Board service is a time commitment, but worth it

I was chatting with my folks over the weekend and was running through the long (very long) to-do list I needed to accomplish before the start of the PRSA Western District Conference.  My pal Michelle Olson and I are co-chairing the two-day, sold-out conference here in Phoenix this week.
My mom asked me if I thought I had “bitten off more than I can chew” and “hadn’t I already done enough” volunteering for PRSA.
The easy answer to both questions is yes…but.  I have been a member of PRSA since college and have taken on leadership roles with the Phoenix Chapter, Counselors Academy and now the Western District.   And yes, it takes up a lot of my time.  We support professional development here at HMA so I am able to work on PRSA during the workday.  But with something like a conference to plan that also means nights and weekends.
But it is worth it.  Not only am I making a valuable contribution to our industry’s professional association, but I am gaining valuable business connections and lifelong friends.  In fact, several of those friends are in route to Phoenix right now from Chicago, New Jersey, New York, Colorado and California, among others.
Have I bitten off more than I can chew?  Probably.  But I know it will all get done and that our 200+ conference attendees will have a fantastic time while there here.
And will I volunteer again when asked.  Most likely.
Thinking about joining a board or volunteering for an organization?  Here’s a previous post I wrote about board service that is worth a read.
[easy-tweet tweet=”@AbbieF‘s mom asked if she has “bitten off more than she can chew” when it comes to volunteering. Probably.”]