The Membership Enhancement Project (MEP) team is hard at work producing new resources and improved capabilities for our association. This month, USAWOA launched three of the MEP team’s project deliverables:

• The new automated WO1 USAWOA enrollment form with a QR code for rapid access.
• A digitized USAWOA library allowing access to each section of all USAWOA manuals.
• The Membership Enhancement Project external website that members can access to read about the project’s current progress.
• These new resources and capabilities are only the beginning of the modernization and progression toward a more robust, multifunctional web application.

WO1 No-Cost Membership Enrollment Form

Online membership enrollment has never been easier for our newest members! Newly appointed Warrant Officers (WO1s) can access the online enrollment form instantly, by using a QR code or visiting https://usawoa.org/. The online form can be completed in just a few minutes and submitted online. Do you have a new Warrant Officer who wants to enroll in USAWOA? No problem! Just bring up the QR code from USAWOA.org on your phone and share it for instant access to sign up.

Never miss an in-person recruitment opportunity again!

New USAWOA Digital Library

USAWOA launched a new digital library for Members to access USAWOA organizational bylaws, manuals, and forms. The library has digitized these documents and made them web-enabled. These will be especially useful to USAWOA Chapter leaders, because the web enabled documents and forms provide for more efficient and expedient searching and indexing of information.

The USAWOA manuals are now directly accessible by section, whereas Adobe PDF and Microsoft documents require the entire document be opened to access information. This capability will improve the search for specific information within a section of a manual.

The USAWOA forms have also been digitized and are in the library to make completing forms faster and more efficient. Additional materials are planned to be added to the digital library, to include information papers, videos, audio files, and podcasts. The web address for the digital library is: http://docs.usawoa-ppc.org/, which is a companion website of the USAWOA.

This digital library has been created to facilitate better integration of detailed information for the USAWOA Professional Development online training program, which will be developed as part of the Membership Enhancement Project.

The online training programs will provide training videos for USAWOA national, regional, and Chapter officials, mentors; and special projects’ leaders, including the treasurer, secretary, webmaster, historian, social medial manager, fundraising officer, and many other key positions.

This digital library will be added to the new USAWOA web application once the application is fully developed. Meanwhile, this library is currently available for you to access and use. If you have comments or suggestions regarding any additional content that you would like to see added to the digital library, submit your comments in the “contact us” section of the digital library, on the website.

The Membership Enhancement External Website

The newly launched Membership Enhancement Project website allows you to follow the project’s progress and learn about new implementations, updated features, and capabilities added to the USAWOA website, portal, and social media sites. You can learn more about the MEP team and even apply to join our team, to improve the USAWOA membership experience across the entire association.

Accessing the MEP website will enable you to be the first to know what changes the MEP team are bringing to USAWOA, and share the news with your Chapter Members, to keep them informed and excited about new benefits of membership.

The MEP team will continue to publish progress updates in the Newsliner magazine. Look for these regular updates to keep you informed on our diligent work to improve access to USAWOA content, for all Members. Please share new features and capabilities with your Chapter Members, to let them know that USAWOA is committed to improving the USAWOA membership experience.

This project is only in the beginning phases of implementation, and there will be many more big improvements coming. We look forward to updating you continuously on our progress!

The United States Army Warrant Officers Association (USAWOA) has fully embraced the challenge (and need) for broad based modernization of its operations, association-wide. As hinted in National President CW5 (Ret) Consiglio’s article in the April issue of the Newsliner, this will be accomplished by implementing the Membership Enhancement Project (MEP). Ambitious in scope, the MEP consists of numerous initiatives, to be implemented over a projected timeline of 18 to 24 months of duration.

The overriding objectives will be to improve the benefits of association membership, and dramatically upgrade the association’s technical platforms. This project will increase the presence and reach of the USAWOA, and provide more benefits to our loyal Members. The key goals of this multi-phase project are to:

• Significantly improve national, regional, and Chapter websites.
• Implement an integrated portal in all websites.
• Provide for the recommended implementation and maintenance of social media sites, association wide.
• Improve accessibility to USAWOA knowledge management and information sharing.
• Develop a national e-commerce store for all national, regional, and Chapter merchandise sales.
• Streamline association operations by developing an interactive dashboard for live data reporting.
• Offer USAWOA Members significantly reduced licensing fees for Microsoft (MS) Office 365 accounts.
• Implement USAWOA integrated event calendars.
• Implement a USAWOA professional development program.
• Provide MS Teams video conferencing capabilities to all Regions and Chapters.
• Implement a USAWOA transition program and sponsorship program.
• Implement a USAWOA Army branch discussion portal.

This project is an evolutionary effort of the USAWOA to improve the quality of services by the USAWOA to all members. USAWOA is modernizing, streamlining, and enhancing our information and marketing capabilities with one thing in mind – YOU! Your involvement in USAWOA allows the association to thrive and to represent you on matters that affect you every day.

Membership Enhancement Team Members

The MEP team is an all-volunteer team of driven USAWOA leaders, working together to complete this complex project. Meet the USAWOA volunteer leaders that are working hard to make this project a success:

Project Manager:
CW4 Misty Whetung

USAWOA Portal Navigation Redesign Project Lead:
CW5 (Ret) Frank Meeks

Web and Social Media Council Chairperson:
CW3 Daniela Davies

USAWOA MS 365 Platform Migration/ MS 365 Integration & MS Teams Implementation Lead:
CW4 (Ret) Carl Burnett

National Website Webmaster:
CW4 Mike Brent

Recruiting Volunteers for Key Positionson the MEP Team

We are currently seeking project leaders for several critical components of the MEP. We need volunteers who are highly motivated, driven, and creative association members, who are willing to take on the challenge of leading the development of the initiatives described below.

Specific skills in these areas are preferred, however some initiatives simply require creativity, communication, and networking skills. Serving on this project will provide an excellent experience in organizational design and change management.

The project experience for Members seeking a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification – or for already PMP-certified members – will provide invaluable direct, actionable time for those seeking to earn professional development units (PDUs).

The following leadership positions are being recruited:

USAWOA Professional Development Program Project Lead: The leader will spearhead development of the USAWOA Professional Development Program. The programs will include the development of professional education videos and materials to train new national, regional and Chapter elected/appointed officers in the responsibilities of each critical organizational position. This program is video-based training and a distance learning, self-paced educational approach. Experience in developing video-based training and distance-learning courses is recommended but not required.

Integrated National Regional and Chapter Calendar of Events Project Lead: The leader will develop the USAWOA national, regional, and Chapter integrated calendars. MS 365 Platform, and calendar integration experience is highly recommended for this position.

National, Regional, & Chapter Management Dashboard Project Lead: The leader will lead the development of a USAWOA operational dashboard, capable of producing real-time automated data reporting at the national, regional and Chapter level. Data will be provided by an MS 365 Dynamics Association (Web 4.0) and AZURE Cloud service fabric. MS 365 Platform and MS AZURE Cloud Services experience and familiarity are highly recommended for this position.

Transitioning Personnel Program Project Lead: The leader will lead the development of a USAWOA-specific transitioning program. The project is to create an interactive cloud-based transition management platform for USAWOA Members who transition from active service to civilian employment or retirement. Experience in developing or working in transition services programs is recommended but not required. Networking and communication skills are key for success in this position.

Warrant Officer Sponsor Program Project Lead: The leader will guide the development of an online networking portal for USAWOA members who are moving, by providing Chapter sponsors for the relocating Warrant Officer. An automated platform for Chapter sponsors at the receiving Chapter will be provided to assist the Chapter sponsor. Sponsorship program experience is recommended, but not required. Networking and communication skills are key for success in this position.

Branch Discussion Portal Project Lead: The leader will spearhead development of a branch discussion portal. The portal will provide a central virtual meeting place that contains online discussion boards for each branch/proponent to facilitate networking, collaboration, information sharing and camaraderie among Warrant Officers and association Members. Access and pre-existing networking relationships to branch managers, Human Resources Command (HRC), and proponent schools are recommended for this position, but not required. Networking and communication skills are key for success in this position.

Anyone interested in serving in any of these positions, or serving on the MEP team in general, should contact MEP Project Manager CW4 Misty Whetung, at nedirector@usawoa.org.

Current Progress of the MEP Team

The MEP team has already begun transitioning many USAWOA information and marketing assets. The USAWOA portal and national website have been revised, based on new navigational guidelines. Additionally, some Chapter websites have been transitioned to new platforms as well.

If you have not visited the portal lately, you will notice that it has a completely new, simplified navigation setup for easier access to information and services. Our USAWOA website layout has also been revamped, and the information on the website will continue to be updated to attract new members to the association.

The USAWOA MEP team is assisting Chapters in sharing information and increasing their presence by offering them free template websites. For more information on setting up a Chapter website or social media site, contact the USAWOA Web and Social Media Council Chairperson CW3 Daniela Davies, at danidavies@gmail.com.

Look for regular announcements from the MEP Team on updates to the project in the Newsliner magazine, and online at the USAWOA website. Feedback from all USAWOA members is welcomed and encouraged. Please email your comments to CW4 Whetung at nedirector@usawoa.org. USAWOA is evolving by creating an improved virtual and online professional membership experience for both existing and future Members of our association. Keep recruiting new members to the association, and consider volunteering to become a part of the MEP team, to enhance the future capabilities of USAWOA.

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Editor’s note: The USAWOA national leadership and headquarters team owes a huge debt of gratitude to Northeastern Region Director and MEP Project Manager CW4 Misty Whetung for taking on this tremendous, important responsibility. Thanks are also due to Past Presidents Council (PPC) Chairman CW4 (Ret) Carl Burnett and all the hard-working volunteers mentioned above (most of whose names should sound quite familiar).

Most of the tremendous improvements envisioned are responsive to the input of scores of folks who have contacted national leaders in recent years, asking why we can’t modernize the way we conduct business. Folks, now is the time to step up and help your association improve the services it provides you – volunteer, and let’s make it happen together!