Outcome 2 - Be recognized by their current employers as excellent employees who contribute to their organization and are candidates for advancement.

My artifacts demonstrating mastery of this outcome (What?)
http://www.winfieldcourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&EventID=7491&SectionID=0&SubSectionID=5&S=1

http://www.winfieldcourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=24359&SectionID=27&SubSectionID=&S=1

http://www.winfieldcourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=24717&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1

http://www.geocities.com/stephannie.delong/StephannieDeLongResume.doc

http://www.geocities.com/stephannie.delong/WinterStudentPressRelease2008.doc

http://www.winfieldks.org/documents/Chamber%20of%20Commerce/Leadership%20CC%202008/With%20Lt%20Gov0001.jpg



My reflection on meeting this outcome (So What?)
The first document is a calendar posting from our local paper that gives the date and time of a Young Professionals presentation that my co-workers and I gave for our local Rotary Club. This presentation was important for me as a professional because it demonstrated my ability to lead a discussion in front of peers and community leaders on a very important topic. It also introduced me to new community leaders and enabled me to network with other professionals in an effort to increase visibility for our organization and myself

The next Winfield Courier article discusses a meeting in which the Young Professionals met to re-align our goals and objectives late in 2008. As stated in my Leadership Project proposal, our YPO underwent many changes during the year and has now been turned back over to the Chamber staff to further develop and flesh out. This meeting with community leaders, Young Professional members and chamber staff allowed me to better understand what direction our Young Professionals Organization should take and how I can lead it into the future. As the article states the purpose of the meeting included clarifying "the group's goals and objectives as well as the benefits and services YP Winfield could provide to the community and its members" (Courier, 2008).

The third artifact is an interview that I, along with our 2008 Chamber Board Chairperson, Kristen Pettey gave during our Young Professionals Kick-Off Party. We discuss the opportunities for young professionals in and around the Winfield area, as well as our goals for the group and our hopes for future growth. This interview allowed me to step up as the lead staff member for our YP initative and has also allowed me to take a more active role with our local media in other areas of my career as well.

My resume serves as a testament to where I am currently in my career and what I hope to achieve in my future. My education at Southwestern College, as well as my professional experience thus far has led me to being promoted Member Services Director at the Winfield Area Chamber of Commerce in December 2007. I believe that my continuting education as well as particiaption in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sponsored Institute for Organizational Management Program are preparing me for a leadership role within the Chamber. In addition to my Chamber affiliated training opportunities, I was also a graduate of Leadership Cowley County in 2008. These experiences and my work record as referenced in my resume have been integral parts of preparing me for a more active leadership role in my career and in my community.

The Winter Institute Press Release cites my involvement in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organizational Management Program. This four year program brings Chamber Executives together for one week each year to learn industry tips and strategy, share best practices with like-sized Chambers and to network with other key professionals in our industry. Although I have only completed one-fourth of the program thus far, the knowledge I gained and the connections that I made during my first year at Institute proved invaluable during the remainder of 2008. I utilized not only the information gained through this experience, but also had opportunities to contact fellow class members and seek as well as offer assistance throughout the year. This important ongoing training will be very valuable to me in my future with the Chamber.

The final artifact I have presented in this Outcome is a photograph of my Leadership Cowley County class with Lt. Governor Mark Parksinson. Our class had the opportunity to address the Lt. Governor during our trip to Topeka; we asked questions about our local economy, the governor's plans in relation to Cowley County and what we could do to be more involved in state-wide government efforts. Our meeting with Lt. Governor Parkinson and our other elected officials in Topeka allowed me an opportunity to make important connections and contacts which I have utilized ever since. This was an important trip not only for my Leadership training, but for my career as well.

My future learning goals related to this outcome (Now What?)
My future goals include attending the remainder of my Institute for Organizational Management sessions and continuing to learn and grow as a Chamber Executive. I believe this program not only provides Chamber exectuvies with the tools necessary to succeed in our non-profit environment, but also the important networking opportunities that can help us reach out to other communities.

My future learning goals for Young Professionals include attending the 2009 International Young Professionals Summit, a three day conference for Young Professionals Organizations designed to help learn best practices, implementation of YP policies and how to best reach out to community leaders and other local organizations. In addition to attending Summit, I also plan to work with our local YP organizations to learn about their programs and initiatives. We have previously met with Young Professionals of Wichita staff and volunteers and attended some of their events, which helped us plan our first Personal and Professional Development Series: "Financial Fitness for YPs." I believe that by working with and networking with as many other YP Organizations as possible, we can learn how our own YP organization can benefit not only our community, but our members as well.

My future learning goals with the Winfield Area Chamber of Commerce include continuting my Institute for Organizational Management training this summer. I will attend the Midwest Institute in Madison, Wisconsin in June to complete my second year of training. This program has been vital to my work with the Chamber thus far, as it has enabled me to work with my fellow Chamber executives across the country on the various challenges I faced in 2008.