MSAE Connections Fall 2009

Fall 2009

LSAE/MSAE Joint Conference

Smooth Sailing

October 4-6, 2009 Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort & Spa Destin, Florida

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Mike Pepper President-Elect Layne Bruce Past President Bob Wilson Secretary-Treasurer Shari Veazey

EXECUTIVE MEMBERS Danny Gleason Peggy Lockert Marty Milstead Linda Ross Aldy

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Mary Sampson Kim Terrell Penny Quave Kim Thomas

Fall 2009

Features 04

MSAE Salary Survey

06

American Society of Association Executives

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LSAE/MSAE Joint Conference

09

Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau Coordinates Sales Familiarization

Tours for Area Meeting Planners

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Anne Coggins Recognized for Outstanding Achievement

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Employment Challenges in a Changing Political Environment

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10 Simple Ways to a Healthier, Happier You

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Letter from the Program Chair

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Flu Update from the Mississippi Hospital Association

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Amy Wilson

Published by: Creative Marketing Concepts 1085 Chesson Hill Drive Fitzpatrick, AL 36029 Phone: 334.725.0093

Departments 18

Welcome New MSAE Members

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Calendar of Events

19

Advertiser Index

CONTENTS

Connections is published for the Mississippi Society of Association Executives (MSAE) P.O. Box 12467 Jackson, MS 39236 Phone: 601.366.7400 Fax: 601.853.4283 Web: msae-net.org

For Advertising Information Call 877.363.0832

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MSAE Salary Survey Charles Lindsay, CPA The results of the MSAE Salary Survey have been accumulated and are now available to each Executive member from the MSAE offices. MSAE will provide each member with a summary and the complete data can be obtained by contacting the MSAE offices.

This survey was conducted as a benefit to member organizations. As a part of your membership dues, you will have access to data comparing your organization to others in Mississippi. It should provide each organization with data that is now required when setting the salaries of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, if applicable.

15. Full Time Employees (48 responses) The survey was conducted this spring. We are happy to report How many full time employees does your organization have? that there were 58 organizations who participated. I want to congratulate the Board and members of the Association for such a fantastic response. This speaks so well for this strong Association.

When you review the survey, you will find the responses divided into groups based on the operating budget of the participating organizations. We believe this grouping gives the reader a useful comparison to other groups that are about the same size.

With the new IRS Form 990, you will need to be able to answer YES to the following questions: • Is the salary of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer set by a group that is independent of the one being reviewed?

• Was comparative salary data reviewed in the process to determine that a reasonable salary is being paid?

• Has the comparative data examined been included in the minutes of the approving body?

This new focus by the IRS is to help eliminate payment of unreasonable salaries to executives of tax exempt organizations. (We know this is not a problem in Mississippi). The MSAE survey is one tool you can use to satisfy the new requirements. If you use this survey and Annual Executive Salaries find your organization on the top end, you will need to substantiate the reasons your salaries exceed the averages in the survey. Any time an organization is in the top 75th percentile, we believe it is prudent to document additional reasons for approving the higher salary. These reasons may include previous professional experiences, longevity in the position, advanced degrees, unique skill sets, comparison with other peers in the region or various other reasons that would cause an independent group to deliberate and determine that the compensation level is reasonable for the position. I encourage you to apply a reasonableness test here. There is absolutely nothing

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that indicates a person cannot be paid in excess of these averages. If you find yourself in this situation, we suggest looking at other sources that might include Guidestar.org, National Association Surveys, other trend data or even a poll conducted by your organization. These additional sources may help justify the salary level. We believe by obtaining contemporaneous documentation to support your salaries, you will have the necessary information to quiet any claims of excessive compensation that could be made by IRS.

39. Vacation Days

We hope you find the data in the survey helpful. It does go beyond just salary data and includes a number of questions about the organziations and the benefits that are paid.

91. Annual Fee - Mgt Company Charles R. Lindsay is a Certified Public Accountant who works with individuals, corporations and tax exempt entities. He is President of Matthews, Cutrer & Lindsay, P.A., an accounting firm located in Ridgeland, MS. He is also Chairman of the MS Society of CPA's committee on nonprofit accounting.

* Numbers on graph titles reflect the question number on the survey.

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The American Society of Association Executives Mississippi was well represented by several MSAE Associate members and executive members at the American Society of Association Executives' 2009 Annual Meeting and Expo in Toronto, Canada August 16-18th. It was not only a good training time for executive members and "selling" time for the associate members, but it was a great bonding and networking time with fellow Mississippians and MSAE members.

Mississippi’s three booths - Tunica, the Gulf Coast, and the Division of Tourism - greeted meeting planners interested in Mississippi meetings, golf and incentive trips. A spicy “Caesar,” the Canadian version of the Bloody Mary, served in the Mississippi Booths was a great treat for the almost 5,000 attendees.

The Mississippi Development Authority’s Division of Tourism sponsored a “Mississippi Southern Sizzle Luncheon” in Toronto at the ASAE Exposition on August 18th. “Put a Little Southern Sizzle in Your Next Meeting” was the theme which featured a southern array of Mississippi food specialties along with Mississippi aprons for all booth visitors and luncheon servers.

Penny Quave with the MS Gulf Coast Coliseum was a first time attendee. "It was a good conference. They really went all out for the Opening and Closing Receptions. The Trade Show traffic was a little slow the last day; however we did receive good quality leads from the show. The State of Mississippi sponsored the luncheon on Tuesday (the last day) and had several planners thank us.

Executive members Layne Bruce, Carol Hardwick and Amy Wilson attended the plethora of workshops, sessions, and exhibit hall extravaganza. “I was impressed by the size and scope of the meeting. I know from planning much smaller meetings the amount of work and coordination involved, and the ASAE team did a terrific job.

Best of all, I brought home a notebook full of ideas that made attendance well worth it,” reflects Bruce.

"The ASAE conference provides so many different speakers on so many timely topics that are relevant to running an association that it is difficult to choose which to attend. I feel fortunate to be able to attend this conference for the exposure to national speakers," Hardwick states. “The booths in the expo hall showcase many exotic resorts along with familiar places. Our Mississippi booths were very inviting with engaging staff. Then, they always have a grand finale party, and this year was no exception with the Bachman Cummings Band which belted out their own songs that are some of the best songs of all time."

"I appreciate MSAE for allowing me an opportunity to attend a conference of my peers. I spend much of my time planning conferences for other professions and rarely get to advance my own knowledge in a conference setting," Wilson expresses.

"The most valuable meeting for me was the 8-hour Saturday meeting of the Association States Alliance which are Executive Directors for the state SAEs. The ideas and information that is shared in this small group is priceless and enables me to bring new ideas and solutions back to MSAE." The next ASAE Annual Meeting is in Los Angeles, August 21-24, 2010. Consider attending this informative and eye-opening meeting!

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LSAE/MSAE Joint Conference Smooth Sailing

October 4-6, 2009 Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort & Spa Destin, Florida

Registration and Opening Night Party

Don’t be left beh ind while we sail in to the smooth waters of 2010!

Registration begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 in the exhibit hall. Then join Sandestin Hilton staff as they sponsor the Opening Night Event under the stars on the deck overlooking the Beaches of Sandestin for a night of music, food and drinks and Casino Party sponsored by Monte Carlo Productions. Join us at 5:00 p.m. at the welcome reception in the exhibit hall followed by dinner Sponsored by Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort & Spa.

Silent Auction The auction is sure to be a fun and exciting event with an opportunity to network in the exhibit hall. All proceeds support the CAE scholarship fund.

Golf Join us for golf Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the Links Course. The Links Course at Sandestin has been named one of the “Top Five Golf Courses in Northwest Florida” and one of the “Top 100 Courses in Florida” by Florida Golf News.

Beach Bowling & Beach Chair Rentals The appeal of seaside bowling lies in its advantages--bare feet allowed, the alley's free, and there's an unlimited supply of pins! Join us for this fun event on the beach. There will be a limited number of beach chairs for those who want to soak up some rays. Join us Monday at 1p.m. to chill on the beach and enjoy some refreshments. Reservations are recommended as availability is limited.

Refer to your registration brochure or visit www.msae-net.org to download additional registration form and fax to LSAE.

Monday Night Activities Prepare yourself for the excitement of the Not-So-Silent Auction in the Exhibit Hall 6:00-7:30 and a night of fun, music and fabulous food on the lawn at the Village of Baytowne Wharf, sponsored by Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort.

Wear your favorite team colors to add a little competition to the night.

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Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau Coordinates Sales Familiarization Tours for Area Meeting Planners "We are currently in the midst of a huge face-lift; we have a new 330,000 square foot state-of the art convention center, the re-birth of the King Edward now known as the Hilton Garden Inn and many newly renovated hotels," said Shun Hatten, Vice-President of Sales with the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau. That’s why the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau coordinated a two-week series Sales Familiarization (FAM) Tour for over 200 meeting planners in the metro Jackson area.

"The Sales FAM, also known as a Sales Familiarization Tour, provided meeting planners in the Jackson area a chance to take a look at what we offer and also the many reasons why Jackson is the spot for them to host their next meeting,” Hatten continued.

Shun Hatten, Vice President of Sales with the Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau (JCVB), and Suzanne Davis, Convention Sales Manager with the JCVB, work on giving away fabulous door prizes during the Sales FAM Tour closing session at the Jackson Convention Complex.

This FAM tour was unique because it spanned a two-week time period and included 13 Jackson hotels, meeting venues and the Jackson Convention Complex. These various properties hosted a variety of activities such as special luncheons, receptions and breakfasts so that meeting planners could see first-hand how each location could provide amenities and specialized services for future events.

Eleana Pope, Program and Event Coordinator for MS Forestry Association stated, "By having the event over a period of two weeks, I was able to participate in some of the events even though I had work and personal conflicts that prevented my attending every event. This creative approach to a FAM event enabled everyone to catch at least a glimpse of the exciting renovations, upgrades, and new facilities in our capital city."

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Meeting planners enjoyed sampling menu items at the Marriott Downtown during one of the JCVB's Sales FAM Tour planned events.

Also, eye-opening events such as trolley tours throughout downtown Jackson provided by Downtown Jackson Business Partners and hardhat tours of the newly $84 million renovated historic King Edward Hotel, now a 186-room Hilton Garden Inn Hotel gave people a chance to see the progress and excitement in the Downtown Jackson area.

These events gave participating meeting planners an opportunity to experience the renaissance underway in our capital city.

“The FAM tour was an exceptional opportunity to become more familiar with local meeting spaces. We tend to overlook the obvious sometimes, and I especially enjoyed making friends with the management and staff at each location. The hospitality and prep work at each site was greatly appreciated. The Jackson CVB did a wonderful job in scheduling and participation from the first day of the Tour to the finale at the Convention Complex. PLUS, I even recruited a new member for MSAE. Now, it doesn’t get much better than that!” remarks Ann Neal, Executive Director, His Way and MSAE member.

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Chef Louie Bruno along with MSAE member Leigh Guy greet guests at the Hilton Jackson.

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Anne Coggins Recognized for Outstanding Achievement TUNICA, Mississippi (June 25, 2009)—Anne Coggins, the sales manager for the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau, won the Commercial Appeal Women of Distinction award “Top Woman in Business Award” during a ceremony at DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, Mississippi recently.

She was chosen by a panel of judges from among a large pool of nominees. At the ceremony, there were six finalists in the three award categories. Coggins was the only person nominated in two categories.

She has been selling her hometown of Tunica to tourists, community leaders and businesses around the country for the past 15 years.

"I am extremely honored, for one thing, to represent Tunica and especially to be a part of this inaugural event," said Coggins. "I hope to live up to the distinction and to continue to represent Tunica in this way."

Anne Coggins has 15 years of continuous service as a business leader and community servant working for the Tunica Chamber of Commerce and then the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau.

During this time, she’s worked for Webster Franklin, the president and CEO of the Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau. Since 1997, Coggins has generated 1,024 published leads for the casino industry, of which 599 have converted to definite business, with 155,907 attendees. The estimated revenue from these meetings and conventions is $36,716,000.

“Anne Coggins is the most deserving woman for this award I know having spent countless hours promoting Tunica,” said Franklin. “The award is a testament to the importance of her work and the tourism industry here in Tunica and the State of Mississippi.”

In 2006 and 2007, Coggins received the “Past President’s Award” from the Mississippi Tourism Association for her work as the President for two years. In 2007, she also received the “Mississippi Tourism Association’s Member of the Year,” the top award given at the Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Coggins received this award in 2001 as well, and she is the only person in the history of the organization to receive the “Mississippi Tourism Association Member of the Year” award twice.

Located 30 minutes south of Memphis, Tunica is the South’s Casino Capital. Live It Up Just Down the Road at the nine world-class casinos, 6,000 luxurious hotel rooms, fine dining restaurants and buffets, headline entertainers, championship golf and tennis, award-winning museums, lavish spas, and outlet/antique shopping. Come see why everyone is saying, “Tunica…Live It Up Just Down the Road!” Call 1-888-4TUNICA to request a value-packed Winner’s Guide, or visit www.tunicatravel.com for travel information.

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Employment Challenges in a Changing Political Environment 3. How the Employee Free Choice Act (“EFCA”)

Changes Everything Since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, most union organizing campaigns have resulted in secret ballot elections conducted by the NLRB. These elections disclosed the employees’ free choice of whether or not the employees desired union representation.

Although the unions’ “win” rate in such secret ballot elections remains above fifty percent in the United States, unions complain that employers’ anti-union campaigns have become too effective. Thus, the portion of the workforce represented by unions has continued to decline, and unions currently represent about 12.4% of public and private sector wage and salary workers (unions represent approximately 8% of the private sector workforce). Even though the unions fail to explain the corresponding long-term decline in union representation in European and other countries (some of which have EFCA-like laws), the unions’ “solution” to their US “problem” is for Congress to pass EFCA. Since President Obama and his administration are strong supporters of EFCA (and since both houses of Congress are controlled by the Democratic party, which endorses EFCA), passage of EFCA in some form is likely.

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In its current form EFCA would:

a.

Authorize the NLRB to certify a union as the collective bargaining representative of employees in a workplace based merely upon signed authorization cards and without any secret ballot election. If a union (even surreptitiously) persuades a majority of employees in an appropriate unit to sign authorization cards, the NLRB would then certify the union as the representative of the employees without an election (even if the cards were signed based on misrepresentations, threats or coercion).

b.

Require expedited bargaining by the employer.

Upon its certification as the employee’s representative via card signing (which the employer may not have even known was happening), the union can immediately send to the employer a written request for bargaining. The employer will be required to commence bargaining within ten days of receiving the union’s written request.

c.

Require binding arbitration if no agreement is reached. If no agreement is reached within ninety days of commencement of bargaining, the union can refer the dispute to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (“FMCS”).

part

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2 of 4

part series

by: Armin J. Moeller, Jr. Balch & Bingham LLP

If within the next thirty days the mediator is unable to persuade the parties to agree upon a contract, then the matter will be submitted to a panel of arbitrators selected by FMCS. The panel will then set the terms of the initial contract.

d.

Require the employer (and the employees) to be bound by the results of the contract for two years, even if the terms of the contract were not agreed upon by the employees and employer, but set by or the panel of arbitrators.

e.

Authorize stronger penalties for employer violations. If the employer violates a relevant regulation while employees are attempting to organize, form a union or obtain their first contract, civil penalties of up to $20,000 could be imposed upon the employer. Any employee found to be terminated because of his/her union activity would not only receive backpay (the present remedy) but treble damages. Further, if the NLRB’s Regional Director found “reasonable cause” to believe that the employer discriminatorily demoted or terminated an employee because of his/her union activity, the NLRB District Director would be required to go to federal court to force the employer to reinstate the employee to his former position and benefits pending the outcome of legal proceedings (which may not be resolved for several years).

Under the current system, employers ordinarily respond to union campaigns (and/or the filing of a petition for an election) in the period between the filing of the petition and the secret ballot election – typically about 42 days. EFCA would severely limit the reaction time employers have to respond to union organizing efforts. If EFCA becomes law (or if significant changes are made to current law), the threat of surreptitious card signing campaigns will force employers who desire to maintain non-union status to expend a great deal of time, energy and money in constantly communicating with employees regarding the company’s position on third party organizations (such as unions), the reasons for the company’s current success, and why a thirdparty organization will not advance the interests of either the employees or the employer.

4. Today’s Union Organizing Tactics Which are Successful Today, unions typically are not organizing employees through the traditional means of a secret ballot election conducted by the NLRB. Indeed, unions are bypassing NLRB procedures entirely in favor or persuading employers to sign neutrality agreements and/or engaging in corporate

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campaigns. A “neutrality agreement” is an agreement by which an employer agrees with a union to take “a positive approach to unionization.” Typically, neutrality agreements contain the following terms: (1) neither party will use the NLRB and all disputes will be resolved by a union friendly arbitrator who is identified in the agreement; (2) the employer will not oppose unionization at any facility which it owns directly or indirectly; (3) upon demand, the employer will provide the union with lists containing employee names, addresses, telephone numbers and other information (which will assist the union in organizing the employees); (4) the union will be provided access to employee parking lots, breakrooms and cafeterias in order that the union can solicit employees during non-work time; and (5) managers and supervisors may say nothing regarding the union’s campaign.

Unions have had significant success in persuading employers to execute neutrality agreements on a regional and nationwide basis especially where unions have leverage over the employer in some of the employer’s more significant facilities. For example, Harrahs and other major casino owners have entered into neutrality agreements with a number of unions. As a result, Harrahs Grand Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi (and certain other casinos) are subject to neutrality agreements and have become unionized. The union campaigns at these locations followed the terms of the neutrality agreement: union representatives requested a list of the employees and access to the employer’s facilities; employees were solicited by union representatives in breakrooms and parking lots; some employees signed union cards, but others who requested information from their supervisor were told that the supervisors could not comment on the union campaign; and when the union had a majority of the employees signed up on cards, they presented the cards to a preselected arbitrator (identified in the neutrality agreement) who simply reviewed the signatures, declared the signatures to be authentic, and agreed that a majority of the employees had requested the union to be the employees’ representative.

When an employer does not simply agree to unionization via a neutrality agreement or other means, the unions will frequently launch a “corporate campaign” against the employer. The objective of the corporate campaign is use economic pressure to force the company to recognize the union or be destroyed. Corporate campaign tactics include “street theatre” demonstrations at employer facilities; banners/handbills/pickets at employer facilities; blast emails, faxes and telephone traffic to “persuade” employees at employer facilities (or to disrupt communication systems); negative “newsletter” articles from “front” newspapers or newsletters (attempting to create the impression that negative news about the employer is being disseminated by a legitimate news source); media campaigns disparaging the products or services of the employer; “front” organizations that suggest a public service/public interest purpose in opposing the employer (or in disseminating negative information about the employer); “front” organizations and labor organizations posing regulatory challenges and objections to the approval of license and permit applications

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by the employer; and the surreptitious insertion of “salts” as employees of the employer (“salts” pose as ordinary job applicants but are actually paid union organizers who seek employment with the employer in order to organize the employees from within and, if organization is not successful, possibly sabotage the employer).

The experience of Brandon Regional Medical Center in Brandon, Florida and Sutter Hospital in Sacramento, California illustrate typical union tactics in corporate campaigns. In 2003-2004, the Sheetmetal Workers International Union protested Brandon Regional Medical Center’s employment of a nonunion hospital contractor, Workers Temporary Staffing (“WTS”). When Brandon refused to terminate its contract with WTS, the union inflated a rat shaped balloon (12 feet wide and 16 feet high) near the main entrance of the hospital. A banner reading “Workers Temporary Staffing” was attached to the balloon rat’s belly. When the hospital did not concede to the union’s continuing threats, the union passed out leaflets in front of the hospital which stated “There’s a ‘Rat’ at Brandon Regional Hospital” and included a drawing of a rat in a hospital room. In the drawing, a man in a suit (representing the hospital’s management) is busy picking up rat droppings while an alarmed nurse stands at the bedside of a patient who appears to be nearly deceased.

When such tactics proved unsuccessful, the union staged a mock funeral procession in front of Brandon hospital, complete with “pallbearers” toting a coffin; a costumed “Grim Reaper” carrying a scythe; and funereal music played over loudspeakers. Union members distributed leaflets stating “Going to Brandon Regional Medical Center Should Not be a Grave Decision” and listing unproven allegations taken from complaints filed in then-current malpractice suits against Brandon.

In 2005, Sutter Hospital used Angelica Corporation as their laundry service. The union, UNITE HERE, had a labor dispute with Angelica and demanded that Sutter terminate its business relationship with Angelica until Angelica and the union resolved its dispute on terms favorable to the union. When Sutter refused, approximately 18,000 women in Sutter Health’s Northern California market area received a postcard with a photograph of a newborn baby and the words “Expecting?” Below the newborn was the caption, “You may be bringing home more than your baby if you deliver at a Sutter Birthing Center.” On the back of the postcard was the statement “Reports have surfaced that Angelica, the laundry service utilized by Sutter, does not ensure that ‘clean’ linens are free of blood, feces and harmful pathogens.” Sutter sued, and following years of litigation, a jury awarded Sutter $17.3 million in damages. However, it is unclear whether Sutter will ever be able to recover its losses by successfully executing on any union-owned property. (to be continued in the next issue of MSAE Connections...)

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When it’s time to unwind, Pearl River Resort has 16 spectacular restaurants, two championship golf courses, an endless array of table games and slots, over 1,000 impressively designed hotel rooms and much more. To make your next meeting a memorable one, schedule your event at Pearl River Resort.

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10 Simple Ways to a Healthier, Happier You

by Jeannie Waller Mississippi Main Street Association Are you used to compartmentalizing your life? There’s work here, family time here, “you” time there…why not approach your life from a more “holistic” approach? Consider how to incorporate the things you need and desire to do into your daily existence. You can have that well-balanced life!

1. Network. All work and no play? You may be sabotaging your bottom line by sacrificing work relationships.

With social networking ever increasing that blends work and play, building relationships with business

professionals is more important than ever.

2. Move. No matter the economic climate, your health should be a top investment. Buy that exercise bike or

gym membership. You are worth it!

3. Take a Break. There’s nothing beneficial about staring at a computer screen all day long. Get up and stretch,

interact with a co-worker, walk outside – these short intervals of activity will keep your body active, your eyes

rested and your mind re-focused.

4. Meditate. Have a long commute to and from work? Use this time to let your mind wander on anything but

the office. Listen to a book on tape or some good music. Instead of thinking of your commute as a drag,

think of it as precious minutes to unwind.

5.

Energize. Feeling tired all the time? You can probably trace back your fatigue to three things: poor diet, lack of exercise and not enough sleep. Realize big changes happen in small steps. Commit to going to bed a half hour early tonight. Set out the oatmeal and cook your 5-minute oats in the morning. Take your multi-vitamin.

Vow to fill up on good things – apples, veggies and almonds instead of telling yourself “no” to all junk food.

Get full on the good stuff and the bad cravings will subside!

6.

Enjoy. Don’t like to exercise? Nonsense! The human body was made to move. You just haven’t found your thing yet. Not all of us are marathon runners or competitive bikers. You may enjoy an early morning spin class or a late evening stroll around the block. It doesn’t have to be exhausting – just move for about 30 minutes everyday and you’ll look and feel better before you know it! Who said exercise had to be tortuous?

7.

Do New. Break out of your routine. Does that sentence make you cringe? No one likes change, but it’s good for us. Do something different one night this week…turn off the TV and play a board game. Take a week vacation from Facebook and do something else for 20 minutes everyday. Go to that new restaurant, drive around a pretty neighborhood…act like a tourist in your own hometown.

8. Be a kid. Throw a football, do a cartwheel, eat a snow cone, ride on a fair ride, rent a Pixar flick or walk

around barefoot. See the world through the eyes of a child and take in the small wonders everyday – a

puddle of rain, a newborn animal, a butterfly’s flight, the shape of the moon...

9. Drink up. Or, at least drink a glass of water for every non-water item you drink. (Example for every cup of

coffee, drink a cup of water). Staying hydrated is key to looking and feeling younger. Most people do not

drink enough water! An easy first step? Drink a glass first thing every morning before you do anything else.

10. Laugh. Laughing does so many good things for the human body. Listen to a joke, find a funny blog or

website, watch a sitcom, reality show or funny movie. Find the humor in everyday – especially at the office!

Jeannie Waller is Director of Communications at the Mississippi Main Street Association. Jeannie is an AFAA certified Group Exercise Instructor. She likes to decompress after work with Pilates.

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Letter from the Program Chair Judith Forshee Mississippi Hospital Association MSAE Programs Chair

The Mississippi Society of Association Executives Programs Committee has been working diligently to bring you entertaining and educational MSAE Lunch & Learns.

In August, MSAE member Ricki Garrett, Ph.D., executive director of the Mississippi Nurses Association, presented her findings on the importance of board diversity from her recent doctoral dissertation, Women Trustees: Finding a Voice for Their Unique Perspective in the Governance of Higher Education. In her research for the dissertation, Ricki interviewed 10 women who were serving or had served on boards of higher education as chair. In her Lunch & Learn presentation, she focused on what women bring to boards, the barriers they face in getting appointed to boards, and the barriers they face once they are appointed to boards.

Ricki Garrett, Ph.D.

Ricki knows a little about this from firsthand experience. In 1992, Gov. Kirk Fordice Executive Director appointed her to serve a 12-year term on the State Institutions of Higher Learning Mississippi Nurses Association board of trustees. One month after she was appointed, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the Ayers Desegregation Case back to the state on remand.

During lunch, Ricki shared the four common characteristics shared by the successful women trustees she interviewed.

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2.

3.

4.

Focus on relationship building Collaborative nature/interest in consensus building Empathetic/nurturing nature Preparedness

Garrett pointed out that these characteristics work against women as much as they work for them. (For example, you can focus so much on building a consensus that it’s impossible to bring any project to fruition.)

Overall, it was an eye-opening presentation about how both men and women can bring their unique characteristics to a board table and work together for the greater good. If you have any suggestions for future Lunch & Learns, please call me at (601) 368-3216 or email me at jforshee@mhanet.org.

VisitMississippi.org 1-888-MEET-4-MS

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Judith Forshee Mississippi Hospital Association MSAE Programs Chair

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Flu Update from the Mississippi Hospital Association The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers. The toolkit provides information and communication resources to help businesses and employers implement recommendations from CDC’s Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009-2010 Influenza Season. It is useful information to begin your own business planning for flu season and to share with your association members.

The toolkit includes a Questions and Answers section, a reference guide and fact sheet for employers and employees, action steps to keep your business and employees healthy, a poster for workplace entrances to remind sick employees to go home, template e-mails (or letters) for businesses to send to employees, text messages for businesses to send to employees, and additional resources for planning purposes.

The guidance recommends that, based on current flu conditions, employees with flu-like illness stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications. This is a shorter time period than the previous CDC guidance, which recommended that sick people stay home for 7 days after symptoms began. (The 7-day period would still be recommended in business settings under more severe flu conditions.)

It is possible that flu conditions may become more severe this season, so it is important to plan now for how to respond under those circumstances. An estimated 25% of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety. A severe flu pandemic could have a major effect on the local (and global) economy, including the travel, trade, and tourism sectors (the lifeblood of the association business).

Steps to Prepare Your Association for the Flu Season

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Review your current pandemic flu plan or develop a new plan. Involve your employees in development and review of the plan. Conduct an exercise, drill, or discussion to test key components of your plan. Share your plan with employees and explain what policies, leave options, pay, and benefits will be available to them.

Engage your state and local health department to confirm channels of communication and methods for dissemination of local outbreak information.

Review sick-leave policies and consider making them flexible and consistent with public health recommendations. Make sure employees are well-aware of these policies.

Try to provide flexible leave policies to allow workers to stay home to care for sick household members or for children, if schools dismiss students or childcare programs close.

Share best practices with other businesses in your community. Work with companies in your supply chain as well as chambers of commerce and other associations to improve response efforts.

Add a “widget” or “button” to your company Web page or employee Web site so employees can access the latest information on the flu. Widgets are available online at www.cdc.gov/widgets, www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Campaigns/H1N1/buttons.html, www.hhs.gov/web/library/hhsfluwidgets.html, and www.flu.gov/news/socialmedia.

Purchase supplies such as tissues, soap, and alcohol-based hand cleaners to encourage healthful habits in the workplace.

For more information or to download the complete toolkit, visit www.flu.gov/plan/workplaceplanning. The Mississippi Hospital Association also has resources available at www.mhanet.org.

CONNECTIONS

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MSAE Welcomes New Associate Members

New Executive Members

Hayden Hiter

David Dobbins First American Printing & Direct Mail One Choctaw Trail Ocean Springs, MS 39564 228-818-2312 davidd@fapdm.com

Oxford Convention & Visitors Bureau 102 Ed Perry Boulevard Oxford, MS 38655 662.232.2367 Hayden@oxfordcvb.com

Becky Beard

Jimmy Dyar

Carolyn Monfils

Angela Weathersby

Conference Direct 2009 Evergreen Lane Hattiesburg, MS 39401 601-602-4008 jimmy.dyar@conferencedirect.com

Stan Herren Regions Bank 210 E Capitol Street Jackson, MS 39201 (601) 354-8574 stan.herren@regions.com

Hilton Garden Inn Jackson Downtown 235 W Capitol St Jackson, MS 39201 601-353-5464 carolyn.monfils@hilton.com

Mississippi Poultry Assn 110 Airport Rd Suite C Pearl, MS 39208 601-932-7560 mpaoffice@bellsouth.net

Mississippi Nurses Association 31 Wood Green Place Madison, MS 39110 (601) 898-0670 aweathersby@msnurses.org

Kristin Palmer River Room Conference Center 110 Ridge Way Flowood, MS 39232 601-326-7798 kpalmer@mmiemail.com

MSAE 2009 Calendar of Events Board of Director Meetings 10:00 a.m. prior to Lunch & Learn Lunch & Learn Series: 11:45 a.m.

October 21

MS Museum of Art Sponsored by Natchez CVB & Convention Center

December 16 Holiday Reception

Jackson Convention Complex

18

Tuesday’s Cocktails & Conversations 3rd Tuesday of each month or the Tuesday prior to Lunch & Learn 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Lobby of Jackson Hilton Fitzgerald’s

Joint Conference: October 4 - 6 Sandestin Hilton

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