue to maintain and update the website, and Chapter photographer,
b) Partner with Carole Jacoby to design the Mentoring program
c) Dedicated member of the Marketing Committee, as we roll out our marketing plan
d) Along with Jerry, continued Liaison with the ICF and other Chapter leaders;
e) Consultant/advisor to the Elections committee, as we create such a committee

WITH ICF: She is also continuing in her role:

v    As member of the International Marketing Committee of the ICF

v    And, as co-coordinator of the “Up Close and Personal” program at the Quebec conference, where MCC coaches volunteer time during the conference to coach other coaches ‘up close and personal’ and for free. Stand by for an announcement about this soon. 

So, we know that Melissa continues to be dedicated to the coaching profession, in Connecticut and world-wide, and we present her with this small token of our appreciation and esteem, as she assumes her Past President role of the ICF-CT Chapter, Inc.  

Thanks, Melissa, for all that you have contributed! 

Presented by Betsy Rodriguez, Chair, Program Planning Committee