Get More Out of Your Membership: 10 Ways to Deepen Your Connection to MEMSPA

You joined MEMSPA because you believe in the power of connected, supported school leadership. But membership is only as valuable as the energy you bring to it. Whether you're a longtime member or just getting started, there's always more to discover — and more ways to make your mark on the association that supports you.

Here are ten meaningful ways to engage more fully with MEMSPA:

1. Attend Regional Meetings
   Your region's meetings are one of the most direct ways to stay connected to colleagues who truly understand your day-to-day reality. Consider advocating to rotate meeting locations — visiting different schools and communities keeps conversations fresh and gives members a firsthand look at what's working in districts beyond their own.
   
   
2. Attend Major Conferences
   Mark the Annual State Conference (December 2-4) and Summer Leadership Institute (July 28-29) on your calendar now — not as optional events, but as professional priorities. These gatherings offer a rare combination of high-quality learning and the kind of deep networking that can sustain you through the most challenging stretches of the school year.
   
   
3. Build Accountability Partnerships
   Leadership can be isolating. Combat that isolation by establishing a regular rhythm of connection with fellow principals — whether through a monthly phone call, a scheduled collaboration session, or a simple check-in text. Accountability partners help you stay grounded, reflective, and motivated, even when things get hard.
   
   
4. Take on a Leadership Role
   MEMSPA is shaped by the people who step up. Serving on your region board, the executive board, or a committee or task force gives you real influence over the direction of the organization — and it's a powerful way to develop professionally while giving back to the profession you love.
   
   
5. Participate in Mentoring
   Whether you're ready to mentor a new principal or you're seeking guidance yourself, MEMSPA's Mentoring and Coaching Program creates space for the kind of professional relationship that can change a career. Experience shared generously is one of the greatest gifts this association can offer — and both sides of the mentoring relationship grow from it.
   
   
6. Engage in Professional Learning
   MEMSPA's professional development opportunities — including learning cohorts like Leadership Matters and Thoughtful Leaders — are designed specifically for the work you do. These aren't generic seminars. They're built around the realities of Michigan elementary and middle school leadership, with peers who share your context.
   
   
7. Present and Share Your Expertise
   You have hard-won knowledge that other principals need. Consider leading a session at a conference, writing an article for a MEMSPA newsletter or NAESP's Principal magazine, or recording a podcast episode. Sharing your expertise doesn't just benefit others — it clarifies your own thinking and raises your professional profile.
   
   
8. Connect Through Social Media
   Follow MEMSPA on social media and make a habit of engaging — not just scrolling. Share a win from your school. Celebrate a colleague. Repost something that resonates. Online connection, done intentionally, can extend the MEMSPA community into your everyday life and keep you feeling less alone between in-person events.
   
   
9. Participate in Advocacy
   The decisions made in Lansing affect every child in your building. Engage in MEMSPA's Legislative and Advocacy Days, and make sure your voice is heard at the ballot box. When school leaders show up in advocacy spaces, policymakers notice — and the profession is stronger for it.
   
   
10. Welcome New Members
    Think about who helped you feel welcome when you were new — and pay it forward. Reach out to a new principal in your region. Invite a non-member to your next event. Bring a colleague to one of our conferences. An inclusive MEMSPA is a stronger MEMSPA, and that starts with each of us extending a hand.
    Your membership is what you make it.
    
    

Choose one way to engage more deeply this month — and watch the ripple effects grow.