APMP’s family of Affinity Groups expands further with the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group. APMP, the association of record for the bid and proposal community worldwide, offers members identifying as LGBTQIA+ and allies a safe space to talk, learn and advocate for APMP members.
Heather Finch (she/her), Leader, Proposal & Presentation Solutions at the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, CP APMP, has been appointed as the Chair of the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group, effective immediately. She will host PRIDE’s first meeting in December, 2022.
“I am truly honored to be selected to lead the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group. As someone who seeks collaboration and community, helping people feel welcome and heard in professional spaces is one of the things that keeps me going through long and challenging days. I hope you will join me—keep an eye out for an email invitation for our kickoff meeting in December and plan on joining us in subsequent meetings where we can discuss matters that impact our community,” she said.
One of the goals of the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group is to encourage conversation among APMP’s LGBTQIA+ members and their allies. The hour-long online meetings will give participants a chance to talk, learn, and ask for advice on issues of importance to the community. The APMP PRIDE Affinity Group is open to all APMP members and as a positive and safe space, with monthly meetings and activities throughout the year for our LGBTQIA+ community and their allies.
The monthly APMP PRIDE meetings are free to attend and feature topics, guest speakers and event planning for future APMP PRIDE Affinity Group activities across our association and around the world. Ms. Finch promises that 2023 will be the year of PRIDE at APMP.
“Our affinity group program is a manifestation of our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the bid and proposal industry,” said APMP’s Chair Steven Coles, CPP APMP. “APMP PRIDE is a vital group focused on advocacy, not activism. I’m delighted to support Heather in making this group the success it deserves to be,” he said. According to APMP’s new 2022-2023 Salary Compensation Report, 10 percent of the 2,500+ APMP members who took the survey identify as LGBTQIA+.
“If that number holds throughout the entire APMP membership, we have over 1,100 APMP members who identify as LGBTQIA+,” said APMP’s CEO Rick Harris, CP APMP. And when you add allies, the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group is easily one of APMP’s largest communities and we intend to listen, learn, and create premium programming to serve this audience,” he said.
Those interested in participating in the conversation, planning our programming, and producing our events should respond to the APMP PRIDE e-mail invitation that was sent in November. The first APMP PRIDE Affinity Group meeting will be in early December.
Those #proudtobeapmp will want to join the APMP PRIDE Affinity Group when the invitation hits their inbox in November, said Ms. Finch. Just reply with “I want to be a part of PRIDE” and we will send you an invitation to our first meeting December 2022.
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