Jamie Stewart, Chairman of the UK DSA and Managing Director for Kleeneze Ltd, knows there is so much information available on the Internet today that it can be overwhelming for direct sellers, particularly those new to social media. That’s why he advises anyone running a direct selling organization to research and stick to trustworthy resources.

One of Stewart’s most trusted resources is the Direct Selling Education Foundation.

DSEF’s social media platforms—including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and the Foundation’s blog—offer valuable content that can help direct sellers build their businesses.

“The Twitter feed from the DSEF is top of my list,” says Stewart. “It’s not only a safe, trusted source, but has quality information that is aimed at supporting your direct sellers. I know many people within our business have put the information to good use—after all, it’s putting great information to use that really makes it valuable.”

Nancy Laichas, Director of Marketing & Communications at DSEF, says the Foundation’s social media platform allows DSEF to reach a whole new audience with the wealth of resources it has developed with partners like the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). “Tens of the thousands of small business owners, many of whom are direct sellers, now have access to free, credible information on topics like consumer protection, business ethics, personal finance and entrepreneurship skills,” she says.

The DSEF blog features interviews with industry executives, tips on running a business and selling, and guest posts from partner organizations such as CBBB, which initiated a blog post exchange with DSEF. Additionally, CUNA provides links to personal finance articles, and has partnered with the Foundation to produce YouTube videos on a variety of small business topics.

“Blogs like DSEF are valuable to industry veterans and new distributors alike because they provide regular direct sales-specific information” says Dan Macuga, Chief Communications Officer for USANA Health Sciences. “It’s valuable for distributors in that it provides a third-party, non-partisan look at the direct selling industry.”

For companies like USANA that are very active on social media, DSEF’s blog provides third-party content to share with people who are interested in learning about more than just USANA, but the industry in general.

“DSEF’s social media is also a great example of how to create a variety of practical content, such as ‘how-to’ posts packed with interesting facts and useful business-building tips, which even companies that are not as active on social media can easily share,” Macuga says.

One such example would be the “DSA Code of Ethics” videos on the DSEF YouTube channel, which demonstrate how USANA and other direct sellers operate with integrity. “The best-practices employed by DSEF complement what we’re trying to accomplish with USANA’s social media—we want to provide our Associates with entertaining and informative content they can share with their online networks,” Macuga adds.

Mannatech Vice President of Marketing Brett Duncan says that social media has made content more important than ever. “It’s not always easy finding enough content to fill in your editorial calendar for the week,” he says. “We use DSEF’s constant flow of great articles and tips specific to our industry regularly to help fill in those gaps. It’s been a surefire strategy for us, as we can rest easy knowing content is being created with our industry in mind by people who understand the industry. And it’s also given our sales Associates another place to gather with like-minded people even outside of Mannatech and take pride in their profession.”

Sarah Baker Andrus, Director of External Relations and Academic Programs for Vector Marketing Corporation, says she likes to follow the DSEF Facebook page. “Whenever I see posts on that page in my news feed, I always look at them for something of value to our field,” she says. “It’s quite common that the topic they’ve covered or the way they present something is salient enough and relevant enough for our business that we are able repost it and share it on our corporate page on Facebook. The value-add to us is something that we really appreciate. It gives us the chance to share good, generic business information with our field. We like that we are not only always posting information that is Vector or CUTCO specific. I love that DSEF offers information that is really helpful to growing your own business.”

Andrus also appreciates DSEF’s weekly email that explains what the Foundation is focusing on for the week. “My team is able to look at that and say, ‘Hey, here’s something we can piggyback off. There’s something we could add to. Or, that’s a good idea.’ I love the way that they are very proactive, and that they follow an editorial calendar they share with us so we can tie in whenever possible.”

The feedback coming in from the field is both positive and appreciative of the work DSEF does on behalf of those seeking reliable information on the industry.

Says Ally B., an Independent Silpada Designs Representative, “I just want to thank you for all the wonderful articles you post. I read them every day. They are so helpful. They inspire me to do more to promote my business.”

DSEF’s social media can be found at:

	http://dsef.org/category/blog-posts
	http://www.facebook.com/TheDSEF
	https://twitter.com/#!/thedsef
	http://pinterest.com/thedsef
	http://www.youtube.com/user/TheDSEF

To receive DSEF’s weekly email outlining the coming week’s social media topics, contact Nancy Laichas.

It’s no secret that the Millennial Generation immerses itself in communication technologies. Gen Yers were raised in a digital world, and everyday life includes the extensive use of social media platforms to research and share information.

So as this generation enters the workforce, how do direct selling companies evolve their traditional sales and training methods to appeal to them?

At the upcoming DSA Annual Meeting in June, DSEF will sponsor “AVATAR WORKSHOP: Using Avatars and Virtual Worlds to Captivate Gen Y,” a workshop that will demonstrate a digital approach to captivating a new generation of direct sales distributors and customers.

Attendees will learn about virtual worlds and how to use avatars—online digital personas that allow users to navigate the virtual environment and interact with other participants—for training and marketing to increase sales, educating and motivating distributors, collecting customer insights for new product development and promoting new products to consumers.

“We want attendees to come away with a vision of how they can engage a new generation of customers and distributors,” says Professor Michael Solomon, Director of the Haub School of Business Center for Consumer Reseach at Saint Joseph’s University, who will co-present the session. “These ‘Digital Natives’ increasingly shop and interact on social media like Facebook. The virtual world platforms we will discuss are the next generation of the online marketplace—they combine the immediacy of Facebook with vivid visual capabilities. Virtual worlds will allow DSA businesses to promote their products and ramp up engagement in traditional venues like home parties as well as in new venues like digital house parties.”

According to co-presenter Greg Marshall, Charles Harwood Professor of Marketing & Strategy at Rollins College, the session will be a little avant-garde. “The slide deck we have put together is not a normal slide deck,” he says. “We are showing a lot of examples of avatar-driven communications and where training could be done in a virtual world environment. Hopefully it will open up attendee interest and even understanding of what is possible using a virtual-world approach, whether it is through customer contact, training, branding or messaging—those are the things that are the real opportunities. We’re hoping this session will be a first salvo at raising interest on the part of the direct selling community.”

The basis for the workshop is a research pilot study funded by DSEF and led by Professors Solomon and Marshall in which a virtual world was constructed for the mark® division of Avon. In July 2010 Solomon and Marshall conducted a series of conference calls with mark’s marketing and online teams to create a virtual sales representative training venue. The virtual venue was completed in August 2010, and this past February mark employees were invited to enter the venue and interact as avatars.

Why is this type of academic research so important? Solomon says forward-looking businesspeople understand the value of staying on top of new technologies and business models, but may not have the luxury of exploring these options because of the ongoing demands of running their companies. “This type of research bridges the gap between new possibilities and everyday practice,” he says. “It reflects a model of cooperation where academic and practitioner partners each contribute a unique set of resources, and an innovative match-making organization like DSEF provides the glue that holds them together.”

Making academic research practical for direct sellers is critical because the divide between academic research and traditional market research—or applied research—is getting narrower and narrower, says Marshall. “Professors are really being held more and more accountable to multiple stakeholders. It’s not just about publishing our work in obscure journals any longer, but hopefully being able to add value to the fields that are connected to our research.”

Marshall added that this type of research has important implications for direct sellers who want to get ahead of the game, not the least of which is that the generation they are dealing with now—whether it is the new sales representatives or the new end-user customers or even individuals working at the corporate level. “You are dealing so much more with the millennial group—that’s the apple of all direct sellers’ eyes right now—and that group lives in a different space from Baby Boomers and Gen X types,” he said. “They want to be able to go out and find out things on their own. They are perfectly comfortable in the virtual space. For training purposes, there are so many interesting applications, such as using a virtual-world approach. For the end-user customer, direct sales has a lot of opportunities to bring them into the virtual world to demonstrate products. It is going to be a brave new world out there when it comes to taking product to market.”

The Avatar Workshop will be held on Monday, June 4, from 10:15 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.

As Tom Kelly ends his tenure as Chair of DSEF’s Board of Directors, we take time to acknowledge his leadership and the significant contributions he has made to the Foundation over the past year.

Kelly, who will step down as Board Chair at the upcoming DSA Annual Meeting in June, has been a tireless advocate for DSEF and brought his trademark energy and creativity to the Foundation’s fundraising efforts. Charlie Orr, DSEF Executive Director, believes Kelly will continue to be a vocal supporter of the Foundation in the years ahead. “Tom has been our FUND-raiser-in-chief,” Orr says. “It’s where he has spent a lot of his efforts this past year. And he has also been FUN to work with. His energy level, his enthusiasm and his sense for what’s right are very contagious. He brought savvy direct selling experience to his leadership role, and he’s going to take that same level of energy and expertise to Silpada.”

That savvy experience comes from more than 30 years at Avon Products and now serves him well as President and COO of Silpada Designs, which Avon acquired in 2010. As he leaves DSEF, Kelly reflects on the critical work the Foundation does on behalf of the direct selling industry, as well as the challenges it faces in securing financial support to fund its programs.

“DSEF plays a really important role in supporting initiatives beyond the lobbying efforts of the DSA,” Kelly says. “This Foundation is good for our business, and we should take advantage of it.”

However, Kelly acknowledges that while DSEF has a committed Board of Directors, what DSEF does not have is the involvement and commitment of all direct selling companies.

“The reason the DSEF was founded was that the public’s perception of the industry was really bad,” says Kelly. “At that time, DSA executives founded the Foundation. Fast-forward to today and I think we are in a bit of a calm period. Right now people realize that direct selling companies are very legitimate.”

That new perception is in part due to DSEF’s partnerships with consumer advocates, educators and students, public policy officials, and members of the small business and entrepreneurship communities.  The programs DSEF develops with these respected organizations and academic institutions create a better business climate for the industry.

“There is a risk that people don’t see DSEF as relevant today,” Kelly says. “If DSEF didn’t exist, you’d want to invent it because you’d want to influence academics, and you’d want to partner with consumer agencies. These are things that the DSA can’t do on its own; it’s really a lobbying group that works on government regulations. What the Foundation does is find partnerships through academics, organizations such as the Council for Better Business Bureaus and other groups that create this warm environment.”

Kelly’s hope is that the incoming DSEF Chair will continue to tap into the strong resources and talent of the DSEF Board. “My advice would be to continue to focus on programs that reach out to the academic world and support direct selling,” he said. “Continue to look at expanding DSEF’s reach. Right now we don’t have the participation we should. I think it is up to the incoming chair and Charlie to motivate and ensure that all direct selling companies and all direct selling executives don’t take the Foundation for granted—that they contribute to it and get involved in it to help companies grow.”

Instilling consumer confidence and contributing to a trustworthy marketplace are common goals shared by the DSEF and the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), one of the nation’s recognized leaders in developing and administering self-regulation programs for the business community.

In May 2010, the two organizations formed a close partnership that has resulted in an increased awareness and understanding—and appreciation—of the importance that the direct selling industry places as an industry on ensuring it is an ethical and trustworthy marketplace.

“The BBB, which is one of the most foremost brands of trust and integrity for consumers, is tasked with educating consumers as well as educating businesses about best practices,” says Catherine Landman, Chair of the DSEF Ethics Committee and the Chief Legal Officer for The Pampered Chef. “This parallels DSEF’s goal, which is to educate consumers about direct selling and the best practices direct sellers follow.”

The CBBB, the network hub for BBBs in the United States and Canada, is dedicated to fostering honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers. Millions of consumers visit its website each month seeking information that will help them make wise decisions relating to a variety of business practices, services and opportunities in the marketplace. 

“A key goal of DSEF’s partnership with the CBBB on ethics and trust in the marketplace is to provide accurate and valuable information on diverse business and consumer issues, including the direct selling method of distribution,” says Bettie L. Smith, Senior Program Director for DSEF. “Our unique partnership helps pave the way for increased respect and understanding among the 116 BBBs, direct sellers and the general public.”

The general public has been the biggest beneficiary of the partnership.  The DSEF has contributed numerous articles and videos on direct selling, as well as informative blog content, that consumers can easily access from the CBBB site.

Jim Guthrie, Senior Consultant of Advertising and Marketing for CBBB, says “the partnership has brought important, engaging and entertaining content to us that has enriched our website—content from DSEF about direct selling—both about the opportunities to get into the direct selling business and how to purchase knowledgeably through a direct selling channel. It’s the kind of information that the BBB offers to consumers who come on to our site asking about businesses. It’s a wonderful source of information.”

The CBBB tracks the content supplied by DSEF using 25 different metrics that evaluate the CBBB’s ability to deliver content to site visitors. Over the two years that the DSEF has contributed material, the interest in direct selling from consumers has not waned. The rate of engagement with DSEF’s content is at the top of the curve—approximately six times higher than an average message online. On a monthly basis, the CBBB site receives 1.3 million impressions directly related to the DSEF content.

“Consumers are very interested in what we have to offer about direct selling,” says Guthrie. “I think [the economy] is encouraging a lot of people to consider direct selling opportunities.”

Thanks to the efforts of the DSEF, CBBB visitors can find the information they need about becoming a direct seller.

It’s a disheartening statistic: every 29 seconds, one student drops out of the U.S. educational system. Over the course of a year, that equates to 1.2 million young Americans who never graduate—the majority of whom would have continued their studies had the curriculum proved more relevant to their lives.

Sometimes what young people need is a little inspiration and mentoring to show them just how relevant education really is to their future. And that’s where the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) comes in.

Founded in New York in 1987, NFTE currently has 11 affiliate offices throughout the United States that provide programs that inspire young people from low-income communities to graduate from high school and to learn the necessary skills for creating their own business plans—in essence, helping to shape them into the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

On Sunday, June 3, the DSEF will kick off the Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon to benefit the Greater Dallas Chapter of NFTE. The three-day event will be held at the Gaylord Texan during the DSA Annual Meeting. DSA members will have the opportunity to support NFTE’s goal of helping at-risk youth find their pathways to a brighter future, and meet some special young people who participate in the organization’s programs.

The walkathon is a first for DSEF, which in the past has hosted a toy drive and organized a beach cleanup as part of its annual charitable efforts. Kate Gardner, Chair of the DSEF Community Partner Program task force and Executive Director of the SUCCESS Foundation, says the walkathon not only allowed DSEF to infuse the entire three days of the DSA Annual Meeting with the message of community partnership, but it also tied in well with its theme: Inspiring Entrepreneurs.

“NFTE inspires kids to complete their education and to go forward, or consider starting, their own businesses,” says Gardner. “The organization is all about teaching the principles and spirit of entrepreneurship. It is a natural tie-in to what the DSA represents.”

Laura Maczka, Executive Director, NFTE Greater Dallas, agrees. “There is a natural connection between what we are trying to encourage our children to do and what the folks in the direct selling business do,” she says. “Our goal is to have disadvantaged youth feel like they can positively affect their future—that they have some control, and through their own businesses change their circumstances.”

Aside from the financial support NFTE will receive from the walkathon, Maczka is just as excited about opportunity for her students to meet members of the DSA. “We are always looking for role models and mentors,” she states. “The people we have met through direct selling have amazing stories that are inspiring to our children. The opportunity for our students to see successful people, hear their stories and hear that they genuinely care about next generation of entrepreneurs is amazing, especially since our students could aspire to be members of the DSA someday.”

DSEF’s support of NFTE is appreciated by top business leaders such as Jim Stitt, President and CEO of CUTCO, who has long recognized the importance of teaching the concept of entrepreneurship to youth. CUTCO is a business that is predominantly college student-oriented, with its focus on young students who can aspire to be entrepreneurs of the future.

“CUTCO has been a longtime supporter of DSEF,” says Stitt. “We think these events are great because they showcase what DSEF does for the industry, and it is a great way for colleagues to get together, learn more about DSEF while working together as well as raise awareness for DSEF.”

The Entrepreneurs in Action Walkathon is sponsored by Herbalife, ALHI, The Pampered Chef, VideoPlus, USANA, CUTCO, 4Life, The Hartford, John A. Parks Co., Inc., Team National, Beachbody, Vantel Pearls and WineShop At Home.

Prizes will be awarded in three categories: Most Miles Walked, Daily Challenges and Most Pledges Collected. The grand prize is a 2-night stay at the Aria in Las Vegas with spa certificates for two. The first place winner will receive a 2-night stay at the Peabody Orlando, and the second place winner will enjoy a 1-night stay at the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs with golf for two.

Small business owners are constantly besieged by tasks that pull them away from the major day-to-day duties inherent in running a successful business. Those tasks can include:

Task 1: Upgrading contact information to directory services

Task 2: Paying miscellaneous invoices

Task 3: Reimbursing customers for overpayments

Task 4: Updating software and passwords

Task 5: Responding to award notifications

Task 6: Checking email

Those seemingly mundane tasks can disrupt the flow of business, and are most often not given the focus they deserve.

And that’s just what scam artists are banking on.

To help small business owners—especially direct sellers—recognize the most common scams and safeguard themselves against fraud, the DSEF has joined forces with the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) to create timely and valuable resources that DSA member companies can share with their salesforces, employees and family members.

“For the small business leader to succeed in our current economic climate, they need up-to-date and relevant resources and tools that will enable them to manage their time, finances and business wisely,” said Bettie L. Smith, Senior Program Director for DSEF. “Through our partnership with CUNA, we are developing an abundance of free financial education resources that individuals can access 24/7 in their home via the Web.”

Those resources include an informative video that identifies the six most common scams experienced by small businesses:

Directory Scheme: The free directory update is not so free after all. You’re billed for listings, services or ads you did not agree to. (Task 1)

Supply Scheme: The miscellaneous invoice you received is for office supplies you never ordered. (Task 2)

Overpayment Scheme:  The customer requesting reimbursement used a fraudulent credit card or check. (Task 3)

Data Breach Scheme: The antivirus software you never installed and passwords you never updated allowed your sensitive business data to be breached. (Task 4)

Award Scheme: The industry award you just paid hundreds of dollars for does not exist. (Task 5)

Phishing Scheme: The email link you clicked on just allowed hackers into your computer system. (Task 6)

Professor Brenda Cude, Director of the University of Georgia Center on Economic Education, says the key to safeguarding your business these days is to stay focused on all aspects of your business operations.

“First and foremost we just all need to be aware and stop and think about what we’re doing,” says Cude, who is a DSEF board member and serves as the Consumer Committee Co-chair. “If we are not sure, take an extra moment to think again or ask someone else. There’s so much that appears to be legitimate today that really isn’t, and sometimes it takes another person’s opinion to help you see where the possible flaw might be.”

According to Jan Garkey, Member Education Manager for the Center for Personal Finance at CUNA, the partnership between DSEF and her organization will capitalize on each other’s strengths to reach new audiences through the exploding social media platform, including sharing personal finance articles from credit unions across the country through Facebook and Twitter. “CUNA is proud to partner with DSEF on our shared mission to improve the financial literacy of our respective members, future members and the general public. It’s exciting to see this partnership evolve.”

“DSEF and CUNA share a common goal of empowering consumers,” says Nu Skin Senior Director of Public Relations Kara Schneck, who is a DSEF board member and Consumer Committee Co-chair. “We look forward to bringing our respective strengths together to help consumers, particularly those involved in direct selling, have the information and tools they need to make wise fiscal decisions and achieve their financial goals.”

To learn more about the specific types of small-business scams and how to protect your business from fraud, view the video created by DSEF and CUNA here.

Organizations such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USABE), the American Marketing Association (AMA), and the National Consumers League (NCL), as well as numerous marketing professors at universities across the nation and additional influential organizations and individuals are linked arm and arm with the DSEF in order to spread the word and educate the public on its mission.

Read the full article in Direct Selling News

Click here to view the DSEF Summer 2011 Newsletter

(MIAMI—June 3, 2011) – When hundreds of company executives gather in Miami for the 2011 annual convention of the Direct Selling Association, they will do more than take in the Florida sunshine and discuss their direct selling businesses.  On June 5th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., CEOs and executives from notable companies such as Mary Kay, The Pampered Chef, Avon and more will roll up their sleeves and work by side with the teens and tweens of the Greater Miami-Dade YWCA to help them make their facility a more inviting environment for Miami’s young people.

The event is sponsored by the Direct Selling Education Foundation (DSEF), whose community service programs continue the direct selling industry’s rich tradition of giving back to the communities in which they do business. “Y We Care, a partnership between the YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade and the Direct Selling Education Foundation, is an event that demonstrates the deep commitment to corporate responsibility shared by the entire direct selling industry,” said Charlie Orr, DSEF’s Executive Director, “Leaders from our industry will work with the kids on a variety of creative projects.  We’ll be painting, gardening, building bookshelves and helping the kids to document the day through photography and interviews.”

“To anticipate nearly a hundred guests exchanging ideas with our teens and tweens is exciting,’” said Eileen Maloney-Simon, CEO, YWCA of Greater Miami-Dade. “The leadership example and fellowship being shown to inner-city youth is outstanding and we are thankful to the Direct Selling Education Foundation for taking the time out of their conference schedule to do this community project.”

ABOUT THE YWCA OF GREATER MIAMI-DADE
Founded in 1919, the YWCA Greater Miami-Dade of is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.  The organization fulfills its mission with programs that empower Miami’s youth through education, advocacy and unity.  The Miami-Dade YWCA programs benefitted almost four thousand young people from ages six to eighteen during fiscal year 2009-2010.  A more inviting YWCA environment attracts more young people to gather, learn and enjoy activities that encourage educational excellence, independence, resourcefulness and responsibility.

ABOUT DSEF
The Direct Selling Education Foundation serves the public interest by advancing the direct selling industry’s support of consumer rights and protection, education about the industry, ethical leadership and individual economic empowerment. Through its partnerships with consumer advocates, educators and students, public policy officials, and members of the small business and entrepreneurship community, DSEF enhances public awareness of direct selling in the global marketplace. For more information, visit, http://dsefnew.wpengine.com.

It’s that time of year when DSEF’s Board of Director’s roster changes. We salute our consumer and academic board members who complete their terms in 2011. These individuals worked passionately to help fulfill our mission, especially in the areas of consumer rights and protection, education and research, and women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. While making their contributions, each of these devoted volunteers has also gained a new perspective about the direct selling industry, and DSEF will continue to benefit from their involvement, support and insight.

Maria E. Canabal Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, serves as DSEF Consumer & Community Program Committee member.

"DSEF has given me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the direct selling industry, its business model and the diversity of the firms and the people involved. As a consumer educator and advocate, it’s important for me to understand both sides of the market—sellers and consumers. It’s also been valuable for me to be able to represent DSEF abroad and to introduce some of my professional organizations to DSEF, forming long-lasting partnerships."

Greg W. Marshall, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing, Rollins College, served as Chair of the DSEF Education Initiative Committee.

"I’ve come to very much appreciate the direct selling business model and the power of the independent salesperson to control her or his own destiny through hard work and tenacity. It’s a brilliant strategy for DSEF to promote such high levels of academic / executive interaction, and I firmly believe that the single most opportunistic initiative for DSEF continues to be fostering research collaboration between top scholars and top industry executives, directed toward addressing critical research questions for the future of the industry."

Susan G. Duffy Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Strategy & Entrepreneurship, Simmons College, serves on the DSEF Education Initiative Committee, and the Women’s Initiative Committee.

"It has been an honor to serve on the DSEF board. As an entrepreneurship educator, I found the direct selling opportunity to be an ideal, accessible model of new venture creation for my students. Everything we want students to learn about launching, managing and growing a venture is available to them in a direct selling company. I aim to use my energy every day for a net positive gain. DSEF has been an inspiring place to entrepreneur positive outcomes."

Elizabeth Owen, Executive Director, National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, served as Chair of the DSEF Consumer & Community Program Committee.

"I learned firsthand the direct selling industry’s dedication to promoting consumer protection. Its support is generous, unwavering and creative, and for that the entire consumer protection community is grateful. No other industry comes close to that commitment. As I rotate off the board, I am so pleased to see this organization celebrating a renewed mission, defined goals, and an eye for the future. On a personal note, each board meeting was a pleasant reunion with people I grew to call friends."