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From the Desk of AFCEA’s Small Business Committee

Committee Corner

Each month, this feature highlights news from AFCEA’s various committees.

AFCEA’s Small Business Committee (SBC) of corporate member associates volunteer their time and expertise to help AFCEA’s largest community learn, network and grow. The committee accomplished several key milestones in fiscal year 2022 under the leadership of Chair Heather Lacroix, president of Chronos Operations (a Chenega company), and Co-Chair Joshua Duvall, shareholder, Maynard Cooper Gale.

A committee goal was to “test drive” programs and ideas—working out the kinks and then offering a “program in a box” for chapters to emulate, replicate or improve.

The Business Development (BD) Roundtable delivered that promise. Co-led by Matt Stratford, Will Swann and Katie Helwig, this virtual event grew in content and attendance. Events were held virtually and free to AFCEA members. Topics presented included:

Lessons Learned From Losing
Business Development 101–Reviewing the Process
Price To Win
Do Win Themes Bring Value to Your Proposal?
Follow the Money
How To Size Up the Competition

The program started with a modest 10 registrants and culminated with 43 attendees from across the country. Those who tuned in monthly were rewarded with the chance to engage with familiar faces and professionals with similar roles and goals, making conversations comfortable and networking valuable.
FY 23 will be just as exciting. Look for the BD Roundtable to come back, along with another fan favorite: SBC Center of Excellence (formerly known as the AFCEA Mentor-Protégé Program). This program soared under Thomas Perry and will continue to mature and bring value to AFCEA corporate members. Mentors from large, medium and fellow small businesses work together to learn, network and grow.

What’s on the Horizon?

Along with the BD Roundtable and Center of Excellence subcommittees, AFCEA SB Programming returns in FY 23. We plan to introduce a new subcommittee, AFCEA SBC Influencers, whose mission is to educate, create and promote small business programs and initiatives within the AFCEA community. Participants will leverage all the great talent, experience and diversity of SBC members to identify ways to connect globally.

How You Can Leverage the SBC

The SBC is a chapter resource to help create and promote small business programs and initiatives locally. We’re here to share on social media, suggest industry speakers and subject matter experts, and programming ideas. The SBC is here to serve—use us! To get on the events mailing list, please fill out a contact form at https://forms.office.com/r/3QMmJeCdVf

Hail and Farewell!

Josh Duvall, shareholder, Maynard, Cooper & Gale, serves as the chair, and Katie Helwig, president of Mild Red LLC, serves as co-chair for FY 23. Our fondest regards go to LaCroix, the outgoing chair, who brought an abundance of energy, focus and leadership to this group of incredible AFCEANs.

Each month, SIGNAL Magazine publishes a feature in the Committee Corner to highlight news you can us from AFCEA’s committees. Committee leaders should submit entries to Sandra Jontz. Happy writing.