I am running for the position of Coordinator – ABATE SC. If elected I plan to keep doing much of what I have been as an area coordinator and to also bring forth ideas to promote ABATE membership statewide and grow the organization in other areas. I am currently working with the board to get another raffle in place with the proceeds to be used for an ABATE awareness campaign in other parts of the state. In this, I hope to see new interest, growth and chapters form in areas we currently do not have representation.
I started with ABATE SC in 2012 as a member of the CWC chapter in Cayce, West Columbia. Two years later in 2014 I became the chapter coordinator for CWC and helped build the newly formed chapter to one of the larger chapters in the Midlands. While being a chapter coordinator I would go to the other area chapter meetings to see what they were doing and to learn what made them successful. As I became more familiar with how ABATE was structured, I became interested in becoming the Area Coordinator. I have been the Midlands Area Coordinator for the past five years.
After becoming area coordinator of the Midlands and sitting on the board, I began to see the obstacles and issues we have as an organization, from the legislative side of things to membership retention, to having enough money in the bank to fund our efforts. Filled with questions as to why we did or did not do things, or why we did or didn’t have certain things in place, I worked with the then coordinator to understand why and how I could help implement ideas that would improve our overall health as an organization. Working with the then coordinator I participated at the state house when we needed to be in committee meetings for our constituents’ to see ABATE sitting in the wings, have sat at the Safety Task Force meetings, and worked with the current coordinator and legislative coordinator on the many events Abate has done in the past 5 years. I have brought in ideas to help raise money we needed to do events. By having the money from our raffles to fund our rallies and events, it left our normal income to be used for our printed tri-folds, our magazine and other legislative expenditures that relied heavily on just membership dues, sponsors, AD’s in our magazine and other chapter efforts.
Currently our bank account is the healthiest it has been in years. With the help of the chapters selling the raffle tickets and getting the sponsor and AD money much needed for our existence we are in a place to be able to reach out further in the state, update our website, magazine and software. I worked with the webmaster on our new website to create the store, donation and membership areas and plan on working with him more to try and create content that will interest a larger and wider audience. My plans also include to work with the E-Legal virtual chapter to help get it implemented, promote it more when the meetings will be and try to get a following of members who do not want to attend physical meetings but want to stay abreast on what ABATE is working on, for general information and questions.
I took on the Products Coordinator role about a year ago. I plan on staying in that role until someone wants to step up and take it over. Before the new site, I was carrying the product with me everywhere I went and sending it with area coordinators for their areas. With the new site, it can be purchased on line which is something we have talked about for the last two or three years. I feel the organization has made many changes and strides in the past few years and want to continue to be a part of its growth.
I hope you will vote for me in the coming election. I guarantee you my heart is in it and though I still have a lot to learn, I will do the best job I can to promote ABATE and its growth. I will need the help from all of you so I hope I have your support.
Debra Teseniar