Did you know that there are presently 231 members of TEMPO Madison? Our members are influential women of diverse backgrounds and experience in business, public service, academia, and the arts. We provide members with the opportunity to connect with women in various industries, including, finance, agriculture, marketing, law, medicine, art, education, media, technology, and more. However, there are many exceptional women in executive and leadership positions in the Madison area, who are not yet TEMPO Madison members.

While we appreciate TEMPO Madison’s intimate size because it fosters deep connections among fellow members, as well as the ability to be among group of high achieving peers at the peak of their careers, and the chance to learn new things and interact with a diverse group of women, in the broadest sense, we also know that there are women in our community who would bring great value to our organization.

To that end, I want to remind you of TEMPO Madison’s membership process and encourage you to consider whether there are women in your professional and personal circles who would be a great fit for TEMPO Madison.

Criteria for Membership. In order to be considered for TEMPO Madison membership, a candidate must meet the following criteria:

• 10+ years professional experience
• 5+ years executive level professional experience
• decision-making responsibility for staff and budget
• direct access to the organization’s top executive
• leadership in professional and/or civic organizations

In addition, the Membership Committee and Board of Directors are responsible for balancing the membership to ensure a wide range of members, diverse in terms of industry, professional background, company/organization, racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.

Member Nomination. The first step in the membership process is for a TEMPO Madison member to nominate the candidate. Any current TEMPO member may nominate a candidate for membership. Nominees should have attended at least one monthly luncheon. Ideally, the nominee will not be aware that she is being considered for membership at this point in the process. This helps protect the integrity of the process, as well as the feelings/reputations of all involved.

In order to nominate a candidate for TEMPO Madison membership, the TEMPO Madison member must submit the Membership Endorsement Form

It is imperative that a TEMPO Madison member who nominates a candidate for membership refrain from promising or implying to anyone that a membership offer is forthcoming. The only way to become a TEMPO member is to go through this process, and membership is NOT confirmed until the applicant has received her welcome letter and invoice. Nomination/application is NOT a guarantee of admission.

Membership Committee Review. Once we receive a Membership Endorsement Form, the Membership Committee reviews the nomination at its next quarterly meeting. The Committee either recommends moving forward with the application process, or not. In either case, the nominator(s) is contacted by the Membership Committee Chair. It is important to note that, depending upon when the nomination is received, there could be several months between the time a nomination is submitted and when a decision is made about recommending the candidate for membership.

Board Review. At the next board meeting following the quarterly nominations, the Membership Committee Chair submits her recommendations regarding the candidates for membership. The Board then votes on whether to invite the candidate to join TEMPO Madison.

If the candidate has been invited to join TEMPO Madison, we will send a welcome letter, membership form, as well as an invoice. The TEMPO Madison member who nominated the successful candidate will also be notified of the invitation to join.

If not invited to join, the Membership Committee Chair will contact the nominator(s) and the candidate to let them know of the decision, and the reasons why, if appropriate.

Target List. The Membership Committee maintains a list of recruitment targets – women whom we believe would be incredible assets to TEMPO and whom we actively recruit to join. Periodically, TEMPO Madison will host a target list mixer to encourage those women on the target list to consider TEMPO Madison membership.

If you know if a woman in your professional and personal circles who would be a great fit for TEMPO Madison, please consider nominating her or suggesting that she be added to the Target List. If you have any questions about the membership process, please contact the Membership Committee Chair, Michelle Vetterkind, mvetterkind@wi-broadcasters.org.

Shana Lewis, 2019-2020 President