Global association of information entrepreneurs meets in New Orleans
Members of the Association of Independent Information Professionals (aiip.org) met for their 31st annual conference May 18-21, 2017 at the Hampton Inn Conference Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The annual conference provided a unique opportunity for independent informational professionals from around the world to meet, build new relationships and hone their business skills.
This year’s theme of Resilience, Reinvention, Renewal: Pivoting For Success was well represented in program sessions and highlighted with the keynote speech by Jenny Blake, author of Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One.
The new Board of Directors, including President-Elect Cindy Shamel and Director-at-Large Anne Hengehold, began the work of guiding the organization through April 2018. The two new members joined Scott Attenborough, President; Jane Langeman, Past-President; Shelly Azar, Secretary; Marydee Ojala, Treasurer; Mary Ellen Bates, Director-at-Large; and Jan Knight, Director-at-Large.
A highlight of the conference was the annual presentation of AIIP awards:
The Roger Summit Lecture Award was presented to Anne Caputo, who spoke about reinvention throughout one’s career. The award, which is supported by the past presidents of AIIP, recognized Anne’s commitment to continued learning, empathy for other learners, and an abundance of wisdom and insights.
The Marilyn Levine AIIP President’s Award, given in recognition of a person or institution who has demonstrated extraordinary support of the objectives of AIIP, went to Marcy Phelps of Phelps Research. President Jane Langeman described Marcy as “a public, proud and prolific ambassador for AIIP, both within and outside the organization” as well a mentor and wayfinder for others. In addition to being a past president of AIIP, this year she led the 2017 Annual Conference programming team and served on the Elections Committee.
The Myra T. Grenier Award, given to a new or aspiring independent information professional to support his or her first attendance at an AIIP annual conference, was won by Barbara Fullerton, of Librarian in the Cloud, Inc. Barbara has vendor experience as a manager for 10-K and also worked for Locke, Liddell & Sapp. She has been active in SLA and is now bringing her expertise to AIIP.
The Roger Summit Conference Sponsorship, which awards a free AIIP conference registration plus $1,000 to an AIIP member who has not previously attended the conference, was presented to Diane Valdivia of Pinpoint Prospect Research. Diane started her company three years ago after a long career as a prospect researcher for San Diego State University.
Mary Ellen Bates won the Sue Rugge Memorial Award, a $500 stipend which is awarded to an AIIP member who has significantly helped another member through formal or informal mentoring. Mary Ellen was nominated for her extensive work with training and mentoring including her work on the First-Year Members Committee, the Member’s Benefits video on the AIIP website, her webinar on The Art of the Informational Interview, as well as many interactions with members.
Winners of the AIIP Connections Writers Award, sponsored by Information Today Inc., were Michelle Rawl of Rawl Research Inc. and Karen Klein of Fulcrum Information Resources for their article Collaborating for Success: Tips for Effective Teamwork, which appeared in the Dec 2016 issue of AIIP Connections.
The Association of Independent Information Professionals is the leading global association for information professionals working independently. Its members include business owners running diverse info-centric businesses. Whether as a marketer, researcher, technologist, writer or consultant, AIIP members expertly leverage information to benefit their clients. AIIP’s worldwide professional network nurtures and supports both experienced and novice information entrepreneurs.
For more information about the Association of Independent Information Professionals, contact AIIP headquarters at +1 225.408.4400 or office@aiip.org.
