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As the vice chair of the young professionals committee, my day started with the volunteer leadership kick-off brunch. During this event, a representative from many of ASAE & The Center’s committees and councils shared with the group key accomplishments from the last year. The work product presented by these volunteer leaders was both impressive and inspiring.

This brunch was then followed by committee and council meetings. Now in its third year, the young professionals committee met for the first time at an Annual meeting to discuss goals for the year ahead. Once again, I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm of our committee members to set an agenda for the next year that will positively impact young professionals and the greater association community.

Together, these experiences remind me why I volunteer. I find value in developing my professional network, leading open and honest discussions about the important issues impacting our profession and effecting change. Additionally, the benefits I’ve reaped from my volunteer opportunities are many. Not only have I learned a lot along the way, but I’ve also met an extraordinary group of people who challenge me to think about our work in new ways.

The decision to volunteer is not an easy one. We all lead very full and busy lives; however, today’s programming reminded me that volunteer leaders play an important role in their respective communities. If you don’t currently volunteer, I challenge you to find some small way to give back. Whether on a local, state or national level, there are countless ways to get involved.