Thank you for the opportunity given me as your new chapter President. I’m very proud to be a member of this chapter and hope to continue the fine work of previous chapter leaders and members.

I also want to thank outgoing President Ted Wallerstedt not only for the hard work and dedication he contributed last year, but also from 2003 onward in various Board roles. Last year Ted devoted enormous amounts of time towards making Secure 360 a success and in developing a balanced scorecard for our chapter. Thanks to the efforts of Ted, fellow Board members and our overall membership, our chapter was the recipient of the prestigious International ISACA K. Wayne Snipes award for large chapters. This is truly an indication of how our chapter has grown and improved in the delivery of its mission.

Our mission as a chapter of course is: “To promote the education of individuals for the improvement and development of their capabilities relating to auditing and/or management consulting in the field of IS audit, security and control.” One of the keys to achieving this mission is the successful execution of the balanced scorecard initiative referenced above. The key objectives of that scorecard include the following:

Maintaining an effective and active local chapter operation
Providing annual education programs for members and guests
Promoting the personal growth and professional development of members, including:

Support for the CISA/CISM designations
Serving as a leader in the area of IT Governance

Maintaining contacts and supporting ISACA International activities
Enlightening the business and regulatory community regarding ISACA and ITGI

None of these objectives can be achieved without the active involvement of our membership. As a Board, we are committed to serving you and helping you achieve your personal and professional goals. Further, we need to make this an interactive experience between the Board and the membership to ensure that jointly we fulfill our mission. There are always volunteer opportunities to serve in the following areas:

Education – helping out at the annual Secure 360 conference, facilitating/teaching at CISA/CISM review courses, and working on quarterly educational events. Please contact Pete Stack, our VP of Education at pete_j_stack@uhc.com
Roundtables – presenting at or hosting the monthly meetings – for further information, please email Matt Hynes, our VP of Roundtables at matt.hynes@ey.com
Administration – being involved in membership surveys and the annual meeting – contact Mark Mathison, our VP of Administration, at mark.mathison@state.mn.us
Academic Relations – developing Campus Outreach program, assisting with Student Conference including booth volunteers, panel participants, etc. Please email Danielle Stariha, our VP of Academic Relations, at danielle.stariha@gandermountain.com

I would encourage you to contact the appropriate Board member as noted above and see how you can become involved in your area of interest. I also hope that you will be open to an email or phone call asking for your assistance.

My best wishes to all of you in the next chapter year, and thank you for your continued membership and participation. I hope to meet many of you personally as we move forward together in the fulfillment of our mission.

Sincerely,

Tom Tisthammer
2008-2009 Chapter President