Captains of the Ship
by Bill Rose, SSPA Founder/Executive Director

“The SSPA Advisory Board is an industry-leading body that, with SSPA executive management, works to better the industry and profession of service and support by defining important industry opportunities and delivering solutions to members through the SSPA and its committees.” – SSPA Advisory Board Mission Statement

As Executive Director of the SSPA, I’m responsible for steering the path of the association to serve the needs of the technical support industry and especially our members. Realizing that guiding a community this large and diverse is difficult and that no single person can have all the good ideas or make all the right decisions without help, I try to surround myself with very knowledgeable, senior executives who are deeply concerned about the service and support industry -- and the SSPA. Those people make up the SSPA Advisory Board.

That’s where you come in. My goal is to develop an Advisory Board that reflects the nature of the industry and the SSPA community and we have some seats on the board to fill. It’s your chance to give something back to the industry by helping steer the SSPA ship. Being named to the prestigious SSPA Advisory Board is also a solid career move for those looking to advance.

What makes the SSPA Advisory Board somewhat unique is that it’s a working board that requires a relationship with and commitment to our members and the technical support industry. The time commitment is typically three to four hours per month. Most of that time involves finding answers and responding to strategic support questions from SSPA executive management – to help steer the ship.

You’ll also be asked to work occasionally with SSPA staff to identify industry needs and opportunities the SSPA can help address. You may be asked to own a committee process, lend your expertise to a best practice sharing session, or moderate an SSPA forum. We expect you to be a leader in the industry and one who champions the SSPA, its goals, and programs.

Board terms run two years with a maximum of two consecutive terms. After a one-year break, members can apply to rejoin the board. There is a maximum of one board member per company and board members should be key support executives within their companies. Board members are required to attend at least one of the two Advisory Board meetings per year. Those meetings are held in conjunction with our conferences. Board members get complimentary registration to the conferences.

One of the key functions of the Advisory Board is the job of judging the SSPA STAR Awards. The STAR Awards are peer recognition awards and as you consider whether to apply to become a board member, you should keep in mind that you’ll be responsible for evaluating your peers. You must be objective and able to apply your knowledge fairly in the judging process.

By talking with and listening to input from our Advisory Board, I ensure that the SSPA makes the right tacks and we continue to meet the needs of our members. These advisors make sure that members and the industry have a loud voice in what we do and I deeply appreciate their input.

If this sounds like something you’d like to do, I’d like to work with you to raise the bar for our industry. To apply for a position on the SSPA Advisory Board, download, complete, and return the application form. You can also use this form to nominate others as board members.

Sincerely,


Bill Rose
SSPA Founder/Executive Director