2014 OUTSTANDING CHAPTER AWARD WINNER: THINKING OUTSIDE.

• Author: Mantick, Kelly
• Position: WINNERS

Through its innovative programs, member engagement and unique "out of the box" thinking, the LMA Ohio Chapter has topped the charts in membership growth and community involvement. This winner of the 2014 Outstanding Chapter award originated in northeast Ohio in 2001, consisting of members from the Cleveland and Akron areas. In 2007, the chapter reorganized into the LMA Ohio chapter, spreading its influence to every corner of the state. Now, with more than 100 members in every large city in Ohio, this chapter has made great waves, extending its influence even beyond legal marketing, and inciting an 18 percent growth in membership in the process.

We talked to LMA Ohio Chapter President Erin W. Hawk, labor and employment practice development manager at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP, and immediate Past President Liz Boehm, senior marketing and business development manager at Benesch Law, to learn more about the successes in Ohio.

To what do you attribute the 18 percent growth in membership?

The growth in our membership is the result of a number of factors, including:

* The rebounding economy and the healthy state of the legal industry across the country and here in Ohio.

THE BOX OF OHIO

* The continued availability of quality educational programming, networking opportunities and communications we provide to our members.

* A concerted membership outreach effort. Jennifer Shankleton, who is our membership chair and our president-elect, has done a stellar job this year of involving legal marketers in the Akron-Canton area in our chapter's activities. This has resulted in our membership in that area of the state tripling in 2013. We have also, for a number of years, focused on growing our membership in the Cincinnati area, and we have seen this year that interest in our programs in that market has been on the rise.

* The great reputation that LMA has within the industry. Our current members renew their memberships annually because of the tremendous value that being a part of this thriving international organization provides.

Tell us about some of your initiatives over the past year that contributed to expanding your reach across the state.

"Outside the Box"

Our goal in holding the "Outside the Box" program was to offer our members a chance to gain perspectives and ideas from leading marketers in other industries. Hearing from marketers at major organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic and KPMG helped initiate discussions about a set of topics...