CHICAGO — As part of its strategic plan, BEMA announced a reorganized structure of three committees, reduced from its previous six.

The new structure is intended to create more efficient member participation and better align with BEMA’s strategic goals.

“We know time is very important to all our members, and we want to be mindful of that,” said Mark Hotze, vice-president, Corbion, Lenexa, Kas., and BEMA vice-chairman.

“The question we needed to answer was, ‘Does this add value?’” Mr. Hotze said. “If a committee did not add value, it needed to be cut; for the committees that did add value, we looked for ways to consolidate them to effectively move forward. We knew we had to be honest about what we could achieve.”

The new committees, which were announced at the BEMA Summit Feb. 22-24 in Chicago, are Membership Value and Engagement, Conventions and Programs, and Association Outreach and Relations.

Some of the eliminated committees addressed specific topics that now will be incorporated into other aspects of the association. For instance, safety and sanitation will be rolled into the Baking Industry Forum, where bakers and BEMA members often discuss challenges surrounding safety and sanitation.

And in lieu of a scholarship committee, the process of reviewing and approving applications will become an operational function through the BEMA home office in Overland Park, Kas.

Mr. Hotze encouraged members to participate in these new efforts.

“How members contribute to BEMA is really through the committees,” he said. “Whatever you put into these committees and how they function will guide BEMA’s strategy going forward.” 

For more information on the new structure, BEMA's website.