HEALY — When Denali Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vanessa Jusczak first started her job in 2017, she admitted she was “winging it,” figuring out what the Denali Chamber really needed.
Then, she discovered the Institute for Organization Management (OIM), a professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. That connection proved to be a valuable tool.
Jusczak recently earned a certificate in nonprofit management and said the training is worth the 96 credit hours of instruction.
“I started my job in 2017 and I was totally winging it,” she said. “I was learning as I went, what being a chamber meant.
“There’s a saying in the industry, ‘if you’ve seen one chamber, you’ve seen one chamber.’ So I was also figuring out what OUR chamber needed.”
Lisa Cassino, who formerly worked for the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce and now works for Usibelli Coal Mine, is a graduate of the program and recommended it to Jusczak, who thought the training would come in handy.
It proved to be a tremendous help and she credited the program with helping her through some difficult professional challenges.
“I am back from my first year, two months before Covid hit, and it really gave me great resources and contacts and guidance through that time,” she said. “By the end of the second year I was making a lot of internal changes to compliance and functionality and was able to give advice to other businesses and local nonprofits based on what I had learned.
“It gave me the tools to be creative, confident and effective in my job, while creating a solid foundation for building the future of my organization and our borough,” she added.
Earning the certificate required 96 credit hours of course instruction in nonprofit management.
Nearly 1,000 people attend the institute annually, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
“Institute graduates are recognized across the country as leaders in their industries and organizations,” according to Raymond P. Towle, vice-president of IOM, in a U.S. Chamber press release. “These individuals have the knowledge, skills and dedication necessary to achieve professional and organization success in the dynamic association and chamber industries.”
The program educates leaders on how to build stronger organizations, better serve their members and become strong business advocates. The curriculum consists of four weeklong sessions at four different university locations throughout the country. The courses are a combination of leadership, advocacy, marketing, finance and membership. Participants are able to enhance their own organizational management skills and add new fuel to their organizations, making them run more efficiently and effectively, according to the press release.
Some of her Alaska classmates included Jeremy Johnson, new executive director of the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce and Jennifer Luten, Alaska Miners Association.
Read More: Denali Chamber Director Earns Managment Training Certificate | Local Business