In addition to being a member of INFORMS, I'm an active member & volunteer for the INFORMS Chicago Chapter (https://connect.informs.org/chicago/home). The Chicago Chapter is one of the largest, most active Chapters in the United States. Its goal is to promote INFORMS goals and provide services and opportunities to Chapter members residing throughout the Midwest. Our local Chapter is made up of student groups, practitioners, academia, and those who have an interest in analytics/ops research.
How I Got Involved with INFORMS
In 2017 the company I work for created a team dedicated to providing placement and project solutions services for our clients' data science and advanced analytics teams. I regularly attended data science/analytics-related conferences and events to better understand our clients' needs. Some events had strong speakers. Others seemed more to be commercials for specific companies or products and weren't as valuable. Upon attending multiple conferences and events I noticed INFORMS consistently put together the strongest conferences and events; each event had exceptionally strong speakers and diverse, informed, and engaged participants. I formally joined the organization, and it quickly became my go-to resource for analytics-related information.
Not only did I have access to a wealth of information and could attend highly relevant events & conferences, but the people I met were friendly and it quickly became a great vehicle to network and learn from incredibly smart people. I would make a habit of asking people why they joined INFORMS when I met them at events. I was floored by the diversity of the answers and how this organization was helping professionals in various ways.
In late 2019, knowing volunteers ran the Chicago Chapter, I struck up a conversation with the then-president of the Chicago Chapter to see if there were ways I could help. It was good timing as the board was piloting a Volunteer Action Committee for 2020 – I signed up and started to help organize events. It's been a rewarding experience, so much so that in 2021 I became the Secretary of the Board, and this year I'm the Vice-President of the Chicago Chapter.
Personal Benefits of Joining INFORMS
Joining INFORMS and getting involved with the local Chapter has been personally and professionally rewarding.
The single most rewarding part of joining INFORMS has been the relationships I've developed by joining the volunteer board of the Chicago Chapter. I've met some incredibly great people who volunteer; smart, funny, interesting, and willing to give their precious free time to serve the local analytics community. In addition to volunteer members, I've struck up friendships and learned a great deal from various chapter members over the years.
In professional terms, INFORMS have been invaluable. I've learned so much from the resources and events that they changed my career. For example, this year, my company asked me to help start a new company (Swoon Consulting) under the parent organization. Swoon Consulting is a data analytics company providing advanced analytics support and project services to our client base. I wouldn't have been prepared or interested in this opportunity without the knowledge I've gained and the available resources I have access to through INFORMS.
I am hopeful INFORMS' brand recognition will continue to grow and positively impact more and more people in Chicagoland and beyond. I'm happy to give back to an organization that has helped me in so many ways. If you'd like to learn more or connect, please send me a LinkedIn invite or shoot me a message!
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Chris Thrall
Director of Solutions
Swoon
Chicago IL
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