President's Article "Lean is more that just a four letter word." By Chrys C. Varnes, C.P.M., President NAPM-Orange County, Inc. Affiliated with the Institute of Supply Management

How many of you that attended our September meeting organized their desk the next day? I did. I also made the decision to invest in a new pocket pc with a commitment to keep it in sync with my other computers. Our speaker was truly inspirational.

I read through the comments from the meeting. Several of you indicated that you were interested in attending a pre-dinner workshop. I will work with our Ed Res committee to put something together for November with a topic that you have requested on your survey.

One of you mentioned that you felt I spoke too loudly at the meeting. I need your help to correct this. It is often very difficult to get the group's attention when we start the meeting. I would appreciate it if we could work together to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to hear the announcements and other business. That will make it much easier for me to speak more softly.

Another individual shared their feeling that NAPM-OC is special and they do not want to lose that. Your Board would be very interested finding out what you are concerned about losing. We would also like to know more about what you want from the association and how you will help to "make it happen".

There are many opportunities for you to become involved that do not require monthly meetings. Why would you be interested in volunteering? This is our profession and I know we are all very proud of it. ISM and our local NAPM-OC affiliate are responsible for advocacy of the profession, providing opportunities for professional development and setting the standards for supply management through our certification programs.

To volunteer, you can talk to Mark Bird at the meeting or send an e mail to me or any of the Board members or Committee chairs. Our e-mail addresses are here on our website.

I hope to have the opportunity to see and talk to you at the October meeting. And remember, LEAN is not just a four letter word!