With Labor Day here and gone, I've been thinking about the small amount of summertime travel I enjoyed this year, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware.
When I travel for clients or pleasure, I always try to connect with other organizers I've met online, or while visiting National Conference. Here are some places I visited, a speech I gave, some of the organizing colleagues I've caught up with, and some new friends too.
New York City:
One June 2nd, I made plans to attend the New York City NAPO Chapter meeting. I have to tell you, I was treated like royalty when I stepped off the train in Penn Station. A quick email beforehand to the area Presidents (the New York City and Central New Jersey Chapters are very close to each other) mentioned my visit to the Big Apple. I was met for an informal dinner with Chapter members from the BCPO Board and NAPO National Board. All were eager to get to know each other, and learn a bit more about organizing on different coasts of the country.
Following dinner, I attended the New York City Chapter meeting. Held on the 20th floor of a high-rise at 8th Avenue and 35th Street, over 40 members participated in the lovely meeting. Their meeting was just as colorful and professional as ours is in Los Angeles, somewhat different, but the outcomes were the same: education, networking and business building
Laura Leist, NAPO National President-Elect, was our featured speaker and talked for about an hour on NAPO's strategic mission. I rubbed shoulders with the likes of Linda Rothschild (former President of NAPO National, and LA Chapter remote member), Donna Goldberg, Karen Koedding (a visiting Australian Professional Organizer who relocated to Sydney from Manhattan), former New York Chapter Presidents Ann Bingley Gallops and Janine Sarna-Jones, Ellen Palestine (NAPO National Director), and the (then) incoming NY President, Diana Soll. Many of our New York City colleagues have visited our meetings and attended our events. I was so impressed with their spirit and their dedication to the profession.
Pictured up top (l-r): Barbara Brock (former NAPO-NY President), Ann Bingley Gallops (NAPO-NY Immediate Past President), John Trosko, Diana Soll (NAPO-NY President), Laura Leist (NAPO National President-Elect), Linda Rothschild (former NAPO National President, former NAPO-NY President and current LA-Chapter member) and Janine Sarna-Jones (NAPO National Director and former NY President).
San Francisco:
On June 13, I represented the "consumer voice" and gave a speech at The Alliance For Universal Power Supply (AUPS) 2nd Annual meeting at PG&E Headquarters in San Francisco. Here is my triumphant ride up the escalator from my BART ride from the Airport into the Embarcadero.
Why doesn't Los Angeles have anything like this running down Wilshire Boulevard and Miracle Mile?
PG&E Headquarters in San Francisco, where I was about to give my speech in front of 200. My head hurt when I snapped this picture. I was so honored to be there.
PG&E Auditorium one-half hour the conference was to begin. My Powerpoint presentation is online here (scroll down to my name), and video from the speech will be available soon.
I showed pictures from the Green Plug What's Under Your Desk Contest, including what was under MY own personal desk. I shared the consumer view of electronic clutter, and what I see as the organizing industry's demand for a universal power supply. Green Plug is developing a system that unifies all personal electronics and cables, creating universal connectors and a charging unit that will delivers the appropriate amount of voltage. The unit will also turn off once the unit is charged. How cool is that?
Beverly Hills:
In July, I braved the mean streets of Sunset Boulevard here in Los Angeles and triumphantly drove the 3 miles to the Ivy on Robertson to have lunch. Not just any lunch, mind you. This lunch was on behalf of my first prize placement in the Green Plug What's Under Your Desk Contest. Above are Adrianne Curry (model extraordinaire, and winner of the first season of America's Next Top Model) and uber-organized Christopher Knight (The Brady Bunch, and new host of Trivial Pursuit on NBC this Fall.) Both were my lunch companions for the entire afternoon, paparazzi and all.
We had a terrific discussion about food, organization, family, working out, the media, unpacking after a move, technology as well as our main subject of conversation: the enviornment. Both Ms. Curry and Mr. Knight are very passionate about being green.
Wilmington, Delaware:
In August, My best friend Scott and I took the train from Center City in Philadelphia to Delaware and met with Rhonda Erickson Sinor, President of NAPO-Greater Philadelphia. On a Saturday, Rhonda whisked us off to have coffee at a nearby Brew Ha Ha in downtown Wilmington for about an hour. Rhonda's chapter just celebrated their 100th member. We talked about that, what they're planning, and what the future of her professional organizing business holds for her and her chapter members. Scott took this picture of us at the historic Wilmington train station designed by famed architect Frank Furness as we left for the day back to Fort Washington and have BBQ with family friends.
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