AO Articulator The student publication November 2011 Highlights of this issue: • Fall Leadership Convention – Los Angeles • More from ‘AO Sunny Days’– 2010 Convention, San Diego • Chapter Spotlight • Externship Spotlight Fall Leadership Meeting in Los Angeles Over a beautiful weekend in Los Angeles, Alpha Omega alumni, students, and officers converged for the fall AO Leadership Meeting, October 28-29, 2011. The weekend kicked off with a gracious invitation to the home of Eddie and Anjele Harouni for Shabbat dinner. This was a wonderful opportunity for old friends to reacquaint as well as new friends to be introduced. In attendance were members from the BOCA, Los Angeles, and San Fernando Valley chapters as well as PIPs Max Cutler and Lionell Greenberg. Saturday turned the focus to the meeting with Michael Spektor, PresidentElect, facilitating and Mike Tenenbaum, President, Marcy Schwartzman, Secretary, Shawn Groyeski, ISR, Heidi Weber, Association Director, and Wendy Spektor, former international board member and member of the Seattle chapter. AO invited several alumni from the local chapters as well as several students from Denver, Chicago, Columbia, Denver, UCLA, USC, Washington State, and Louisville. The overall goal for this meeting was to introduce alumni and student members to an expanded look at AO and how they can participate more at an international level. During the ice-breaker session, the group provided over 20 descriptions of what an individual might find in AO, including community, duty, friendship, identity, international focus, professionalism, and values. This exercise Page 1 • Spring Leadership Convention – Philadelphia • AO Exchange illustrated that there is not one is not one critical reason why people join AO but shows that AO can offer many things to the members. The group also covered the best practices of leadership, engaging in a mentor/mentee relationship, SWOT analysis for a practice, and the importance of converting students to young alumni members after graduation. During the entire meeting, the group provided exceptional feedback and suggestions that will enable headquarters to hopefully use in the future. On Saturday night, a reception in honor of Mike and Marlene Tenenbaum was hosted at the home of Bob and Amy Simon. It was another occasion for members, both alumni and students alike (plus three PIPs Max Cutler, Lionell Greenberg, and Milford Gilbert), to mingle and share their mutual support for AO. Special thanks are extended to the members who travelled to Los Angeles as well as the local chapter members who made time in their weekend to participate. Thank you to the Harounis, Simons, as well as the BOCA, Los Angeles, and San Fernando Valley members who proved the saying true---you can go anywhere and be welcomed by AO. The next AO Leadership Meeting will take place in Spring 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike Tanenbaum Leadership Meeting Leadership Meeting November 2011 ● Volume 1, Issue 35 ● Alpha Omega Articulator ● http://students.ao.org