SMPS-LI celebrating 6th year as a chapter and continues its dedication to the built environment

Like many other organizations, SMPS Long Island began its calendar year in September. Our programs this past season have included workshops on branding, the importance of LEED for Healthcare, a presentation on the Building Outlook for Long Island and a panel presentation on Getting Business from Public Agencies. In October we managed the extremely successful Canstruction Long Island Event at RXR Plaza in Uniondale. This year's charity event brought our 3 year grand total of can donations to over 100,000 cans for the Long Island Cares/Harry Chapin food bank. For those of you not familiar with SMPS - The Society for Marketing Professional Services - we are a group of marketing professionals dedicated to the built environment. Our members span all aspects of the industry including architects, designers, construction and real estate professionals, industry accountants and engineers. We are celebrating our 6th year as an official chapter of SMPS. As president, my goal for this year is to increase the benefits of your membership to the SMPS Long Island Chapter. Our theme is "Make Every Member Count!" I officially invite each member to add the word "active" to their title. By being an active member, you are more than a statistic. You can contribute your time to a committee, your knowledge to a subject matter, your strength to one of our charities, and your friendship to your fellow colleagues. There are no minimum requirements when joining a committee. Can't make it to a meeting? Get to a phone and call in to contribute. See a topic that interests you? Reach out to the director and recruit potential speakers. Like to have fun while supporting a good cause? Attend our holiday party for some team building or participate in Canstruction. Not sure where to start? Attend an event and enjoy the networking and education. Everyone talks about the economy these days. Well, did you know that as an SMPS Member, the cost to attend our breakfast programs is still only $30! How about the fact that both CPSMs and AIA members can earn CEUs? Did you know we give away a free raffle prize at every event? Please check out our website www.smpsli.org and try out our upcoming networking nights and our annual meeting. I look forward to meeting you! Ellen Talley is the 2010 president of SMPS Long Island and a sales specialist for KI, New York, N.Y.