Dear Coaches,
I just returned from a week-long yoga retreat in Costa Rica, and am reminded of how healing and refreshing it is to take time for self-care. Whether for a week - or just an hour - the opportunity to step away, disconnect from the daily demands and digital devices is essential to heal our bodies, clear our minds, and ultimately to thrive. THRIVE is my personal word for 2025, for myself, my business, and for ICF New Mexico.
Our board of directors also retreated in January to connect and align our strategic priorities. We plan to remain agile this year as the world around us experiences political, economic and social disruption. Regardless of which way each of us leans politically, as Coaches we are connected by our shared desire to help others thrive. As a board, we are also here for each of you, and want to invest our time and resources into programming that best serves our community. Three overarching priorities will guide our work this year:
1) Professional Advancement: Provide programs to advance coaching competencies, credentialing and business development capabilities
2) Community Engagement: Create a connected and inclusive community of members, professional coaches and partners throughout New Mexico
3) Operational Excellence: Create a streamlined, sustainable operational and governance framework for ICF New Mexico
The Board of Directors also recently voted to make a change in our chapter’s administrative services. I’m thrilled to introduce you to our new strategic partner, Diligent Assistant, an online business management company led by CEO Jackie Appleby. Diligent Assistant works with several other ICF chapters in the Western Region, creating opportunities for synergy and shared learning. When you reach out to us for virtual assistant support, Jackie or her VA Sierra Meszaros will be available to support you.
On behalf of our entire board, we want to express our gratitude to Kelly Johnson who served as our Virtual Assistant for the past decade. I know many of you have interacted with Kelly over the years, and share in our deep appreciation for her service and commitment to our chapter.
We look forward to see you at one of our upcoming programs. And as always, I welcome your thoughts about how we can create value for our members, support coaches throughout New Mexico, and achieve our vision.
Warm Regards,
Deborah Thompson, PCC
ICF New Mexico President
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