Winter 2017 SMPS CT Newsletter 
President's Report
Dear SMPS CT Community,
A popular topic of conversation at our monthly board meetings is giving back to our members. As Chapter president, it’s my top priority to make sure you, our members, are getting the most out of your SMPS memberships. I’m happy to report that we are at our highest membership rate since we chartered in 1982– 113 members! With so many of you to think about, I want to make sure all your voices are heard.
With each of our educational programs, members-only events, member outreach activities, and mentoring opportunities, we try to anticipate the needs of new and seasoned members. Our current attendance average for a monthly program or social is 40% of our total membership. I believe we can make that percentage grow with your input. I look forward to meeting more of you and hearing your ideas. Together, we can ensure that SMPS offers the most rewarding and exciting opportunities to its members.
Sincerely,
Kathy Nanowski
President, SMPS Connecticut 2016/2017
Member Milestones
Welcoming our new members and celebrating our member anniversaries.
Welcome New Members!
Kathlyn M. Terry
Marketing Manager
O,R&L Construction Corporation
Christine Jablonski
Senior Project Manager
Daniel O’Connell’s Sons, Inc.
Lauren Wysocki
Contracts Manager & Marketing Coordinator
C.E. Floyd Company, Inc.
Denise M. Petit
Associate Director, Marketing
Colliers International
Seth Duke
Corporate Marketing & Communications Manager
O & G Industries
Tanya R. Cutolo
Director of Business Development
SLAM-Construction Services
Milestone Member Anniversaries!
25 years
Ruth Millward of Millward and Millward LLC
20 years
Robert Daddona of Newfield Construction
10 years
Shanila Aslam of AI Engineers
Kimberly Walsh of CES
Marketing Communication Awards!
Your firm could be recognized at the marketing event of the year! Submit an entry to the SMPS CT Marketing Communication Awards and have your work on display at May's Blue Carpet Awards Gala.
Questions about submitting? Take a look at our MCA FAQ's or email Nichole Petersen or Samantha VanSchoick.
Not planning on submitting an entry? Don’t worry, this won’t be your typical awards ceremony. SMPS members and non-members alike are encouraged to dress to impress, walk the blue carpet and enjoy a night of awards, dinner, and dancing! In addition to the MCA entry awards, we will honor 3 non-entry awards that night: the Grace Waldvogel Member of the Year and 2 superlative awards. Register today!
How else can I be involved? There are many exciting sponsorship opportunities for this event! We have still have bar sponsorships, DJ sponsorship, and door prize sponsorship available. Contact Sponsorship Chair Nichole Petersen for more information or view the online catalog.
Meet our incredible judges for the 2017 MCA's:
Thom Long, Associate Professor of Architecture + Design - Hampshire College; Creative Director/Owner - Idea Collective
Thom is a practicing architect and graphic designer with close to twenty years experience as an inter-disciplinary creative. His work has spanned many areas of design from branding to print media, from interactive to animation/film, from exhibition design to architecture. He has lead multiple design teams in NY and Boston, featuring clients such as Elizabeth Arden, Gucci, Related Properties, Starwood Hotels, Marriott, Sofitel, Iron Chef Jose Garces, Berkshire Brewing Co. and Loews Hotels.
He is currently the owner and creative director of Idea Collective, a creative studio focused on brand and ideation. Idea Collective is a five person creative team inventing unique brands, interior design experiences, and print and digital media in many different industries. As well, he is designer and collaborator with Wodiczko + Bonder, an art and architectural practice focused on public art and design––the team recently completed the Memorial for the Abolition of Slavery in Nantes, France.
As a Five College joint-appointed associate professor of architecture + design, he teaches a variety of architecture and graphic design courses at Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Amherst College. Thom holds a B.Arch. from Roger Williams University and an M.S. in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University.
Sarah McGillicuddy, Director of Business Development & Marketing, Acentech
In her role as Director of Marketing and Business Development, Sarah McGillicuddy develops strategies, tools, and tactics to expand Acentech’s business in its key markets. She leads the business development, marketing, advertising, and communications efforts of Acentech’s seven vertical market teams and three disciplines in the areas of architectural acoustics, audiovisual, information technology and security system design, and environmental noise and vibration. Sarah’s focus on collaborating with strategic partners has helped to expand and nurture the firm’s business contacts, while fostering valuable client relationships.
Nancy Wiegers Greenwald is the Executive Director of the Construction Institute of the University of Hartford, in Hartford, CT. She has more than 35 years of experience as an attorney and business executive in the construction industry. Her years of experience as General Counsel, CFO, and co-owner of a multimillion dollar design-build firm, together with her work as an arbitrator and mediator in the construction industry form the basis of her commitment to further the Institute's mission to promote innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders in the built environment. She serves on the American Arbitration Association's Construction Industry Panel of Arbitrators and Mediators and has been appointed as a private arbitrator by the Virginia Courts.
Ms. Greenwald has served as a member of the Executive Committee and Leadership Council of the Dispute Resolution Section of the American Bar Association and is a member of the Forum on Construction Law. Ms. Greenwald has numerous publications about the construction industry with a focus on cross-industry collaboration, communication and dispute systems design, arbitration and complex construction contracts. She received her J.D. from Harvard Law School (1981, cum laude) and her Sc.B. from Brown University (1978, magna cum laude).
More judges to be announced soon!
Sponsorship
Stand out from the crowd and gain extra brand exposure for your firm by becoming a program Door Prize Sponsor. Make sure to take a look at the exciting sponsorship opportunities for the biggest Connecticut professional services marketing event of year, May's SMPS CT Marketing Communications Awards & Blue Carpet Gala.
For more information visit our online catalog, or contact sponsorship chair Nichole Petersen.
Membership Drive
The 2017 SMPS membership campaign, “SMPS Derby–Run for the Roses” is a campaign designed to encourage recruitment and retention efforts among chapters, provide training and resources, and to challenge chapters and award amazing prizes at the end of the contest period.
How can you win?
Join and become a member between March 1 - April 30, 2017
or
Refer a new member who joins between March 1 - April 30, 2017
Prizes will be awarded through a random drawing and will include an Regional UBER Conference package, free and reduced membership fees, sponsorship packages, and more.
Members who refer new members must email names to [email protected] to be eligible for prizes.
Past Program Recap
Click the image above to view a fun video from the event!
SMPS Connecticut members and guests literally juggled their way through the December 14th breakfast program on Leading in Times of Change at the New Haven Lawn Club. Speaker and Performer Jen Slaw dazzled and motivated attendees by demonstrating team building, creative problem solving, and ways to become balanced, productive and motived with juggling balls and peacock feathers. This highly interactive program was fun, educational and inspiring!
On January 18th SMPS Connecticut Members attended the Fireside Chat luncheon at The Library Wine Bar & Bistro in Wallingford. Maria Loitz, FSMPS, CPSM, Director of Marketing for BVH Integrated Services, P.C., spoke to attendees about her experiences, successes and obstacles throughout her career.
SMPS Connecticut hosted our first ever MAX event on February 15th at the Spotlight Theatres in Hartford. Speakers Gina Bedoya, FSMPS of Bedoya Business Strategies, David Barkin of the CT DAS/Division of Construction Services, and Marissa Dionne Mead, RA, LEED AP of Svigals + Partners inspired the audience with their stories of overcoming challenges, making positive changes, and following visions. After the program attendees were able to connect and engage with the speakers and each other.
Over the next three weeks, we will be releasing the videos produced by in-kind sponsor GeoMatrix Productions one-by-one, so keep your eye out for these amazing talks!
Mentorship Program
CALLING MENTORS & PROTÉGÉS!
One of the foundations of SMPS Connecticut is our open, fair, and reciprocal environment where ideas and knowledge are shared by members in order to enhance the AEC industry through a collaborative, yet competitive environment. The Mentor Program of SMPS Connecticut is designed to offer members an opportunity to participate in a truly meaningful relationship focused on personal growth and professional development. Whether you are a senior level marketing or business development professional or an entry-level recent college graduate, this program will provide important benefits for participation. Please contact Leadership Committee Chairperson, Jessica Osborne, if you’re interested in participating as either a Mentor or Protégé or if you have any questions regarding the program.
Calendar of Events
Wimpy writing just doesn’t get results! There is still time to register for our March Program, "Mechanics of Marketing with Graceworks, Inc." This deep dive lesson will teach everyone from marketing professionals to technical staff how to get results with clear, concise, and correct writing!
Registration is also open for April's Members Only Photography Lunch & Learn "Reverse Engineer you AEC Firm's Approach to Photography" presented by Heather Conley. Heather has been a marketing professional for more than twenty years and is still marketing now, with her camera. In this workshop, she will teach you how to:
- Take inventory and determine if you have the images to tell your stories and serve your end-use purposes.
- Do a gap analysis to catalogue what’s worth keeping and what needs to be shot (or re-shot).
- Plan ahead and implement a photography action plan to establish sustainable processes for moving forward.
Make sure to look at our calendar and to see the other exciting events we have in store.
CPSM
Are you a candidate for the Certified Professional Services Marketer Program? This valuable educational series includes six domains of study and is designed to advance your skillset and career. Those who successfully complete the program earn the CPSM credential in recognition of their expertise and commitment to industry. To learn more about criteria and the registration process, please visit: http://www.smps.org/certification/
Interested in joining a study group? Have questions? Feel free to contact Sharon Pomeroy, President-Elect at [email protected].
In Other News...
MEMBER NEWS
SMPS CT Director, Board of Directors and Director of Marketing at HRP Associates, Inc. Alicia Washington was featured in a NEREJ profile.
A modular tradeshow backdrop, created by SMPS treasurer Jim Bancroft (Lenard Engineering) and SMPS membership co-chair Ruth Millward (Millward and Millward Graphic Design), will appear in a forthcoming McGraw-Hill publication about direct marketing, entitled “M: Advertising.”
"Has Another Industry Already Solved Your Problem?" SMPS CT member Brent Robertson's firm Fathom was showcased in this article that appeared in Forbes. Read it here.
SMPS CT Chapter President and Director of Marketing at Fuss & O'Neill Kathy Nanowski is presenting "Win Rate Shouldn't Be Your Key Metric" at a workshop event for SMPS Palmetto in Columbia, SC.
SMPS CT member and Job Bank Coordinator Allison Puzycki was promoted to Director of Marketing at Svigals + Partners.
The work of SMPS members Joan Davidson (EDI Landscape) and Ruth Millward (Millward and Millward Graphic Design) was showcased recently in a national graphics magazine story about sustainable design. The article appeared in New York-based ”Graphic Design USA” and covered EDI’s brochure, along with Winterberry Irrigation’s website.
SMPS CT JOB BANK
An important part of the SMPS CT’s mission is to support our members' career development and advancement. In addition to educational events, seminars, networking and mentorship opportunities that help contribute to our members' career success; we also provide a forum for locating career opportunities and for companies to seek skilled marketers in the A/E/C industry. The SMPS CT Job Data Bank is a data resource only, and is not a referral or job placement service. The service is available at no charge to members or non-members.
