AKA OCO 4th Quarter 2022 Newsletter

OFFICERS

President Christina H. Roberson

Greetings Sorors:

In addition to our program initiatives, we have continued to excel with our Mentorship and Leadership Development programs. Our Mentorship committee hosted a fall workshop to provide professional resume writing tips, resources for private and federal resumes, and tools on how to build your AKA resume. Our Leadership Development Committee hosted our first Professional Developmental Seminar with a theme of “Moving Up the C-Suite.”

On the operations side, Iʼm happy to report we are strong! We have successfully transitioned back to in-person Chapter operations. I want to thank the Standards, Risk Management, Protocol and Courtesy Committees for all of your hard work and attention to detail that make our operations strong.

Lastly, we kicked off the foundational initiative “Strengthen Our Sisterhood.” In the month of September, the Sisterly Relations and the Membership Committees collaborated for the Wine Down Wednesday Reclamation event. There were 8-Very Important Pearls (VIP) Sorors that attended the event. In November, we kicked off our Sisterhood Squads by hosting a movie gathering and the paint brush and pearls event. In December, our Sisterly Relations committee collaborated with the Courtesy Committee to plan a festive Holiday Social where we highlighted the great work of our outgoing officers and strengthen our sisterhood through fellowship.

Sorors, I wish you a blessed and restful Holiday season. I want to thank you for all that you do for Alpha Kappa Alpha, and I look forward to Soaring with you in 2023.

Yours in Service and Sisterhood, Christina H. Roberson Chapter Basileus

Risk Management

5 Basic Methods for Risk Management

– https://www.investopedia.com/

As people begin to age, they usually encounter more health risks. The basic methods for risk management avoidance, retention, sharing, transferring, and loss prevention and reduction can apply to all facets of an individual's life and can pay off in the long run. Here's a look at these five methods and how they can apply to the management of health risks

• Avoidance - a method for mitigating risk by not participating in activities that may incur injury, sickness, or death. Smoking cigarettes is an example of one such activity because avoiding it may lessen both health and financial risks. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that smoking is the No. 1 risk factor for getting lung cancer, and the risk only increases the longer that people smoke. Under the Affordable Health Care Act, also known as Obamacare, health insurers are able to increase premiums based on age, geography, family size, and smoking status. The law allows for up to a 50% surcharge on premiums for smokers.

• Retention - the acknowledgment and acceptance of a risk as a given. Usually, this accepted risk is a cost to help offset larger risks down the road, such as opting to select a lower premium health insurance plan that carries a higher deductible rate. If the issue becomes more serious or lifethreatening, then the health insurance benefits are available to cover most of the costs beyond the deductible. If the individual has no serious health issues warranting any additional medical expenses for the year, then they avoid the out-of-pocket payments, mitigating the larger risk altogether.

• Sharing - often implemented through employer-based benefits that allow the company to pay a portion of insurance premiums with the employee. In essence, this shares the risk with the company and all employees participating in the insurance benefits. The understanding is that with more participants sharing the risks, the costs of premiums should shrink proportionately. Individuals may find it in their best interest to participate in sharing the risk by choosing employer health care and life insurance plans when possible.

• Transferring - the use of health insurance is an example of transferring risk because the financial risks associated with health care are transferred from the individual to the insurer. Insurance companies assume the financial risk in exchange for a fee known as a premium and a documented contract between the insurer and individual. By accepting the terms and conditions and paying the premiums, an individual has managed to transfer most, if not all, the risk to the insurer.

• Loss Prevention and Reduction - method of risk management attempts to minimize the loss, rather than completely eliminate it. While accepting the risk, it stays focused on keeping the loss contained and preventing it from spreading. Many health plans also provide discounts to gyms and health clubs as another means of prevention and reduction in order to keep members active and healthy.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

•Avoidance means not participating in activities that could harm you; in the case of health, smoking is a good example.

•Retention acknowledges the inevitability of certain risks, and in terms of health care, it could mean picking a less expensive health insurance plan that has a higher deductible rate.

•Sharing risk can be applied to how employer-based benefits are often more affordable than if an individual gets their own health insurance.

•Transferring risk relates to healthcare in that the cost of the care is transferred to the insurer from the individual, beyond the cost of premiums and a deductible.

•Loss prevention and reduction are used to minimize risk, not eliminate it the same concept is used in healthcare with preventative care.

Sisterly Relation

Sisterly Relation and

Committees hosted a sisterly activity called “Wind Down Wednesday” and Reclamation Event as a collaborative effort on Wednesday, September 14, 2022, at Harbor Grill, 13188 Marina Way, Woodbridge, VA. There were several raffles, laughter, and fun reconnecting after being virtual for the past two years. There were (8) Very Important Pearls (VIP) Sorors that attended the event All VIPs were provided the forms and instructions on how to begin the reactivation or transfer process into OCO The response was very positive, and they have begun reconnecting with OCO and our sisterhood in the upcoming year.

Membership

Mentorship Matters: OCO Mentors and Mentees Unite in

Sisterly Fellowship

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Take A Moment to Congratulate our new Chapter Officers and Nominating Committee

OCO elected its 2023-2025 Officers and 2023 Nominating Committee during the November 2022 Chapter Meeting. They are all Fired Up and Ready to Lead!! According to MeijiStewart, the ABCs of A Great Leaderare: Awaken minds. Bring people together. Communicate effectively. Dare to take calculated risks. Enlighten and empower Foster collaboration. Give you tools to succeed. Help you do for yourself Invite and encourage questions. Joyfully embrace diversity. Keep an open mind. Lead by example. Motivate with respect. Never give up on you. Open doors to new worlds. Put first things first. Quest to make learning fun. Recognize problems early. Share roles and responsibilities. Take time to explain things. Unwrap talents and abilities. Value everyone's input. Welcome mistakes as part of learning. Xceed expectations. Yearn to connect, not correct. Zest to make a difference.

OCO 2023 NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Soror Erica Blanch

Soror Shamala Boyd

Soror Shanay Boyd

Soror Sharon Pindle Chairman

Soror Rachael Potts

Professional Development Summit

The Leadership Development Committee hosted Omicron Chi Omegaʼs first annual Professional Development Summit on Sunday, November 12, 2022, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with the theme “Moving Up to the C-Suite.” The afternoonʼs panel discussions were kicked off by an aspiring welcome by OCOʼs LFC Chairman, Soror Dawn King, and opening remarks by Mrs. Christina Henry Roberson, Basileus of Omicron Chi Omega Chapter.

The executive-level C-suite of an organization can be a challenging yet rewarding professional experience and these issues were discussed during this three-and-a-half-hour summit. The summit, comprised of two (2) panel discussions, were led by OCO panel members ranging in leadership positions within the Department of the Army, Department of the Air Force, Department of Veterans Affairs, Federal Emergency Management Agency, The George Washington University, Department of Health and Human Services, Defense Security Cooperation Agency, AstraZeneca, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Library of Congress to name a few.

The topic for the first panel was entitled “Preparing for Executive Leadership and the second panel was entitled “Barriers to Executive Leadership.” The panelists and executive panelists were asked an array of questions, enabling them to elaborate on the challenges that they have encountered and overcome while in their current and past leadership positions.

OCO @ the Northern Western Virginia Cluster

Chapter Woodbridge, Virginia

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, IncorporatedÒ Omicron Chi Omega