For many SBE members, the local chapter provides access to affordable continuing education and a ready network of contacts and friends in the industry. The SBE recognizes chapters that meet those needs by rewarding them with an annual rebate of a portion of the SBE dues paid by its members. The chapters have to qualify for the rebate by holding at least five meetings during the calendar year and documenting those meetings to the national SBE office. Documentation includes a brief description of the meeting and a list of attendees.
In 2021, 54 chapters qualified for Quality Chapter status, and the SBE paid out a total of almost $28,000 to them. Chapters typically use the money to fund their own operations. Expenses can include website hosting fees, printing, postage, scholarship programs, and sometimes meals for chapter meetings or social events. The SBE instituted the rebate system many years ago to help chapters avoid the administrative burden of collecting local dues, instead, allowing them to concentrate on producing successful meetings and other chapter functions. Below is a list of chapters that attained Quality Chapter status during 2021 and received a cash rebate from the national SBE office in June of this year. Our congratulations to them and to their leadership!
Chapter | Chair |
1 Binghamton | Gary Talkiewicz |
2 Northeastern Pennsylvania | Al Kornak |
3 Kansas | Richard Abraham |
9 Phoenix | Eric Schecter |
14 Connecticut Valley | Frederick Krampits |
15 New York City | Conrad Trautmann |
16 Seattle | Alexander Brewster |
17 Minneapolis | Jon Blomstrand |
21 Spokane | Jerry Olson |
22 Central New York | Thomas McNicholl |
24 Madison | Matthew Mommaerts |
25 Indianapolis | Chuck Kelly |
30 South Bend | Jakob Foglesong |
33 Southwestern Ohio | James Stitt |
37 District of Columbia | J. Eric Hoehn |
38 El Paso | Jose Castro |
39 Tampa Bay Area | Edwin Allen |
40 San Francisco | Arthur Lebermann |
43 Sacramento | Jack Davis |
45 Charlotte | Brad Humphries |
47 Los Angeles | Matthew Anderson |
48 Denver | Amanda Hopp |
51 Tri-Cities | John Mazza |
52 Central Ohio | John Owen |
53 South Florida | Carlos Sanchez |
55 St. Louis | Terrence Dupuis |
56 Tulsa | Donald Dobbs |
57 Rochester | Gregory Carter |
58 Northeast | Scott Mason |
59 Kansas City | Stephen Hendrix |
67 North Texas | William Ryan |
68 Birmingham | Tim Costley |
69 Alamo Area | Christopher Anderson |
70 Northeast Ohio | Blake Thompson |
72 New Orleans | Ernest Kain |
74 Midland | Mark Voris |
76 Eugene | Dennis Hunt |
78 Blue Ridge | Robert Whitley |
80 Fox Valley | Martin Jury |
85 Central Western | Brian Ryel |
91 Central Michigan | Richard Thomas II |
93 Raleigh-Durham | Frederick Engel |
96 Rockford | Ben Pflederer |
102 Grand Rapids | Mark Wittkoski |
103 Nashville | James Campbell, III |
109 Des Moines | Gregg Richwine |
111 Huntsville | Kevin Kidd |
113 Knoxville | Robert Holden |
115 Southern Idaho | Thomas Kettwig |
122 Youngstown | Wesley Boyd |
124 North Oregon | Everett Helm |
131 Inland Empire | Robert Army, Jr. |
141 Medford | David Katz |
145 Magic Valley | Thomas Lowther |