Why Volunteering Matters

ASBPE is a society of volunteers. Nearly all of ASBPE’s work is the fruit of dedicated volunteers across our Board of Directors, committees and project teams. All of our volunteers work in the B2B publishing industry, just like you, and have the common goal of helping each other do the job better and easier. ASBPE welcomes members to join one of its committees or project teams, as well as submit ideas and suggestions for those groups.

Now more than ever, B2B professionals are craving connection — you can keep those connections thriving and continue learning about B2B publishing by volunteering with ASBPE. Several opportunities are available, from a seat on the national Board of Directors to slots on national committees and project teams, as well as local chapter openings.

Plus, ASBPE offers free membership renewals to volunteers who donate just 12 hours per year to ASBPE. That’s only one hour per month!

Interested in volunteering? Fill out our Volunteer Interest Form or contact us today!

Current Volunteer Needs

ASBPE is currently searching for volunteers for the following roles:

• Chapter Leadership – Our Chicago, Cleveland, New York, D.C., and Central Region chapters need new board members to help plan and host local events and programming.
• Webinars – Join us in planning, moderating or speaking in on of our educational webinars. We need a constant rotation of pressing and innovative topics, so share your ideas today.
• Communications:
  • Website – Volunteer to handle news and blog postings in WordPress.
  • Social Media – Help facilitate our LinkedIn discussion group by sharing advice, insightful commentary and in-depth posts on hot topics.
  • Blogs – Volunteer to write and bring interesting blog posts to our site.
  • Newsletter – B2B Media News – Are you an avid reader of media news? Turn your passion into a new newsletter to share that news with ASBPE members and highlight the great work and what’s happening across B2B publishing.
• Engagement Events – Volunteer to lead in-person or virtual networking events, such as happy hours, trivia nights, networking discussions, or career events.
• Member Resources – Help us build up our Helpful Links page with useful resources and develop members-only resources such as info sheets, cheat sheets and templates.
• Career Advancement Committee – We’re building a committee to investigate options for building a journalism school pipeline, mentorship program, digital credential program and updates to our career center resources. Interested in sharing B2B media with students or improving career-related programming? Help build these resources!

ASBPE Committees

Membership Committee

Chair: Craig Johnson (Editorial Director, Staffing Industry Analysts)

Be an ambassador for ASBPE’s professional community, review and implement new member benefits and enhance the value of ASBPE membership. The membership committee also reviews and approves all new membership applicants, conducts member surveys and develops membership marketing strategies for outreach, recruitment and retention.

Education Committee

Chair: Davide Savenije (Editor-in-Chief, Industry Dive)

The education committee plans, develops and coordinates all educational programs sponsored by ASBPE (including webinars, the national conference, and fellowship or scholarship programs). Help plan and produce webinars, allowing volunteers to sharpen their skills in a real-world setting, and maintain the Society’s archive of skills-oriented programming. Be part of the effort behind ASBPEvolve, our national conference, including recruiting speakers, planning networking activities and managing day-of needs. Assist in developing and managing scholarship and fellowship initiatives that help members attend the conference. Members can also help expand our educational programming by submitting topic, speaker and panelist ideas, or volunteering to present a webinar or conference session.

Communications Committee

Chair: Cory Sekine-Pettite (Editor, New South Publishing)

If you like writing about hot topics, gathering the most pertinent updates for a newsletter, maintaining websites, or developing and coordinating social strategies, your ideas can help ASBPE’s mission. Communications Committee members oversee content development for ASBPE.org, coordinate social networking initiatives, and coordinate with each of the Society’s other committees to share ASBPE’s updates. This committee is a great opportunity for those interested in developing writing skills, learning digital editing, and adding to your résumé.

Awards Committee

Chair: Brooke Bilyj (Owner and COO, Bantamedia)

The awards committee is responsible for developing, updating and managing the Azbee Awards competition, as well as its promotion and marketing. They also assist with managing initiatives for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Journalism That Matters Award, and Stephen Barr Award. Did you know our Azbee Awards competition is judged by volunteers? Learn more about judging the Azbees and sign up!

Finance Committee

Chair: Sam Silverstein (Reporter, Grocery Dive, Industry Dive)

The finance committee is chaired by the treasurer of the national board and is responsible for preparing the annual budget, advising on expenses and implementing cost-saving and revenue initiatives.

Ethics Committee

Chair: Brad Dennison (Director of Editorial & Policy Affairs, Healthcare Financial Management Association)

ASBPE’s ethics committee is responsible for developing and maintaining ASBPE’s Code of Journalism Ethics, conducting research on ethics issues and sharing information with members on an ongoing basis. The committee also responds to member inquiries regarding ethics on an as needed basis.

Freelance Committee

Chair: Brooke Bilyj (Owner and COO, Bantamedia)

Freelance committee members are B2B freelance professionals who speak directly to the needs of fellow freelancers. The committee develops and guides programming targeted toward freelance members, hosts freelance networking events, and shares opportunities for freelancers.

Career Advancement Committee

New committee!

This committee will explore options and make recommendations for launching the mentorship program, building a “journalism school pipeline” to raise the visibility of B2B media with students, creating a j-school resource pack for professionals to present to students, updating our career center resources, and developing a digital credential program.

Advisory Committee

Chair: Cory Sekine-Pettite (Editor, New South Publishing)

The advisory committee reviews proposed amendments to ASBPE’s Constitution and Bylaws, advises the National Board of Directors on policies; considers trends in the B2B media profession, identifies opportunities that would benefit the Society, and recommends courses of action the the Board. The committee also maintains contact with related professional organizations and recommends programming for informing the general public, B2C journalists, colleges and universities, and other professional organizations about ASBPE’s programming.

Interested in joining a committee?

Please contact us today!