Greetings, WID Members!
Your friendly chapter president here, wishing you a happy first quarter and a splendid 2023.
Your chapter is hard at work. We have five signature events planned for this year, along with 10ish purely social, networking opportunities. And all year, we promote our GRID mentor-protégé program and our scholarships. (High school scholarships are open through March 31!)
- March 14 is Pi Day as part of our STEM program, at LIFT Technologies and virtual (because this is a bicoastal event, collaboratively conducted with other WID chapters across the country)
- March 21 is our Small Business Summit at the Gem Theater in Detroit
- May 18 is our Women’s Leadership Forum at the Velocity Center in Sterling Heights
- July 31 is our Golf Outing to raise money for scholarships – event is at Cherry Creek
- November 3 is our Gala (Casino Night, anyone?) at the Royal Park Hotel
Our signature events are chaired and staffed by dedicated volunteers, who are supported on finance, event planning and communications by more dedicated volunteers. If you are a member and you want to get more involved, we welcome your engagement. Drop me a note and we’ll get you connected.
Our work is supported by an incredible, generous community. Several of these are annual sponsors, and our longest and strongest sponsor relationship is with the National Defense Industrial Association – Michigan Chapter. Their support enables our programming, outreach, scholarships, and events. Your NDIA and WID chapters are some of the largest and most active in the country. Michigan’s defense community is unique in its genuine collaborative nature. We are close-knit, supportive, and VERY VERY FUN.
The NDIA Michigan Chapter coordinates several significant events, including the Michigan Defense Expo (MDEX). Free to attend, MDEX is April 19-20 in Macomb County. Booth space is already close to being sold out by repeat exhibitors who won’t miss this opportunity to connect. It is amazing. You’ll see WID there at a table, and we’ll help you refresh your membership. (Not kidding.)
If your company or organization is interested in a WID event or annual sponsorship, please check out our sponsor page on this site, and connect with us.
I started this with a greeting to our members. That seems harsh, leaving out non-members. So…
Greetings to WID non-members as well. And to you, I implore you to consider joining. At $40, WID membership is an incredible value. Open to men and women, your membership in the Michigan chapter shows your commitment to welcoming diverse talent in the defense industry, and the sheer numbers show the strength of our state. WID Michigan welcomes all individuals who live or work in Michigan to join – our membership is open to all professional women and men whose primary professional activities are related to national defense or who support any aspect of national security.
We are SO CLOSE to becoming the largest chapter in the country in terms of membership.
Cheers,
Sue