Feature

Volunteering: A Gift That Gives Back

By volunteering for The IIA, you can help promote your beloved profession while reaping myriad personal and professional benefits.

Are you looking to enhance your professional growth and leadership skills, build your resume, or learn new audit tools and techniques? Perhaps you'd like to reenergize your passion for internal auditing, create a global network of trusted advisors, or stay ahead of the curve by keeping current on events and guidance. You can achieve all of these goals while also helping to elevate the internal audit profession by volunteering for The IIA at the local, regional, or international level. 

For more information about this year's Call for Volunteers — including details about the mission of each IIA committee, general requirements, and the election/appointment schedule — and to complete a nomination form, please visit www.theiia.org/volunteernow.

Nominations for 2012­–2013 must be received by Nov. 4, 2011. If you are elected or appointed to serve, your term will begin in April or July 2012. If you have any questions, please e-mail Lori Gagnon at lori.gagnon@theiia.org.

As the global leader of the internal audit profession, The IIA relies heavily on its dedicated volunteers to establish the strategic direction of the organization; provide advice and assistance in developing new products, services, and guidance; and represent the 165 countries it serves. "The IIA simply wouldn't exist without our volunteers," says Lori Gagnon, governance manager at The IIA, who explains that all of The Institute's 18 committees are volunteer-run. 

If you're hesitating because you don't think you have enough time to commit to a volunteer post, you may be missing the boat. "Many regional and international positions require just a few hours a month," says Gagnon. "And being part of shaping and driving the profession is well worth that time investment."  

Steve Jameson, chairman of The IIA's Professional Issues Committee and member of the Financial Services Advisory Board, concurs. "My volunteer efforts have been an integral part of my career," he says. "Yet, I've never felt that they were too time-consuming. On the contrary, they often provided a much-needed break." 

Jameson, who has volunteered on The IIA's Quality Assurance Review team and

held a number of chapter and international committee positions since he joined The IIA in 1983, credits his volunteer efforts with keeping him current on events, guidance, and practices. His volunteer work has also lead to several opportunities to speak at conferences and even helped him land his current job as chief internal audit and risk officer for Community Trust Bancorp Inc. "Volunteer efforts help demonstrate to a prospective employer that you're invested in your profession and your career," he says. 

Lasting Rewards


Through your volunteer leadership position, you will:

  •  Develop leadership skills, including those associated with problem solving, directing others, public speaking, strategic planning, teamwork, conflict resolution, and time management.
  • Gain exposure to current professional issues that impact your organization.
  • Interact with colleagues from different types of organizations representing government, industry, and academia.
  • Grow professionally as a result of being challenged to find solutions for issues that impact auditors in different industries or countries.
  • Make lasting contacts that can provide advice, guidance, moral support, and friendship.
  • Have an opportunity to share experiences and identify best practices that add value to your organization.
  • Gain satisfaction from contributing to the profession you embrace.
  • See lasting changes result from your work on behalf of the profession.
  • Experience firsthand the valuable diversity of our worldwide membership.
  • Receive local and international recognition for your contributions to the global profession.
Keri Rogers, who serves as vice chair of The IIA's North American Chapter Relations Committee and vice chair of the Member Value Proposition Advisory Council, initially became a volunteer at the chapter level so that she could network with local colleagues and learn new techniques to improve her small audit shop. However, her motivation for volunteering has evolved over the years. "Now, it's more about giving back to the profession that I love so much," she says. "Many people don't realize how small the IIA headquarters staff is and how much The IIA is supported by its members. As a member, you really can have an impact. If you have an idea, and you discuss it with a few people, it's amazing to see that one idea turn into a project that gets implemented and delivered to members worldwide."

Both Rogers and Jameson also credit The IIA with helping them form lasting friendships with a diverse group of dedicated and passionate internal audit professionals around the world. "The people I've met as a committee volunteer go way beyond being just colleagues or peers," says Jameson. "In a lot of cases, I've made true friendships that have lasted my entire career."  

Take pride in your profession, elevate the practice of internal auditing, and enrich your career by volunteering for The IIA. Currently, The Institute is holding its annual "Call for Volunteers and seeking qualified members who are willing to serve in the following positions for 2012–2013:

  • International Board of Directors Officers
  • Institute Directors
  • North American Directors*
  • Directors-at-Large
  • The IIA Research Foundation Board of Trustees
  • District Advisors* 
  • District Representatives*
  • Members to serve on the following committees:
    • Academic Relations
    • Committee of Research and Education Advisors
    • Exam Development
    • Global Ethics
    • International Internal Audit Standards Board
    • Institute Relations
    • International Conference
    • Learning Solutions*
    • Professional Certifications Board
    • Professional Issues
    • Publications Advisory*
    • Public Sector
    • Regional Conference Committee*

*Open to North American members only

If you're hesitant to commit to a year-long director or international committee position, start small, advises Rogers. Get involved at your local chapter, attend a chapter meeting, and look for short-term volunteer activities, like greeting guests at a meeting, helping with registration, or helping to conduct or analyze the results of a local chapter survey. Click here for more ideas on how you can start getting involved.