Local Association Member Spotlight: NYAVA, New York, NY

Interview of Shaina Sherman, NYAVA President

 transitioned those to virtual sessions now.

Do you have an annual professional development event?
 We do an annual member meeting which includes a professional development component, and conduct our annual business meeting too.  

What is something you're pretty proud of?
 I'm really proud of how we have turned going virtual into an opportunity. Our event numbers have gone up recently, and I think we've been able to provide even more value to our members. We've also served as a source of emotional support for our membership community as orgs face uncertainty, furloughs, layoffs, and major changes in the way volunteering programs function. We care about our members, and hope they have felt cared for in the last year by being a part of our network.

How are you using social media?
 We are using social media more and more - and hoping to branch out into new platforms. We have an active Facebook presence (facebook.com/nyava.org) and are starting to engage with members in a LinkedIn Members Group. We use social media to promote events, find new members, and engage with our members through polls, discussions, and more.

Anything else you'd like your peers to know if your local association is functioning in a large urban setting?  
As an association hoping to reach New Yorkers from throughout our large urban setting, we have worked hard to build a diverse board with varying backgrounds, experience levels, and physical locations. This has helped us to reach the maximum amount of members and communities looking to advance their volunteer engagement efforts.