With Thanksgiving upon us and with the end of the year and of my three-year presidency approaching, I find myself in an especially thankful mood when I reflect on ATD-LA. There’s so much to be grateful for!

I’m thankful for our members, the core of ATD Los Angeles. The diversity of our 300+ members is astounding, comprising a cross section of professionals from across Southern California practicing as coaches, trainers, consultants, people leaders, and instructional designers, among other roles. Some are new to our work, others have a lifetime of experience; all share a passion for helping people be more effective in their work through growth and development. Whether through sharing best practices, sharing career opportunities, sharing experience through mentoring, or just sharing our time and insight with one another at chapter events, we’re lucky to have each other.

I’m thankful for our volunteers, who are the lifeblood of our chapter. To our outgoing board members, Margeaux and Carol, I share my thanks for your service to the chapter. To our new and continuing board members, SIG and GIG leaders, and volunteers, I share my excitement for the future and my gratitude for your willingness to lead our chapter in 2020 and beyond. To my successor, Kavita, I share my best wishes for success in your term as Chapter President and my sincere thanks for the many contributions you’ve made as a member of our leadership team since late last year. This organization is richer because of the contributions of our many volunteers!

I’m thankful for our office staff, Denise Ross and Grant Skakun. I could share endless stories about their contributions to our organization, but let it suffice to say that they are the too-often-unsung heroes of this organization. I’ll miss our weekly team meetings and I can’t thank you enough for the outstanding work that you do on behalf of our board and our members.

Last, but not least, I’m thankful for the opportunities that ATD-LA creates for its members. I’ve met so many incredible people over the last several years, learned so much about our work and about our community, and, perhaps most importantly, got my (awesome) current job through relationships I’ve made with board members I’ve served under and with over the years. I hear so many similar stories from so many members that make me feel fortunate to be a member and proud to be a leader here.

I hope you are as thankful as I am for the wonderful organization that we’re a part of and the special people that make it what it is. If you’re not, I encourage you to get involved in volunteering and mark your calendar with some of our upcoming events.

With gratitude,

Ben Sieke
ATD Los Angeles President 2017-2019