Even before their tenure began, the ATD-Orange County Board plunged into several initiatives meant to empower our members through vibrant and engaging programs.  Now midway through the year, we thought: let's check in with the Board and learn more about some of what drives these individuals in their pursuit of Chapter Excellence.

Our first interview is with Kimberly Goh(pictured, left), ATD-OC Chapter Secretary.

1) Tell us about your team.  What do they do for the Chapter?  What are their strengths and passions?

As Chapter Secretary, I document the discussions and decisions that take place at the Board meetings. I’m also head of the Documentation Committee, which is a team of people who focus on improving the usability, storage, and flow of information at the Board level. 

Documentation Committee members have exceptional skill in organization and attention to detail. They also are passionate about creating sustainable systems, and cultivating a collaborative team environment on the Board.

2) What passion drove you to serve as an ATD-OC leader?

I first heard of ATD-OC when I enrolled in the eLearning certification program at UCI. It intrigued me that the university had chosen to partner with a local professional organization, and that they offered a discount on classes to ATD-OC members.  

The moment I arrived at my first Monthly Learning Event, I realized that ATD-OC was the perfect complement to UCI’s online program. ATD-OC meetings allowed me to interact with people in a live, face-to-face environment, and to learn from speakers with expertise across a wide range of fields.

My first experience in Chapter service was as a Welcome Ambassador, and later I joined the Change Management and Technology Special Interest Groups. This allowed me to get to know several board members, and to gain experience by volunteering in various roles within ATD-OC. 

Eventually, this led me to my current position of serving as Chapter Secretary on the Board of Directors. In addition to the traditional Secretary responsibilities, I also leverage my experience in eLearning and Instructional Design to create courses that support Board work.

3) What does our motto: "Connect | Invest | Grow" mean to you?

For me, "Connect, Invest, Grow” is meaningful on both a personal and professional level. I love connecting the dots across a wide range of ideas. Sometimes I’ll read a book or an article, and months later, I’ll discover its relevance to what I thought was a completely unrelated field. Connecting with other professionals is also one of the main reasons I joined ATD-OC: the people I’ve met through this organization have helped me to grow in extraordinary ways.

Investment is always a long-term strategy. Sometimes it’s an investment in myself, such as dedicating two years toward earning my eLearning Instructional Design Certification at UC Irvine. Sometimes it’s an investment in other people, such as supporting ATD-OC members through my service on the Board. It may take some time, but already I’m seeing significant results, and I know these investments will continue to yield great rewards in the future.

When I hear the word “grow”, I immediately think of the importance of having a growth mindset. This reframes moments of failure and difficulty, and helps you to see them as the moments when your brain is growing the most rapidly. With a growth mindset, you know you can grow your abilities through effort and perseverance. 

It’s easier to do this in a supportive community of like-minded people. That’s why it’s helpful to join organizations such as ATD-OC: so we can learn and be encouraged. So we can grow.

When you attend an MLE as a Welcome Ambassador, you gain an entirely new perspective. 

4) How does Chapter Service fit in with your own personal or professional goals?

Serving as a volunteer for ATD-OC has had an extraordinary impact on my career. For example, it is one thing to simply attend a Monthly Learning Event. But when you attend an MLE as a Welcome Ambassador, you gain an entirely new perspective as you focus on enhancing the experience for other members.

Volunteering for ATD-OC is like taking on a stretch assignment - you are intentionally pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone for the sake of your own growth, as well as for the good of the organization as a whole.

Serving as an ATD-OC volunteer and Board member, along with earning my eLearning certification at UCI has prepared me to take the next step in my career. I’m just about to launch my freelance eLearning Design and Development business - it’s a very exciting time!

5) At the end of the year, what would you like to have accomplished for your TD community?

I’m currently developing a Storyline 360 eLearning course for ATD-OC to assist with New Board Member Orientation. The project utilizes a microlearning approach - short bursts of eLearning that can be used for initial training as well as performance support. 

The vision for this course is that it will be one component of a larger blended learning experience. This New Board Member Orientation Experience will be led by an Orientation Leader, will include live/virtual meetings, the eLearning course, job aids, and other resources.

6) What else would you like readers to know about your function or the Chapter?

Our Chapter is remarkably strong and is well-positioned to meet the needs of professionals throughout Orange County. Yet many people in our community don’t realize the benefits they could gain by becoming members of our organization. 

Invite your colleagues to an upcoming event or to one of our New Member Orientations, so they can find out for themselves all that ATD-OC has to offer.