Dear IAMC Members and Prospective Members,
                Professionals today are able to command an exhaustive
          array of technology to research, communicate, and process work. Most
          of us execute a scope of work that was assigned to at least three jobs
          a few years ago. I enjoy the gusto of such duty, but I also know that
          we lose some humanity in performing at this level of efficiency …
          and with it can go some of the “art” of the deal. 
                How often have you conducted a negotiation without
          sitting across from the other party, getting to know that person enough
          to work out the best outcome? Will asset management soon be simply a
          computer analysis and e-mail consent as to form and terms? I think not.
          Where value added matters, we will still find the time and place to
          apply art to our deals, management and pursuit of corporate vision.
          
                That is why IAMC is founded, formatted and furthered
          through direct personal contact to hone the craft, get the facts and
          listen to the nuances. While IAMC uses technology to make things more
          fluid, it’s IAMC people who make the difference. 
                Collectively, IAMC can give you the edge that the
          guy on the other side of the table may never know. Members can learn
          from each other through threads of research and experience using IAMC
          Interactive on the Web, but more importantly they share directly through
          calling someone who’s been there. Helping in committee work hones idea
          management skills in a low risk environment. And Forums are not conventions
          for the masses wandering from trough to trough. Instead, they’re collegial
          gatherings with high focus on what matters most to you professionally:
          your work next week and your shareholder’s value. 
                If it’s done in an accommodating atmosphere, all
          the more stimulating. At the upcoming Professional Forum in October
          in Texas, you may note that the weekend is getting full. We have moved
          the Research Roundtable to Sunday to fill out the day with the leadership
          program. Time is too valuable with our multiple jobs not to use every
          minute we can together. In fact, I’ll fly out Friday night. Like most
          of you, while my family is number one with me, this is one event I can’t
          miss. It helps me win at work, and that will get me home on time most
          nights so I can mentor those two teenaged boys and still have time for
          my sweetheart Sarah. 
                Make a difference in someone’s life today and everyday.
          Pass it forward.
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| Charles McSwain |