Dear Members and Friends of AIGA Charlotte,

There’s an old saying about the only constant in life being change. How you feel about that axiom probably depends on whether or not you’re a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person. Change can be scary, but it can also be exhilarating. I can only speak on my own behalf, and on behalf of AIGA Charlotte’s 2013-14 Board: for us, the glass is overflowing. We’re wildly optimistic about the changes we have in store for our members over the coming year.

AIGA Charlotte change always starts with a new Board, and we’re excited to be 15 Board Members strong for our next term—and we’re actually planning to add three more positions later this year. Our new team brings the perfect mix of design talent, passion and experience to the AIGA Charlotte Board table, and I’m beyond confident that we’ll deliver on the ambitious objectives we’ve set forth for ourselves over the next 12 months, and continue to grow with our flexible new membership structure.

You’ll see some additional changes in our communications as well. In fact, today marks the launch of our shiny new AIGA Charlotte website. Design blood, sweat and tears have gone into revamping the next evolution of our web home, and to ensure that it dovetails seamlessly with our monthly e-blasts, as well as AIGA national’s content feeds, too. We certainly hope you’ll take the time to click around the site, and that you appreciate the labors of our web renovation.

When it comes to programming, we have also adopted an entirely new strategy, one that focuses on quality, not quantity. Instead of having multiple events each month, we’re focusing on having one can’t-miss event every 30 days. We understand your time outside of family and work is precious, so there’s little value in having our own events compete with each other for your time each month. Moreover, you’ll also know much further in advance about our events since we’ve mapped out the entire year. That calendar will be available to you very soon.

In closing, we have a one-word call to action for our members this year: engage. Be it on our website, our blog, our social media channels, or in person at an event, we’re always looking for your feedback, be it positive or negative. Really, that’s the only way we can grow as a Board, and as a chapter. Initially we welcome any comments about these changes, but we’re open throughout the year to hearing your thoughts about the job we’re doing. Only together can we advance design as a professional craft, strategic advantage and vital cultural force.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brindley

AIGA Charlotte President