Announcement from Jim Teske, President, PRISM International

Dear PRISM Members,
 
I was honored to begin my term as President of PRISM International on January 1 of this year. In what I expect to be a dynamic year of change for our organization, regular communication among us is paramount. With that in mind, I ask you take a few minutes of your valuable time to read the thoughts below.

Jim Booth has served PRISM for over 12 years now and he felt it in the best interests of the association for him to move on in mid-2012. We were fortunate to have plenty of time to consider the alternatives to replacing Jim and this has been a terrific advantage for the organization and a gift from him.
 
In the spring of 2011, I was asked to serve on the PRISM Transition Committee formed to focus on Jim's departure, so I've had the opportunity to consider all of the transition issues firsthand. My initial reaction to the prospect of contracting with an Association Management Company (as compared to employing an Executive Director supported by internal staff) was skepticism. I have close relationships with the PRISM staff and I felt that the folks in our NC headquarters offer a level of personalized service and expertise that would be tough to duplicate through a management firm.
 
I've been involved now with the very talented and committed members of PRISM's Board who have passionately considered the pros and cons of an AMC. I've listened to the expertise offered by Vetted Solutions, the consulting firm PRISM hired about a year ago to assist with the replacement process. They've been very open about the strengths and weaknesses of working with an AMC. I accompanied Chris Pearson and the Transition Committee on visits with several AMCs to learn more about what they do, how they serve associations like PRISM, and how they might approach a relationship with us. I've also participated in numerous meetings and conference calls to debate the direction the Board should pursue on behalf of members . . . spirited conversations intended to ensure we do everything we can to make the right choices.
 
When Chris Pearson sent the member letter last year announcing the plan to pursue a relationship with an AMC, a few members sent emails or letters voicing concerns. Many of the comments were similar to my own earlier reservations, particularly about how we would maintain the level of personalized service offered by our current staff. Chris listened and responded to every communication offering more information about why the PRISM Board was following the AMC path. In addition, we incorporated all the stated concerns from the letters and emails we received into the formal Request for Proposals, sent to over a dozen leading Association Management Companies.
 
As the designated nominee for the 2012 PRISM President, I asked Chris if I might call those of you that sent letters and emails. I started by asking for more direct feedback. At the end of each call, I promised three things: 1) that I would continue to listen to the membership; 2) that I would communicate openly as we moved forward in 2012 with interviewing and selecting the right AMC for PRISM; and 3) that the Board valued our current staff and was doing everything it could to treat them with the respect and courtesy that these valued friends and colleagues deserve.
 
The Board appreciates the benefits of a personalized approach to serving members and believes that we can maintain that value and replicate that level of service through an AMC. The decision about the future management of PRISM was complex. While I can't review all of the reasons why we chose the path of an AMC in this letter, I'd like to offer the top three: 1) Reducing the pool of potential replacements for Jim Booth to those living in the Greater Raleigh, NC area (or willing to relocate there) was a serious limitation on the vital leadership talent we need; 2) an AMC books tens of thousands of hotel rooms (instead of hundreds), plans dozens of conferences annually (instead of several), handles hundreds of annual publications (instead of less than a dozen), etc. offering us volume purchasing ability, a high level of professional expertise, and constant exposure to emerging trends and cutting edge ideas; and 3) the blend of a strong Executive Director focused on PRISM and its specific needs combined with the larger pool of experienced talent available through an AMC provides an opportunity for PRISM to grow in new directions and member value far more quickly (as we are able to get "just in time" input from many levels of highly-trained and experienced people) than we could approach with a small staff in NC, no matter how effective they are.
 
I share all this to offer my perception of the process and to confirm that I became convinced that moving to an AMC was truly in the long-term interests of our membership. The Board is fortunate that Chris remains at the forefront of our transition effort, but now the buck stops at my door. So please expect ongoing communications as we move forward, and do not hesitate to offer your candid feedback. My cell number is (205) 422-4675 and my email is jim@recordmax.com. I ask only that if you choose to call, please do so after 7:00am or before 6:00pm CST Monday through Friday.
 
Another important announcement is that Nate Campbell, our Vice President and a member of PRISM's Board of Directors, has joined the management team at Access Information Management. Rob Alston, Access' CEO, has also served on the Board since the beginning of last year. Since each Company Member can have only one Designated Representative serving on the Board, Nate's move to Access required one of the two to step down. Rob therefore resigned from the Board and I regretfully accepted his resignation. I hope all of you will join me in thanking Rob for his service.
 
The Bylaws require that I appoint a successor to the Board of Directors and I am very pleased to announce that Shaun Stevens of Cornerstone Records Management has accepted a position on the Board. Shaun is recognized as a true expert in Data Protection, with vast experience along with well- earned relationships throughout the industry, and will therefore serve as the Board liaison to the Data Protection Committee.
 
Thanks in advance for your support and for being open to the changes we're making to meet the exciting challenges to our industry, our membership, and our association.
 
Committed to Our Mutual Success,
 


Jim Teske
President
 
Jim Teske
RecordMax USA, LLC
901 Thayer Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70114
(504) 363-4110, x67
www.recordmax.com