I remember the first time I went to an ATD South Carolina chapter meeting. In February of 2018 I took the leap into a new career path, and for the first time in years felt adrift and uncertain in my professional choices. I had been a new member for several months, and I understood the value of making local connections with talent development peers. I didn’t know how much I would learn, and I had no idea that I would find my professional family that day.

I remember the warmth of the greeters as I signed in, the laughter in the room, and how happy everyone seemed. I remember expecting a standard presentation on designing PowerPoint presentations, a topic I thought I was an expert in, and being blown away by the quality of the learning. I took so many notes! I was so excited as I waited to speak to a board member and that day, I volunteered to take one of the open board positions announced at the beginning of the meeting.

Being a member and volunteer with ATD South Carolina has made me a better Talent Development professional and a better leader. Now, I understand the elements of business as one who has led a business instead of as an internal support team. I have learned to forecast and budget, to listen to both what your audience says and their behavior, to rely on others and give them the space to exceed expectations. I’ve run programs, finance and taken on the President cycle for the chapter, supporting membership and marketing, learning about areas of operations I had no exposure to in my formal roles. My experience as the VP of Finance eventually led to my current role, managing learning strategy and technical learning programs in a professional services firm. In 2021, I took advantage of the chapter’s CPTD study group partnership to study for and pass the CPTD exam, and now I coordinate that partnership for the chapter. All in all, I’ve made several strategic job changes in the years since I joined the chapter and have doubled my income in that time.

In continuing my volunteer journey with ATD National as a member of the Chapter Recognition Committee (CRC) and now a member of the National Advisor to Chapters, 2025-2027 cohort, I am gaining perspective on the landscape of talent development across the country, the innovations and struggles chapters of all sizes and in all locations are facing today. I look forward to continuing my relationship with ATD National and ATD South Carolina. I’ve learned so much so far. Who knows what I’ll learn tomorrow?