CHAPTER BLOG

Hello everyone,

The Board of ICF San Diego hopes your year is off to a great start. As the new president of ICF San Diego, I am pleased to share some great news.

This is the first year in ICF San Diego’s history (we launched in 2017) that we have a full board. Lynn Levis will continue supporting us as Past-President and Gaby Alvarez-Pollack is President-Elect for 2022. We have two new board members, Membership Director Jennifer Guillaumin and Communications Director Sylvia Zepeda. You can get learn more about our board here. A big thank you to Lynn and the board members who created learning and connecting experiences in 2020.

In the year ahead, we have amazing educational webinars planned for the year as well as “Networkshops” where you will have a chance to grow your relationships with local coaches and share your thoughts on current issues as well as ways to support your clients’ growth.

As a country, we are in a state of transition and healing while we continue to battle Covid-19. Many of you have expressed the stress all of this has brought to your clients. If we are to best serve our clients, we need to also focus on self-care and self-expression and I intend to make our ICF San Diego Chapter a community where you can all have a safe space to talk about the topics that are important to you. My hope is you leave each interaction, whether a webinar or networkshop, not only learning new skills, but also feeling that you have expanded hope, energy and resilience. Wellness, inclusion and how to thrive in business and personally, will be recurring themes in our work.

We are 224 members strong and growing. We look forward to serving you. Should you have any suggestions or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Here’s to your health, wellness and success in 2021.

Sincerely,

Shahrzad Sherry Nooravi, PsyD, PCC

Chapter President

ICF San Diego

Hi everyone,

As I conclude my term as Chapter President of ICF San Diego, I'm in awe of all we've accomplished during a really challenging year. To all who played a role in what we were able to offer to the coaching community in 2020: I thank you for your time and commitment.

Looking ahead, I'm eager for what's to come. Our Elections process has concluded, and the 2021 Board of Directors can be found on our website. This is the first full Board of Directors in our Chapter's history, and when I look at the group assembled to lead ICF San Diego in 2021 and beyond, I'm amazed at the skills they bring and the passion for coaching they represent. I feel confident saying that we've never had a more talented incoming Board.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served ICF San Diego over the past three years, and I look forward to staying connected with you. 

I wish you and yours a safe and healthy holiday season.

All the best,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

During this Thanksgiving week, I am filled with so much gratitude. 

In the face of all the complex and challenging twists that 2020 presented, the ICF San Diego Board of Directors has responded with innovation, grace, and resilience. I am so thankful for these tireless volunteers who give us the gifts of their time and talents -- during a really difficult year. Please join me in thanking them:

• Maggie Murphy Maertz, Secretary
  
• Chuck Paglialunga, Treasurer
  
• Charles Furman, Past-President
  
• John Murphy, Membership Director
  
• Barbara Noerenberg, Membership Director
  
• Whittney Beard, Programming Director
  
• Wil Fisher, Programming Director
  
• Yennie Rautenberg-Loya, Communications Director
  

I also want to thank the many speakers we were able to host in 2020. Most were virtual and a few were in person, but all were outstanding presenters. Please join me in thanking them for sharing their knowledge with us:

• James Garrett, Mini Habits: A Small Tool for Big Success
• Arthur Schwartz, How to Incorporate Conversations That Create Trust into Your Coaching Practice
• Gene Gilmore, A Practical Leadership Toolkit: Teaching Coaching Skills for Leadership Development
• Jeff Schneider, A Change in Client Mindset Through Learning How to Effectively Give and Receive Feedback
  
• C.J. Hayden, What Can You Do if You Need to Get Clients Yesterday?
• Amber Setter, Adult Development Theory: The Key to Elevating Your Clients' Consciousness
• Mary Andrews, Change and Resilience: Navigating How Change Goes for You and Your Clients
• Sherry Nooravi, Coaching with Presence: Five Keys for Presence-Based Coaching
• Mark Hunter, A Conversation about Race
• Leah Grant, The Art of Evoking Awareness

Last but certainly not least, I want to thank all of you: the members of ICF San Diego. During a time when ICF Chapters all over the world are seeing a major drop in numbers, we proudly maintain a strong base of 210 members. We're grateful that you remain part of our community, and we look forward to serving you in the year to come.

I wish you all a safe and restful Thanksgiving.

All the best,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

I hope this email finds you doing well as we transition more deeply into the fall months. It's a busy time of year for many, and yet I hope you'll make the time to join us for A Conversation about Race, presented by Mark Hunter, MCC. See below for more details and to register. We hope you'll be there for this important presentation.

I want to thank those of you who raised your hands and expressed interest in serving the ICF San Diego Board of Directors in 2021! We received a number of submissions, and our Board and Nominating Committee is hard at work reviewing them at this time. In the coming weeks, you'll be receiving an email with link where you can cast your vote on the slate of next year's Board of Directors. Remember, only active members may vote, so be sure to renew your membership if you haven't already.

Lastly, we're looking ahead to our December gathering and want to hear your suggestions! While we typically gather for a fun, festive happy hour to celebrate the many joyous holidays in December, we of course can't gather in person this year. Do you have ideas about how we might meaningfully connect? We'd love to hear them, so email me if you have some suggestions or would like to help us to plan!

Sincerely,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

I hope this message finds you enjoying a restful three-day weekend! It's that time of year when we begin the process for forming next year's Board of Directors. Please below for more information, and be sure to join us for our Information Session next week to learn more about the ways you can get involved.

We hope to see you at our September event. We're happy to announce that we've extended the usual capacity for our events since transitioning to a virtual setting, so please join your fellow coaches for an excellent session on presence-based coaching!

Members: are you taking advantage of your benefits? See below for more information about our Members Only Portal, and contact us if you need any support.

I hope to see you virtually soon! Stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

Yes, you read that right -- it's August. And what a whirlwind these past few months have been. Many of us are juggling demands like never before, and now more than ever, we need to support each other through these changes and build our own resilience.

We're thrilled to offer a free workshop on this very topic next week. You can register here -- but be sure to do so quickly! Attendance is limited to 50 participants.

Though it may be hard to believe, ICF San Diego's leadership team is already looking ahead to 2021! We are seeking talented and committed volunteers to join us on the ICF San Diego Board of Directors. As I approach the end of my third year serving this chapter, I can assure you the experience is worthwhile -- I've been lucky enough to meet many of our members, build relationships with other coaches, gain valuable Board experience, and positively impact the San Diego coaching community. If you're interested in any of the above, let's chat and find a way you can get involved!

Sincerely,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

As we continue our programming in a virtual format, we're thrilled to be able to offer two educational programs this month! Please see below for more information and to register.

We'd love your suggestions for a topic for our August networkshop, scheduled for Monday the 17th. If you have ideas or would like to co-facilitate the conversation, please contact us.

We look forward to "seeing" you at a program soon!

Sincerely,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

I'm saddened as I reflect on the last few weeks of racial violence and the history of systemic racism in the United States. With my fellow ICF San Diego Board members, I stand in solidarity with African American communities and others around the world who experience this institutional racism -- which has most recently taken the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Our hearts are with their families.

As an organization, ICF is committed to dismantling inequality, becoming better allies, and driving meaningful and lasting change. As the global association for coaches and coaching, ICF can harness the collective power, influence, and voice of our membership to champion changes that will benefit our industry, our clients, our communities, and the world.

Being the local chapter of that organization, we at ICF San Diego are committed to doing this using our core mission as our guide: by providing development opportunities, building community, and creating connections. Acknowledging our privilege as a majority-white Board of Directors, it is our intention to redouble our efforts to listen and learn from you, the coaches we serve, bringing intentional listening and respectful facilitation of conversations.

In that spirit, we seek voices to lead us in the important conversations that can move us forward, fostering deeper understanding and growth. If you're interested in playing a role in these conversations, we want to hear from you.

As another effort to learn together and hold each other accountable, we've created a topic in our Membership Forum where we encourage all to share the ways each of us are taking action personally. If there are other topics you'd like to open for discussion on the Membership Forum, you can start a thread here.

Please join us in our commitment to co-creating a future that is not like the past.

In solidarity,
Lynn Levis
President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

As we wrap up International Coaching Week, I'm honored to be part of ICF, and especially, ICF San Diego. We learned that many of you stepped up and volunteered pro bono hours for Just In Time for Foster Youth and the University of San Diego's Nonprofit Institute, and we appreciate your generosity of spirit.

At the same time, our gift as coaches -- our ability to hold space in the service of others -- can also challenge our own self-care. But it's more important than ever that we still dedicate some attention to ourselves.

We're here to support you in that! First, we're dedicating our May monthly networkshop to a different type of topic: how to manage networking in our new virtual environment. Click here to reserve your spot!

We're also sharing below a number of important resources from ICF Global, including the Resources page they've curated, an update on their new digital badge, and information regarding membership extensions and installment plan options.

As we look ahead to summer, we know that our future holds a great deal of uncertainty. But something you can count on for sure is that we'll be here for you. Please email me to share your ideas about ways we support you and the greater coaching profession during these challenging times.

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Lynn Levis

President, ICF San Diego

Hi, everyone:

I hope this month's newsletter finds you safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. As our sheltering-in-place continues, we at ICF San Diego have been brainstorming about the ways we can support you. As always, we are committed to fostering a thriving community of coaches in the San Diego area.

As we all practice social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we do not want that physical separation to create emotional distancing as well. In that spirit, we've transitioned our next few months of programming to a virtual format. We hope you can join us:

• April Educational Program: A Practical Leadership Toolkit
• May "Networkshop" on Virtual Networking
• June Educational Program: Mind Math: Brain + Body = Mind

We're eager to support you however we can during this challenging time. If you have ideas for ways we can do that, please submit them here.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay home!

Sincerely,

Lynn Levis

Chapter President

ICF San Diego