Greetings!  Groundhog Day?  Wait..What?

Yes, in my home state, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we are proud to be the home of the most accurate prognosticator of winter duration, Punxsutawney Phil.  We celebrate his appearance, or lack thereof if he sees his shadow, on February 2nd.  Groundhog Day is also a title of a famous movie featuring Bill Murray where the day repeats itself over and over again.  Does this pandemic leave you feeling we have relived the current day many times over?

For some brighter CORE news, we are happy to report continued progress on the curricula review for two competencies, Operations Management and Leadership.  In addition, NACM will present a webinar on May 20 at 2 pm ET on the competency “Purposes and Responsibilities of Courts.”  We plan to have an in-depth discussion of the competency and its presentation during the second hour of this one hundred twenty minute presentation.  Additionally, Kelly and I will introduce NACM members to the CORE Champion certificate program, a member benefit recognizing the commitment members who undertake the task of learning about the CORE and the competencies contained therein.  We hope you will join us on May 20 and please check your email for announcements highlighting this monthly series of NACM webinars set to begin in just a few weeks, February 25th to be exact.

Lastly, and most important, the CORE committee is excited to work with NACM’s subcommittee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  We have begun the process of not only drafting statements for the CORE competencies, but also providing suggested practices for practical application in all facets of our professional lives, touching all of the competencies.  We encourage you to join us for discussion on this topic either on the CORE committee or the DEI committee.  If interested, please contact me at rick@nacmnet.org at your convenience.

With each passing day the sun stays in the daytime sky a few minutes longer and the pandemic is that much closer to an end.  Wishing you the best of health and professional growth in the days ahead.

Rick Pierce

CORE Co-chair