SIM NJ (Society for Information Management – New Jersey Chapter)

SIM NJ Chapter Vision & Mission

Vision: To be recognized as the community that is most preferred by IT leaders for delivering vital knowledge that creates business value and enables personal development. Mission: SIM is an association of senior IT executives, prominent academicians, selected consultants, and other IT thought leaders built on the foundation of local chapters, who come together to share and enhance their rich intellectual capital for the benefit of its members and their organizations.

History

The NJ Chapter of SIM was formed in 1984. The chapter has grown significantly over the years and is now one of the largest chapters in the US. The New Jersey chapter has also had several of its members go on to become Presidents of the overall Society for Information Management organization such as John Hammit, John Stevenson, and June Drewry.

Current and Past Presidents

NJ SIM elects its Executive Committee in April of each year as it operates on a program year basis which begins in September of each year. The terms of most Executive Committee members including the Chapter President are a twelve-month period, therefore a single term of office runs from September of one year to August of the next year.

Details of Chapter Presidents prior to 1996 are still being sought.

Membership

Membership Requirements: Candidates for membership should be senior information executives in private or public sector organizations who are Corporate/Division heads of an I.S./I.T. organization responsible for information systems and technology. Candidates who are full-time faculty members in colleges or universities should be engaged in teaching and/or research activities that are devoted primarily to areas of senior managerial interest.

To qualify for membership in SIM New Jersey, you must belong to one of the following membership categories:

Practitioners: IT MANAGEMENT- Senior information technology executives in private or public sector organizations who are Corporate or Divisional heads of Information Technology organizations responsible for information systems and technology. A senior information technology executive's direct report(s) with significant responsibility may also be admitted for membership. Vendors: (Note: SIM NJ limits the number of vendor members to 20% of Practitioners) Academics: (Note: SIM NJ limits the number of academic members to 10% of Practitioners) Others: REGIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM (RLF) GRADUATES - Individuals who have graduated from the SIM International's Regional Leadership Forum (RLF) program.

Membership Categories

To meet the needs of our diverse membership, SIM has four membership categories:

Individual

Academic

Corporate (Enterprise Membership)

SIM Partner

SIM NJ adheres to a strict policy against marketing to its members or using SIM NJ events to promote business products and/or services.

Organization Leadership

The SIMNJ Chapter is governed by a membership-elected Executive Committee (EC). The EC is composed of the President, the Executive Vice President, and Vice President(s) for each major area of Chapter operations including Membership, Membership Retention, Programs, Marketing, Communications, Representative to Society for Information Management, Administration, and Treasury. Also part of the EC is the Board of Trustees which has five members, all Past Chapter Presidents, and who provide guidance and counsel to the President of the Chapter, perform the annual financial audit, and serve as the nominating committee. All EC positions are for one-year terms with the exception of the Treasurer, the Representative to Society for Information Management, and the Board of Trustees, which serve two-year terms. SIM NJ runs a program and fiscal year that begins in September of each year and ends in August of the following the year. Election of the following year's EC leadership is held in March of each year. In addition to the Vice President(s) who are responsible for their specific areas, there may also be Committees formed to assist with planning, coordination, and implementation of activities within that office. In addition to the Vice President who serves as the Representative to Society for Information Management, each Vice President as well as the President are typically involved with peers from other SIM Chapters in broader Society for Information Management initiatives and collaboration.

Programs

SIM NJ offers its members a variety of meetings, programs, and conferences to enhance knowledge sharing and networking. The regular monthly meetings are held in each month from September through June with December and June meetings being held as member socials. The monthly meetings are held in the evenings. Attendance at these meetings is restricted to SIM NJ Members, Guests of SIM NJ Members, or members from other SIM Chapters. Examples or prior meetings includes topics such as:

The Bionic CIO: Rebuilt to be better, stronger, faster.

Technology Roundtable Discussions: Cloud Computing, Revenue Generating IT Innovations, and Demonstrating the Business Value of IT

Why IT Needs Marketing Now More Than Ever

Mentoring – Building People Capability and Creating a Learning Environment

FBI Domain Program and the Foreign Threat to US Technology

In addition to regular monthly meetings, SIM NJ also runs, hosts, or co-sponsors other CIO-level events such as The NJ CIO Executive Summit. These events have been run for several years and have come to be some of the regions best IT leadership conferences. In October 2010, NJ SIM and the Stevens Institute of Technology hosted an IT Academic Session which featured interactive presentations and discussions with top professors from Stevens and CIOs from local organizations.

Advanced Practices Council

Advanced Practices Council (APC) is a forum for senior IT executives who commission exclusive research and share cross-industry perspectives in an intimate, candid atmosphere. APC was founded in 1991 by Warren McFarlan of the Harvard Business School. This program is run by the Society for Information Management and is available to SIM NJ Chapter members.

SIMposium

SIMposium is SIM's annual practitioner-driven conference designed for and by CIOs. Working nationally with key senior IT executives, CIOs and recognized thought leaders, SIMposium addresses the topics, issues, best practices and trends that will give our audience the technology-related insight necessary to make the right decisions to impact their business strategies and future IT direction. From 1995 to 2002, SIMposium was called SIM Interchange Annual Conference.

SIM NJ Chapter Socials

The SIM NJ Chapter also holds two social events each year. One is the Holiday Social held in December and the other is the Spring Social held in June. These socials are restricted to SIM NJ members and their significant others only. These events are typically held at some of the area's finest venues such as the Pleasantdale Chateau, The Manor, and the Grand Cafe. The socials provide a great opportunity for networking amongst members and their guests and have come to be very popular within the Chapter.

NJ SIM Foundation

Several years ago, the SIM NJ Chapter formed a charitable 501(c)(3) organization called the NJ SIM Foundation. The NJ SIM Foundation aims to provide charitable assistance in the way of funding, resources, and materials for those individuals or organizations in need, or in need of technology capability but cannot afford it. The NJ SIM Foundation raises funds through donations and special events run throughout the year. One of the largest contributors to the NJ SIM Foundation is the annual Charity Golf Event and Technology Exchange. The event is the one event each year where vendors and sponsors can directly market their products and services to SIM NJ members and the event's attendees. The event has a morning component that is the Technology Exchange and features keynote presentations as well as the chance for attendees to visit with the event's sponsors. The afternoon golf tournament is followed by a banquet dinner, silent auction, awards, as well as a presentation by the event's benefactor. The NJ SIM Foundation also provides annual scholarship awards for students in the IT field of study. The NJ SIM Foundation has raised over $1 million since its inception.