How to Get the Most Out of Your BOMA Membership

Jul 09, 2018

Written by: Tom Klaers, Clean Response

This article was written in June 2018 for the 2018 Quarter Three Newsletter.

The Website: 
The BOMA Greater Minneapolis website is a great place to learn what BOMA is really about. You can learn about the BOMA mission, history, staff, board of directors, committees, and the building engineer's association. The tab on Advocacy gives legislative updates and can even help you find your elected representative. You will find an events calendar, information on sponsorships and advertising, the TOBY competition and past TOBY award winners, the mentorship program, and even pictures from past events. The Resource tab has links of interest, job postings, past newsletters, and the new member orientation presentation (a quick occasional review of the orientation would likely be helpful to any member). the better you know what BOMA is about, the more you will get from your membership. 

Learn:
There are many ways to learn as a BOMA member like the website, reading newsletters, BOMA Briefings, and ConnectEd to stay up on current topics. The more knowledgeable you are on BOMA related topics, the more information you can share with others, and elevate your image as an expert. Being a resource to other BOMA members builds strong relationships. 

Events:
BOMA events are educational, informative, and provide networking opportunities. You never know what you might learn from a conversation with a group of your fellow members. Your thoughts and knowledge might be just what someone else is looking for, or may help them in the future. Plan to attend events, and don't always sit with people you already know. Sit at a table where you don't know anyone, and get to know them by starting conversations about some of the current topics or articles you have recently read. Arrive early at a meeting and sit at an empty table. It is interesting to see who sits at your table as the room fills, and it can help you understand the relationships others have with everyone else at the table. 

Be Active: 
Make suggestions to the BOMA office and to the committees for meeting topics, education events, improving events, or write a newsletter article like this one. Joining a committee will allow you to get to know your fellow BOMA members on the committee much better, and switching to a different committee creates synergies in the organization and your career. Offer your expertise as a presenter or panelist, attend building engineer's meetings, and social events. Keep your BOMA directory on your desk to keep in front of mind, so you are more likely to contact and use other members as a resource. And as the old adage goes, "just keep showing up."