ICRM Business Meeting and Reception: ARMA Live 2014

Institute of Certified Records Managers- Annual Business Meeting and Reception at the Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, CA

The first woman I met before the ICRM business was a blonde, beautiful Asian woman named Angeline Tan. She is a private consultant and CRM. Tan had a wonderful personality and is also a CH-SPRM (Certificate Holder- SharePoint Records Manager). She is a personable force holding a CRM since 1994. I had a great visit with she and Tony Leino, a CRM with IBM. Tan recommended that I check out the records management writings of Dr. Mark Langemo. She said he is awesome!

When the business meeting started, the board discussed the 2014 benchmarks, which included a plan for celebrating the 40th Anniversary of ICRM. 40 years? Wow! I discovered that as of October 2014, the institute added 44 new CRMs. There are 978 active CRMs, 178 retired CRMs, 998 active CRM candidates, and there were 143 approved CRM candidates in 2014 (hey!! There I am). I was under the impression that the CRM is being killed off by the IG certification, but low and behold…it is alive and well and rare and hard to pass. It made me feel good to meet so many smart people who had failed some tests. It turns out ICRM has revamped the exams due to “hate mail” from failures. Really?

I learned that the average salary minimum in the Southwest for a CRM is 88,000+ per year!!! Money isn’t everything, but learning that there are under 1,000 CRMs out there, means it is hard to earn and rare to have. I want it!!! Looks like they are changing exams from a 60/40 to a 50/50. There is now a 65% pass rate, so people do fail. Questions have been rewritten through part 5 and the question writers were introduced tonight. I was like agggghhhh “part 1” lady. What was that!?! Hahaaa… Turns out many people fail part 1 and 5. Go figure. I think every person I talked to said they had failed exams before they passed. I’m so glad to learn that. People way smarter than I failed.

~Selfie at the Sweet Bar~

~Custom Salad Bar~

After the meeting, there was a beautiful reception. I had so much fun, met so many smart people, and had great conversation. I love people who love networking and learning. I paid $30 out of my own pocket to attend the reception on the terrace, but I am so glad I did. I kept it clean eating a light salad even though there was food everywhere and a seriously awesome cake and chocolate covered strawberry pop bar. I did have a good margarita though. Just one because I’m working out super early tomorrow. It’s back day.

For the reception, I spent most of the time carrying a conversation with three people. Tom Corey, a new CRM is also an attorney with Huron Consulting Group. He lives in North Carolina and is a super smart man who failed exams. Dr. Eugenia K. Brumm, CRM, FAI (Fellow of Arma International) and former professor was an awesome woman to meet. She made the cover of Information Week Magazine in 1988 with her article “The Truth About CIOs.” Her dissertation is on this as well. She is from Billerica, MA. I aspire to be like her. She is a very accomplished, and knowledgeable woman. Carol R. Jordan, a CRM in the Office of Finance with Federal Home Loan Banks in Reston, VA was also a knowledge powerhouse. I had a great time chatting with these three. It was a good night.

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