The 2007-2008 NMA year has been a whirl wind of activity and is quickly coming to a close. Recently, Vanessa Lucus passed the President's torch to me. I would like to take a quick moment to thank her for leading our chapter these past eighteen months and driving a steadfast commitment to continuous leadership development for all. Also, we enjoyed a brief thank you dinner and presented Vanessa with a NMA Distinguished Recognition Award.

In April, a few Board of Directors members attended the NMA Leadership Development Conference, as the Southern California Council was hosting this great event. A couple of us came away with additional thoughts on presentations, networking opportunities and leadership development that we hope to make available to our membership over the coming year. Also, at the conference the NMA Valley chapter was honored for their work during the past administrative year with an Outstanding Chapter Award and a 1st Community Service Award. Let me tell you, I was proud and humbled to accept the community service award on your behalf since it really speaks volumes about this great chapter and the people who continue to support their communities. A big thank you to all of you who go that extra mile to make this world a better place to live.

Last week, we held our April General Membership Meeting and thanks to a continuing outstanding partnership with In2in Thinking Network, Mr. John Dilts of John Dilts Inc. shared interesting perspectives on "Modeling the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Inspire and Scale Innovation." A big thank you goes out to our Executive Sponsor, Jeff Kincaid, VP Engineering, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. Also, our Vice President of Programs, Martha Estavillo, FPCU is currently working on our June GMM so be looking for information on that very soon.

As this year comes to a close, elections for the 2008-2009 administrative year are fast approaching. Therefore, if you are looking to join and make a difference in our chapter on a small or even large scale, then we're looking for you! We have open positions on the Board of Directors, as well as openings for NMA Associates. If you’re interested please contact any current BOD listed at the end of the E-Connect, or contact me directly at (818) 586-7577.

Finally, as your President, I look forward to serving you - the great NMA Valley Chapter # 702. Please contact me if you have any improvement ideas or can spare some time.

Sincerely,
Margo Hershberger, President
NMA Valley Chapter #702

Executives from Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, Boeing, Financial Partners Credit Union and Hamilton Sundstrand shared the stage to address issues, taking risks, multiple generations in the work force and the future of leadership at this year's Top Leadership Night. Although not a debate in its truest sense, the format did allow leaders to discuss issues from a variety of perspectives, including a corporate outlook, a community perspective and a family oriented view.

The executives sharing the stage were:

	Jim Maser President, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne
	Robert G. Jaeger West Hills Site Executive & Chief Engineer Directed Energy Systems Missile Defense Systems, The Boeing Company
	Michael Garcia Senior Vice President, Retail Delivery Financial Partners Credit Union
	Rick Howerton Director, Rocketdyne Programs Hamilton Sunstrand SLS

Each executive was given a fixed amount of time to address each issue from a perspective he was assigned. However, in every instance they were able to pull from their extensive personal history and supplement their position with relevant, and sometimes amusing, stories.

The venue for this event was the Warner Center Marriott which proved to be an ideal locale due to its proximity to all our member companies, the friendly and hard working staff as well as the large and well appointed conference room.

Feedback from those in attendance was overwhelmingly positive. "It was good to get perspectives from people outside of our niche and unique company" stated Jon Linker of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.

For several people, this was their first exposure to the NMA. Richard Stiff spoke of his first impression, "It opens the door to learning from a diverse group of leaders and is a great tool for networking, especially for those that want to advance their careers."

Highlights from the evening can be viewed in this short video, or you can scroll through a collection of still shots provided by Debbie Jones, the evening's photographer.

The council level American Enterprise Speech Contest was held at the Buena Vista Library in Burbank on Saturday, March 15th. There were two contestants, Tessa Register, a senior from Burbank High School, and Andrew Beeli, a home schooled 9th grader. Our chapter provided some help with the judging and would like to thank Dale & Roberta Cipra, Margo Hersberger, Sharon Lindquist and Emeline Garba (new member) for their contributions. Both students did extremely well. Tessa, a Burbank resident, won the council level contest and went on to compete at the NMA Regional Leadership Development Conference in Las Vegas on April 12th.

Despite our best efforts, we were not able to provide a contestant from our chapter this year. Therefore, we would like to remind everyone that we are planning a chapter speech contest again next year and would like to ask for your help in recruiting interested high school students (children, grand-children, friends, etc.). This is a great way to alleviate some of those college expenses, with the top prize being a $10,000 scholarship, as well as an impressive addition to any college application!

The Valley Chapter of the NMA has a long and rich history of supporting charities and events in the area. Some volunteer opportunities in the upcoming weeks are:

Special Olympics, May 3rd - 4th: The Tri-valley will host the regional games at Birmingham High School (17000 Haynes, Van Nuys). Last year, over 1,000 athletes from all over Southern California competed in basketball, bocce ball, swimming, tennis and track and field. The regional games are a qualifying competition that allows many athletes to advance and participate in the Southern California Special Olympics State Games held in June at California State University, Long Beach.

On May 3rd, volunteers are needed to help set up equipment from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Two shifts are available - in the morning or afternoon. Forms are available on their web site at www.sosc.org/trivalley.html . To volunteer for one of the sports venues on May 4th, you can do so by calling their office at (818)342-0017.

Special Olympics, May 17th: More Special Olympics volunteers are needed in Santa Clarita, starting at 9 AM. Opening ceremonies will be held at Hart High School. Volunteers are needed for Basketball, Bocce Ball, Tennis, Track & Field, and the Olympic Village in Newhall Park. Contact Sharon Lindquist at (818) 586-9393 for registration. Registration forms need to be completed and sent to the Special Olympics for processing and assignments prior to the event. Please respond ASAP.

Painted Turtle, May 17th: The painted turtle organization is an innovative camp and family care center for children with life threatening illnesses. Join a dozen corporations for corporate volunteer day and the 3rd annual campsite touch up from 9:15 AM to 12:45 PM. The camp facilities can be found at Lake Hughes and is surrounded by beautiful hills and countryside. Projects can be found indoors and out including stuffing turtle pillows, yard work, organizing rooms, and painting. No skills are necessary and refreshments will be provided.  Children over 12 are welcome with an adult. Contact Pam Campeau at (818)342-0017 to register.

HOBY, June 6th - 7th: The Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) is is the nation's foremost youth leadership development organization. More than 100 high school sophomore ambassadors from Los Angeles, Ventura, Tulare and Kern Counties will take part in the annual HOBY Foundation Leadership seminar which will take place at Cal Lutheran University. An intensive weekend of workshops and team exercises are planned to help motivate and shape our young leaders of today and tomorrow. Volunteers are needed to work the registration table for this important event. If interested, or for more information, please contact Sharon Lindquist at (818) 586-9393.

Operation Blankets of Love: Operation Blankets of Love collects and donates new, as well as old but clean, blankets and towels for shelter animals waiting to be adopted by loving homes. The simple addition of a blanket or comforter to a shelter animal's environment has proven to lead to increased adoptions. There are 13 locations for drop-offs, including Red Barn Too (8393 Topanga Canyon , West Hills), West Valley Animal Care Center (20655 Plummer St. , Chatsworth) and Tams Pet Foods & Supplies (17635 Vanowen St. , Van Nuys). For more information and additional locations, please reference Los Angeles Councilman Zine's announcement letter.

Dress 4 Success: Dress 4 Success is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote professional development to low income individuals seeking professional growth. They provide professional wardrobes, Career Consultants and Career Centers to assist their clients with the tools necessary to thrive in their job search. They have been around for over 10 years in our local communities and are looking to expand into Burbank and Pasadena in the near future. In addition, they also provide networks for professionals and aspiring professionals to provide support to their clients as they move up their career ladders.

What - Professional business attire is the order of the day, all men and women's business suits and business casual apparel is welcome.

No trash bags please - This is a great opportunity to get rid of those hangers you get from the cleaners.

Nothing to donate? - They have a great need for full figured sizes 18-22W+ and size 11+ (Wide) shoes. Next time you go shopping drive by a ROSS and purchase a pair of shoes or an item of clothing (they are often $20 or less) every little items makes a difference to these ladies.

No time to shop? - Make a monetary donation. D4S is also in need of fixtures, rolling racks and display cases to create the boutique feel for all the locations.

Spread the word! - Invite your friends, clients or family members to donate. Everyone enjoys helping others and we all have items in our closets that we can't wear anymore.

Why? - Why not? This is a great opportunity to give back to our community. Dress 4 Success has offices close to us so your donations will go directly to the women and men in your local community. I would like to thank you in advance for your donations and participation in supporting an organization that goes hand in hand with the work that we do on a daily basis. Feel good in knowing that you are helping someone in need make great first impressions during their job search.

Please contact Sharon Lindquist, (818) 586-9393, or any NMA Board Member for questions or donations.

Dave Cutler

Jessie Delgado

Emeline Garba

Steve McGrath

Suzanna Navarro