Multiple System Atrophy Trust’s Post

Welcome to Shelley Thakral, Tracy Manners and Jess Crombie who join OWM's Board of Trustees. Read about them at the link in comments below

Trusteeship is rewarding, additive and enriching. I think we should all consider becoming a trustee and supporting an organisation we really care about. Being a trustee verses being a great trustee however is something we should all know how to be. Want to go from good to great... look at these tips below.

💡It’s Trustees Week, and we’ve already shared our views on traits that great trustees share. Now, we consider the actions that you can take to show your commitment! There is so much to being a great trustee, but being a PEARL of a trustee is easy: prepare, engage, attend, reflect and listen! Read on to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dMWuz5Sn

The Co-op Model..... How did any of us find out about the cooperative business model? I learned by accident. Our organization was looking for a new kind of business structure to have a community owned classic amusement park museum. When our local amusement park (Whalom Park) closed the surrounding communities were upset that our park wasn't going to open and no one asked us what we as the citizens of those communities wanted. Then it was stripped and sold for development before our eyes. In one of our many meetings we had at my house one guest said that it sounded like a ski mountain her friends owned shares of. After that meeting I Google searched that information and found the Mad River Glen Cooperative MRG a skier owned mountain. For the next two years of researching MRG and co-ops in general we formed our organization as a consumer cooperative called the New Whalom Cooperative. As a business model it makes sense for us but it makes sense for many businesses but it's so hard to find all the information and tools needed to create a co-op. In today's world you can set up a business structure through a website in 5 minutes but you can't find a way to do that as a co-op. Why is that? Over the years since I've/we've found more resources and great people who help guid our co-op journey. One of those resources is the Everything Co-op radio show hosted by Vernon Oaks. For 11 years the show has dived into many types of co-ops and different programs that help educate and create cooperatives. Within this episode referenced here in this post the question arises. How can we market the co-op business model more? It's the business worlds best kept secret. How many of you have an account at a credit union? Did you know that a CU is a financial cooperative?! I didn't either. As cooperators we need to spread the word about the co-op business model. October is co-op month and if you have a platform you need to post, share or download as much information as we can so maybe in the future any cooperators can structure there co-op business on that same site that only takes 5! minutes....

I had the previlge of delivery closing remarks at the 10 Year’s Celebration of the outgoing CEO of SIOC-CDT SA, a remarkable and astute gentleman called Vusani Malie, and these were my remarks, or a rather a skeletal version of them since I spoke in between my own written speech: Societies fail or succeed based on the decisions of its leaders…an extract from the book “Why Nations Fail…the origins of power, prosperity and poverty” by D. Acemoglu and JA. Robinson. The Upington Town story…(at this point I tried to explain, using the book’s analogy, how my hometown of Warrenton is an “economic contrast” of the town called Upington in the ZF Mgcawu region, despite the fact that the two share the same natural resource, which is the Vaal River, which as you may know, forms a confluence with the Orange River in the small town of Douglas before it proceeds to flow towards Upington) The Trust is where it is today because of the decisions taken prior to your appointment as CEO (structural change and delivery model) and later by the decisions you made as the leader of the Trust in your capacity as the CEO and Trustee. You took over the reigns of the Trust when leadership across all sectors of our society was under serious scrutiny, from a moral and ethical perspective. Added to that, you had a difficult and complex task of transforming the Trust into a true vehicle for change, for the benefit of the communities it is mandated to serve. Fast forward to today, you leave the Trust not only with your head held high, because throughout your tenure as CEO, you have never been found wanting when it comes to your moral and ethical conduct. But not only that, you also leave the Trust in a healthy state financially, it terms of its capacity to deliver on its mandate, in terms of its public image and reputation, and to a great extent, in terms of its future prospects. This is the legacy you leave behind…and I’m certain that it is this legacy that will help propel the Trust to greater heights, the heights at which it will allow us to reimagine community development, and give it a totally different meaning. “It’s hard to leave behind the comfort of the familiar, but the magic lies in the unknown, because it that that gives one an opportunity to chase their dreams and create new legacies.” On behalf of the rest of the staff and our stakeholders, I would like to thank you for the wonderful contribution you’ve made to the Trust, and by extension its beneficiary communities. Thank you also for the contribution you’ve made to our development as professionals and individuals. We wish you all the best in your future endeavours, we are confident that wherever your path leads you, you’ll create more meaningful legacies. I thank you…

🚨 Exciting News for Ardiah and Maine Small Businesses! 🚨 We’re thrilled to announce that our President, Chris Austin, has been named to the National Small Business Association (NSBA) Leadership Council! 🎉 As part of the nation’s oldest small-business advocacy organization, Chris will be representing Maine’s small businesses at the national level, tackling critical issues such as: ✅ Simplifying tax reform ✅ Reducing regulatory burdens ✅ Improving access to capital ✅ Lowering healthcare costs for small business owners This is a huge opportunity for Maine businesses to have a voice in Washington, D.C., and we’re incredibly proud of Chris for stepping up to advocate for the policies that matter most to small business owners like you. Want to learn more about why this role is so important? Check out our latest blog, where Chris shares more about his involvement with the NSBA and what it means for Maine’s small business community. 📖 👉 Read the full blog and learn how Ardiah is helping small businesses thrive here: https://lnkd.in/eK4sJ7YD #SmallBusiness #MaineBusiness #Leadership #NSBA #Advocacy #Ardiah #BlogPost

As #TrusteesWeek draws to a close, why not explore the valuable resources available on our website designed to support foundation trustees? Our #StrongerFoundations resource outlines the 10 pillars of practice that every foundation chair should be aware of: https://lnkd.in/edJnfXbt

What did you sign up for when you joined a community Association board of directors? Here are some points you may not know: https://lnkd.in/eSQRSM23 #HOAmanagement #condomanagement #CommunityBoardOfDirectors

For Australia’s 3 million unpaid carers who it’s estimated are responsible for delivering up to $80 billion worth of services per annum

🚨 Calling all Restoration Contractors! 🚨 Just returning from an incredible week with the Restoration Industry Association (RIA) Board of Directors, where we’re shaping the future of our industry. From working with TPAs and drafting white papers to collaborating on pricing adjustments with estimating platforms, the RIA is moving the needle for everyone. Even large companies like ATI Restoration and Servpro believe in the RIA's mission to improve lives and our industry. We’ve made significant progress, including key wins from recent meetings, but there’s so much more to do—and we need your help. Why join? By engaging with the RIA, you’ll influence industry standards, build powerful relationships, and contribute to something larger than yourself. Want to do more? Join a committee, or even run for a board position. Here are a few committees you can join: Here’s the organized list of the Restoration Industry Association Standing Committees and Task Forces: 1. Standing Committees 1.1. Convention Planning Committee 1.2. Education Committee 1.3. Finance Committee 1.4. Membership Committee 1.5. Nominating Committee 2. Advocacy & Government Affairs (AGA) 2.1. AGA Advisory Board 2.2. AGA Canada 2.3. AGA Task Forces 2.3.1. AGA Academy Task Force 2.3.2. AGA Carrier Relations Task Force 2.3.3. AGA Independent Pricing Task Force 2.3.4. AGA Legislative Task Force 3. Micro-Volunteering Opportunities 3.1. Social Media Ambassador 3.2. Content & Blog Post Development 3.3. Membership Recruitment & Promotion 3.4. Technical Content Review & Writing Visit https://lnkd.in/gyc3Pn96 to learn more and sign up. 📩 Reach out directly if you’re interested: info@restorationindustry.org Membership is $299, and we need 100% involvement from national, regional independents, and franchisors. Let’s grow together and shape the future of the restoration industry. Restoration Industry Association, Kristy Cohen, Katie Smith, CR, Marcie Richardson, Mark Davis, Anthony Nelson, Nicole Seargent, Russ Palmer, Frank Mirabelli, 🚂 Brendon Rumsey, Justin Woodard, Kelley Dolan, Matthew Preston, Clare MacNab, CEM, CMP, Ben Looper #RestorationIndustry #JoinTheRIA #IndustryLeadership #VolunteerOpportunities