Recommendations call for boosting member engagement, connections: APHA Governing Council to get update
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* Mark Barna

APHA leaders are reviewing new recommendations aimed at improving the way the Association serves the needs of its members.

In May, an APHA committee presented recommendations to APHA’s Executive Board on ways the APHA member and leader experience could be enhanced. The document was created by the newly formed Member Engagement Feasibility and Priority Committee, comprising 12 APHA members and six Association staffers.

The committee focused on five organization areas outlined in the “APHA Member Unit Effectiveness and Engagement Recommendations Report,” created by consultant Brighter Strategies. The report examined APHA communication, information technology, volunteer leadership, measurements, rewards, member growth, development and member engagement. Many of the recommendations prioritized by the Member Engagement Feasibility and Priority Committee relate to the APHA leadership experience.

For example, the suggestions call for more targeted leadership training, and greater opportunities for APHA members to engage with leaders. Mentorship was also spotlighted, with calls for APHA to better connect its members with mentors and to offer more speed mentoring programs.

On the infrastructure side, APHA should replace its APHA Connect platform — which allows members and leaders to communicate online — with a more user-friendly tool, and designate a staffer to direct and guide new members, the recommendations said.

In addition to the priority suggestions, the Member Engagement Feasibility and Priority Committee shared other recommendations with the Executive Board. A top priority called for APHA to build on its strength with federal advocacy so the Association can elevate its voice at the national level.

Recommendations on the structure of APHA’s member groups — such as its Sections, Forums and Special Primary Interest Groups — will be examined later.

Aaron Guest, PhD, MPH, MSW, speaker of the Governing Council and committee member, said if the recommendations are implemented, APHA members “will find easier-touse resources for their Sections.” Guest was part of a team examining better communications and information technology for members.

“We are going to be doing things that we hope overall increase collaboration, engagement and make members feel welcome and valued,” Guest told *The Nation’s Health.* “We are going to be doing things that we hope overall increase collaboration, engagement and make members feel welcome and valued.” *— Aaron Guest*

The Member Engagement Feasibility and Priority Committee is slated to formally present its recommendations to APHA’s Governing Council this month. Listening sessions and discussions with APHA members on how the recommendations can be implemented will be held later this year, James Carbo, APHA’s chief of staff, told *The Nation’s Health*. Implementation would roll out over several years.

“It was wonderful to be engaged in the process and to represent the Governing Council and the voices of the members, while also thinking about the future of our association as we approach our 150th anniversary,” Guest said.

To read the Member Engagement Feasibility and Priority Committee report, visit [bit.ly/aphamueep](https://bit.ly/aphamueep).

*   Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association