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Board votes on important updates to member benefits, dues

The RMS Board met for its first annual in-person meeting since 2019 in Loma, Colorado in October. Although some attended virtually, the meeting was very productive. Those who were able to attend in person were later joined by the Southwest Chapter for an incredible Board and Chapter trip on the Colorado River. Highlights from the meeting include the extraordinary growth of RMS programs, nearly doubling membership, and accolades from external groups on the quality of the training offered by the River Training Center.

RMS Board & Staff 2021RMS now employs a staff of four, which Board President Judy Culver said enables RMS to meet the challenges of today’s use as well as continuing to support more river managers with training and networking opportunities. “This creates a deeper pool of shared knowledge and has made it possible for members to develop new partnerships and avenues for collaboration,” she said.

The Board voted unanimously in favor of the following updates to our membership structure and benefits. These changes will be rolled out over the next year, and we will update you on progress via the News Digest and RMS Journal.

  • Student members and the main contacts for each organizational membership may vote and hold office in Chapters or on the National Board.
  • The Professional membership level will now be called “Individual,” with no changes to benefits. This is our primary membership level which includes all member benefits. The name change means DOI employees may now be eligible to upgrade to this membership level. Upgrading from Associate or Organizational memberships to Individual means you will receive additional member benefits including a printed copy of the RMS Journal, ability to vote and hold office, access to the Professional Purchase Program, and the ability to apply for training scholarships.
  • RMS will no longer make a distinction between the types of organizational memberships (NGO, Government or Corporate), and will distinguish organizational membership levels exclusively by size (1-2, 3-4, 5-8).
  • Annual dues will increase beginning January 1, 2022 as outlined below. RMS has not changed its dues in several years despite increased programming, outreach efforts and a growing staff. This slight increase in annual dues allows us to continue improving the quality of opportunities and services provided to members, while keeping our dues among the most affordable.
    ** You will not see this increase until you renew, so if you would like to renew at the current rate, please call or email us at rms(at)river-management.org prior to Dec. 31, 2021. If you have been considering getting a Lifetime membership, you can save $250 by upgrading to a Lifetime membership prior to these changes taking effect. New dues:
    • Individual - $60 (or 5 years for $240)
    • Associate - $40
    • Student - $30
    • Organizational - $75 (1-2), $150 (3-4), $300 (5-8)
    • Lifetime - $750

RMS leadership and staff have big plans for 2022 and look forward to hearing from, working alongside and supporting you! Please feel free to reach out to RMS Communications Coordinator Bekah Price, Executive Director Risa Shimoda, or to your national Board Officers if you have any questions about these changes. Thank you for all that you do to make RMS the best it’s ever been!

Published Oct. 25, 2021

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