CMAA’s Emerging Leaders Program
Program Overview
The CMAA Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) is designed to provide you with a robust, association leadership and networking experience, as well as prepare you to assume increasingly responsible roles within your organization, your local CMAA chapter, and within the national committee and governance structure.
The ELP is built around five core elements to help facilitate and encourage interactive engagement with professional Construction Managers (CMs) and industry experts. In order to ensure the emerging leader experiences the industry’s full spectrum of activities, the program is designed to incorporate the following aspects over the span of one year:
- Attendance at both national meetings.
- Face-to-face meetings and social events held before and during the two national conferences.
- Monthly, online learning sessions with association and industry leaders.
- A shadowing experience with a CCM.
- A group presentation project.
Five Core Elements
Attendance at Both National Meetings. All participants will attend CMAA’s two national meetings as guests of CMAA. The participants would be responsible for their transportation expenses, while CMAA would cover the hotel and provide a per diem for meals. In addition to the conference, participants are also invited to observe all or part of the CMAA’s Board of Directors Meeting and Chapter Leaders Meeting.
Face-to-Face Meetings and Social Events. Prior to the beginning of each conference, participants will meet with a designated “conference mentor” (e.g., a Fellow, the VCCM, or a CMAA volunteer leader) to review the conference program, discuss the learning opportunities, and build a schedule. The participants will meet briefly with the conference mentor at designated times during the conference to share and reflect on the experience.
Monthly Online Sessions. Participants will be invited to monthly webinar sessions hosted by CMAA. Each session would feature a CMAA or industry leader who would spend the first 20-30 minutes telling his/her story of professional and association experience, with the balance of the session left open for questions-and-answers and discussion.
Shadowing Experience. Each participant is paired with a CCM and would spend a full day shadowing him/her (e.g., attending meetings, visiting job sites, or preparing proposals) to give early-career professionals insight into the day-to-day life of a team or firm leader and to identify subjects for future learning, as well as growth. CMAA covers the expenses of a participant who may have to travel to complete the shadowing experience.
Group Presentation Project. Participants will present at the National Conference on a topic of their choosing. The session will be featured in marketing and promotional materials for the conference and the participants will be recognized during a plenary session. Once a program year has concluded, the names of all participants will be shared with national and chapter leaders with recommendations for including these individuals in planning and implementing chapter events.