It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since our worlds turned upside down.

Over the last year, I’ve felt how important our talent development community is--and how easy it was to take that community for granted. Without our time to mingle face-to-face before and after events, maintaining our relationships has been hard work.

I sincerely hope that we’ll soon be able to gather in person again. But until that happens, we are still finding ways to connect with each other. I want to offer three ways for you to stay engaged in our community.

TD Coffee Hour

First, we’ve heard how much you appreciate time to socialize and connect. Our volunteer recognition evening was a great opportunity to catch up with each other, and we want to create more of those opportunities. So, we are now hosting a monthly TD coffee hour. There’s no agenda; just drop in with your favorite brew and connect with your fellow TD professionals. We will have lots of breakout rooms so you can split into small groups, or stay in the main room for a larger group conversation.

Professional Development Networks

Second, our professional development networks remain a great forum to share challenges and solve problems with each other. I want to thank our Training Delivery PDN and Leaders of Learning PDN leaders for continuing to host these conversations, and I’m excited that we have a new group for Organizational Development professionals launching in April. I encourage you to participate in these sessions.

If you have your own areas to explore with chapter members, we would love to offer additional PDN groups. Whether you want to organize a standing group or a short-term learning circle, email me at president@sewi-atd.org and we’ll help you make your idea a reality!

Get Involved

Finally, the best way to feel connected is to get involved. There are dozens of ways to volunteer in our chapter, from working on our newsletter to organizing events or serving as contacts to our partner organizations. Volunteering is a great way to build friendships, grow your skills, and find meaning in your work. Raising your hand is as easy as emailing me, so don't wait!

Until we are able to see each other in person--thanks for being part of our community!

Colin J. Hahn

SEWI-ATD President