Leadership Messages

As a media planner in my twenties, I purchased millions of dollars of television airtime and magazine ad space on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. On a regular basis, on our way out, my co-workers and I would be handed a bunch of menus and car vouchers and told, “Not so fast. Client needs 3 new media plan options at this new budget level first thing in the morning. Let’s go!”

I left that business after 8 years. But I learned a lot of valuable number lessons from the industry. As a literature and rhetoric major amongst a sea of marketing and business majors, I learned to analyze media research statistics and to evaluate the merits of plans. Clients were concerned with maximizing cost efficiencies, media value, and premium brand positioning. Even when comparing one magazine to its closest competitor, I had to find evidence to rationalize why I recommended one over the other. Sometimes it required an editorial analysis, which could be subjective. That was the human part of the job. We were empowered to spend responsibly, just as you entrust our Temple Board.

I share this with you because our Board faces budget realities mid-year, every year. This is when dues begin to slow and we go into heavy planning for our events for the second half of the year, to close the budget gap as much as possible. Our Temple’s reserve fund is not a savings fund that is set aside for a purchase down the road. It’s really more of a parking place from which we draw funds we know must cover our annual shortfall.

Our Board has been dedicated to growing and retaining our membership and we are avidly evaluating more marketing and building use opportunities. We are expanding the scope of outreach for our upcoming events: Cabaret Night, Deli Day, and now also the Progressive Dinner and the Inaugural Terri Goldsmith Golf Tournament. More importantly, it is crucial that our Board be super fiscally responsible at this juncture. We must continue to conserve our resources until we are able to stabilize the budget.

In the spirit of transparency, I need to inform you that our Board of Trustees had to look hard at our numbers and make the difficult decision at our December Board meeting to decline the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut’s request for us to contribute $10,000 toward next year’s Young Israeli Emissary Program. As much as we would have liked to meet the request, our budget is unfortunately no longer able to support it. We deliberated over this heartbreaking dilemma because so many of us have enjoyed the experiences and interactions with the emissaries over so many years. Marcia Reinhard has been an amazing leader and major force in cultivating this amazing bridge between Israeli and American Jewish youth and families. We are forever grateful for her dedication.

I hope I will see many of you at our 10^th Annual Cabaret Night. It is always a very entertaining and memorable evening filled with laughter, reunions, and new connections.

Please stay safe out on the roads this month. We have a solid snow plowing service contract, so we’re ready for any inclement weather and we will keep you informed in case of building closings and program cancellations or changes in event schedules.

Stay healthy and safe,
Armi