I just saw that they extended the deadline for the Power of A awards to this Friday, so I thought I'd give them a little plug. About three years ago I took over as Executive Director for a small association in the DC area representing the remodeling industry. One of their major programs is an Awards program (Contractor of the Year Awards–if you want to get jealous of people who have the money to do amazing things with their homes, check out the winners). It is the first time I've really seen an awards program, which historically have not interested me that much. I don't usually toot my own horn, so awards don't attract me.

But I've developed an appreciation for them watching my members who enter and win them. They work so hard on these projects, and getting the recognition of their peers means so much to them. Sure, it helps them with their future marketing too, so it's not all for the warm and fuzzies. But I get the strength of the program because it holds such deep meaning for these professionals.

So association professionals, how about showing us what you got? Are you doing wonders for our workforce? Are you truly innovating? Are you making a difference in the world? Show it off a little and submit for a Power of A award. It's not about ego, and it's not about proving to the rest of the world that associations matter (at least not for me). It's about taking pride in what you do and being acknowledged by your peers for being as kick-ass as you are. That's always a good thing.