July 2017
A monthly newsletter from the Rochester Professional Consultants Network
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President's message
Standing on the shoulders of giants
By Bob Manard, RPCN President
 As I begin my tenure as president of RPCN, I am reminded of a quote from Isaac Newton: "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." I took this to heart as I was putting together our Strategic Plan for the next year. I sought to maintain the parts of the plan that have worked well for us and add some things that I believe will add value.
Since joining the organization in February of 2014, as part of the Boot Camp, It has been my privilege to learn from the four most recent presidents of RPCN. I am happy to report that all four of them have remained with the organization and are currently serving as members of the board.
We have made significant progress over the last few years, which is impressive considering that we rely almost completely on volunteer efforts to accomplish our goals. We've been very successful with our Friday morning programs and even ran a successful evening program at the Gates Library. Our networking events have been well attended and have drawn some new people to the organization. We ran a conference last fall and a Boot Camp this past winter, both of which ended up in the black. Our newest initiatives have begun to bear fruit, especially our efforts with Pathstone and Enhancing Human Capital. All in all, 23016 - 2017 was a very good year for RPCN.
Great things are on the horizon as we move forward over the next year. These are the strategic objectives that will guide us:
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Branding - position RPCN as the premier resource for those seeking consulting services.
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Relationships - grow strategic alliances with the public and private sectors, including businesses, nonprofits, universities, and government agencies.
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Technology - leverage our website and social media presence with video and mobile technology to expand our visibility and market reach.
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Outreach - increase the range of member consultants in terms of geography and areas of expertise in order to become more of a one-stop shop.
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Engagement - create lucrative opportunities for members to participate in the activities of the organization and showcase their talent in the process.
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Professional development - provide access to world-class learning events to help members expand the knowledge and skills needed to run their businesses effective.
There are a number of ways we will accomplish these objectives. You can read more here: 2017 - 2018 Strategic Plan, but these are a few of the key priorities we will focus on:
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Launch the new RPCN website and enhance it to become best in class.
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Increase our reach by holding events at different locations and times of day.
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Greatly increase our use of video, including streaming and archiving video of key events.
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Implement marketing and communication strategies to promote RPCN and its members, including a substantial increase in media coverage.
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Create more opportunities for members to build relationships with clients and fellow members.
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Educate the community and prospective clients about professional consulting and how they can use consultants effectively.
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Increase diversity and inclusion.
By working together, we can achieve these objectives and increase the value of RPCN and our own individual businesses as well.
Immediate past president's message
Reflections
By Laurie Enos, RPCN Past President
 As I reflect on my term as president of RPCN, I want to thank all the wonderful members who helped make my time as president smooth and fun. I have indeed been blessed with a board that truly has the best interests of RPCN in mind. We have worked well together over this past year and I thank each of you for your hard work and dedication.
This role has allowed me to meet more new and potential members of our group. It's been so easy to talk about how great, welcoming, and friendly our group is because we are!
I know I am leaving RPCN in good hands with Bob Manard taking over as president. He's been an active member and vice president, and will do a great job as our president.
I will continue on the Board of Directors, as immediate past president, and, if you know me, you know I'll stay very involved in other aspects of RPCN.
Thank you for the opportunity to lead RPCN this past year. It's been fantastic!
Meet the new board of directors
RPCN has a new board of directors this month. They are listed below, along with a little bit of info on why they were selected to serve on the board. We have put together a strong team that will continue the activities we already have in place and allow us to pursue new activities to raise the value of RPCN to our members, to our clients, and to the local economic ecosystem. Click on a name at left to find out more about any Board member.
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Ruth Balkin
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Ruth is new to the board but has spent many years in service to RPCN, including managing the library, participating substantially in membership activities, and staffing the welcome desk at most events.
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Jim Barton
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Jim helped revive the Membership Committee this past year by serving as chair and instituting a number of new processes. Although his tenure in that role has expired, he continues to help out during the transition as we search for a new chair.
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Dave Bassett
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Dave, a previous president of RPCN, has also served for many years as treasurer and has recently found a suitable replacement for that role. He has also provided invaluable support to the conference committees, Enhancing Human Capital, and has been the person we look to when we need to change our bylaws.
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Frank Crombe
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Frank is the new treasurer of RPCN, having transitioned into that role by serving first as assistant treasurer. His experience as a CPA will serve him, and us, well.
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Joyce Curran
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Joyce is the new vice president of RPCN. Her years of public service and experience in public relations and communications will help open us up to new opportunities.
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Robin Dettman
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Robin's role in the Enhancing Human Capital activities will bring some real-world perspectives to those efforts.
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Laurie Enos
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Laurie, the new past president, has done quite a bit already for RPCN. With help from her business partner, Mary Sperr, she has provided invaluable support in marketing, event planning, and social media. She is also one of our main interfaces with FLREDC and EBP.
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Helen Gulack
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Helen continues her role as secretary of RPCN. She also provides her own unique perspectives in support of the Enhancing Human Capital activities.
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Bob Lurz
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Bob, a previous president of RPCN, continues to lead the Business Forum, having done so for quite a few years. He has also led all of the completed RPCN Boot Camps to date and is now helping transition that activity to a new leader. Bob's role in managing our alliances and directing prospecting events such as job fairs has helped to make the business community aware of RPCN's value.
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Fred Lutz
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Fred has provided support to the conference activities and brings a great deal of wisdom and experience to the organization.
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Tamara MacDuff
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Tamara is new addition to the board and to RPCN itself. She has served many years as a SCORE mentor and presenter, including some very effective workshops on social media. She has also played a significant role in other organizations around town, including the Rochester Women's Network.
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David Powe
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David, a previous president of RPCN, has helped elevate RPCN over the last few years. His initiative in building relationships with Pathstone, FLREDC, Eastman Business Park, Ed White from the Photonics community, and Floyd Tucker from Enhancing Human Capital has put RPCN on track to become a significant player in the local economic ecosystem.
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Myneco Ramirez
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Myneco has brought unique perspectives to RPCN, emanating in part from her role as founder of the Tech Startup Expo, her role at Roc Growth, and her invaluable connections around town.
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Steve Royal
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Steve has been a valuable asset for many years, running the Tech Forum, serving as webmaster, helping get the newsletter published, and being there to answer the phone when someone calls to find out more about RPCN.
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Jerry Seward
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Jerry has been our go to resource for all things technical for many years. His role with Rochester Googles, his ability to answer just about any technical question either from experience or with a little help from Google, and his technical support of our web activities makes him a valuable member of the team. He has recently agreed to lead a capital campaign as a step toward RPCN finally attaining the goal of a permanent location of our own.
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Michael Van der Gaag
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Michael, a previous president of RPCN, has done a superb job with programs. He has been able to secure speakers who are interesting and informative. The increased attendance at these programs proves that he is doing something right.
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Upcoming events
RPCN Summer Dinner Cruise
Wednesday, July 26, 2017; 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Marina Drive in Irondequoit at Voyager Boat Sales. We'll be on a HarborTown Belle cruise. For details and to register, CLICK HERE.
Writing and Living Your Personal Mission
Friday, July 28, 2017, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave., Rochester 14618
This interactive workshop will examine the relationship between personal and business mission statements using a variety of writing techniques.
Presenter: Nancy Steinkamp
Nancy Steinkamp is a certified journal writing instructor who has studied with the Center for Journal Therapy and the Therapeutic Writing Institute.
Technical Forum
Friday, August 4, 2017 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Pittsford Community Library, 24 State St., Pittsford, N Y 14534
Facilitated by Steve Royal. An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of any technical issues that consultants encounter in running their businesses, including computers, the Internet and phones. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? Click here for a list from previous forums.
How to Retire While You Consult
Presenter: Michael Chabalik
Friday, August 11, 2017, at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, 14618
Michael will address the concepts of either being "retired" or "quasi-retired," what the differences are, and some key considerations surrounding that.
Business Forum
Friday, August 18, 2017; 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., Pittsford Community Library, 24 State St., Pittsford, NY 14534
Facilitated by Bob Lurz. An informal, facilitated roundtable discussion of issues regarding starting or running a consulting business. Wondering what kind of questions people are asking? Click here for a list from recent forums.
Board Meeting
Friday, August 18, 2017; 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 PM; Pittsford Library, after the Business Forum
Do you want to know what happens "behind the scenes" at RPCN? Come to a board meeting and find out.
Everyone is welcome to attend, but only board members may vote.
The RPCN month board meeting begins at approximately 10:00 a.m. after the Business Forum.
We want you!
The RPCN newsletter welcomes news, success stories, tips, resources, events and other items that would be of broad interest to consultants. Submit a newsletter item by e-mail to the Newsletter Committee. RPCN members also may write articles for our website; submit articles here. In the newsletter, we'll highlight submitted articles aimed at helping consultants make their businesses better. If you have newsletter questions or suggestions, or ideas for how RPCN could improve communications, contact the Newsletter Committee:Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, chair and editor, and Steve Royal, publisher.
Not an RPCN member? You can join RPCN now to receive great benefits, including free admission to RPCN presentations at Brighton Town Hall, a listing in the RPCN Member Directory, and discounts to RPCN events. CLICK HERE for more information on joining RPCN.
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