Letter from the Guild President | #powerpointdesigners

As we venture forward into 2021, I want to reflect on how far we’ve come and the exciting things in our future.

In a year marked by significant challenges, the Presentation Guild members came together to support each other. We hosted more than 50 events including webinars, book clubs, and Guild gatherings. Our always-on Slack community and forum buzzed with conversation giving fellow members support, guidance, and even technical help and suggestions. We gathered a think tank of presentation experts to create the first-ever Guild white paper examining the future of our industry. Our certification program continued to grow as many more people added Certified Presentation Specialist (CPS)–PowerPoint to their résumés.

The end of 2020 brought changes to the Guild Board of Directors. We said a hearty thank you and a wistful goodbye to our outgoing directors: Sandy Johnson, Glenna Shaw, Meghan Dotter, and Tom Howell. Their contributions are endlessly appreciated. We will miss them and look forward to continued relationships with each of them.

In January, the Guild welcomed newly elected members Sheila Robinson, Chantal Bossé, Richard Mulholland, and Kristaps Petersons to our Board of Directors. Each brings a wealth of industry knowledge and passion that will help evolve our Guild community.

This year also brings a few changes to the Guild officers. I remain Guild President for 2021 and will work alongside Vice President Stephy Hogan, Treasurer Steve Rindsberg, Secretary John Rahmlow, and Ric Bretschneider as Parliamentarian and Guild Board representation on the executive committee.

Together, we’re working to grow our membership and offerings in 2021. Here are a few of our goals:

• Opportunities for members to get involved. We want our talented membership to influence the future of our industry with more access to the Board and chances to directly impact and interact with the presentation community.
• The Salary Survey is in the works. Currently, we are sifting through the data and compiling an analysis. Look for announcements in the newsletter and on our website for upcoming release dates.
• Expanding and increasing our outreach. We want to welcome more experts and professionals from across the presentation community—especially those in the areas of presentation writing, strategy, speaking, and delivery—into our Guild community.

On behalf of the Guild Board of Directors, thank YOU for being an integral part of our community. We look forward to the upcoming year as we continue our mission to educate, represent, and provide a forum for presenters, presentation creators, and support professionals.

Warmly,
Bethany Auck

PS: If you have passion and skills to lend to our group or want to share ideas about the Guild can grow, please reach out on Slack or ideas@presentationguild.org. We want to hear from you!