Q1 2026 VP Corner
Paul Musser¸ Katten Muchin Rosenman
Welcome to the first TMA Chicago/Midwest Quarterly Newsletter of 2026! I am honored to serve as the chapter’s new Vice President of Communications and thrilled to be working alongside Communications Committee Chairs, Michael Boyer, Novo Advisors and Alex Porter, Troutman Pepper Locke. In addition to this new position, I’ll continue hosting the TMA Chicago/Midwest podcast in 2026, shining a spotlight on the talented members and sponsors who make this chapter so dynamic. If you haven’t already, please listen to our first episode of 2026 with chapter President Sandy Prabhakar, as we talk about this year’s theme, “Pipeline to Prosperity” and his vision for the year ahead.
It feels only fitting to embrace the theme of seasonal change here. Chicago is once again emerging from a long, tough winter. As we move into spring, our great city awakens and explodes with renewed life and vitality. It’s a reminder that even the harshest times give way to brighter days and opportunities.
The promise of springtime is an apt metaphor for the part we seek to play in the corporate life cycle. Companies, like the seasons, often move through periods of growth, development, challenge, and renewal. Indeed, renewal is at the very heart of what TMA stands for. We are an organization devoted to corporate renewal, a principle so central to our mission that it is embedded in the name of TMA’s own flagship publication, the Journal of Corporate Renewal. The professionals who make up this chapter understand better than most that the wintery period of dormancy and distress carry within them the seeds of springtime growth.
For its part, the Communications Committee has a clear set of goals for the year to encourage the growth and prosperity of our members, sponsors and chapter. We want to help our members and sponsors promote their professional achievements and successes. We want to effectively market the chapter’s events and programming to drive attendance and engagement. And, we want to help expand the reach of the TMA Chicago/Midwest chapter to bring new members and sponsors into our community. These are ambitious objectives, but I am confident we can accomplish them together.
This newsletter belongs to all of you, and we want it to reflect the interests and accomplishments of our members. We welcome your thoughts, comments, and participation to best show them in future editions. Please do not hesitate to reach out, as we are listening and eager to collaborate.
To borrow from one of my favorite albums by the late, great jazz pianist Bill Evans, “You Must Believe in Spring.” Here’s to a spring that starts a year of positive change and renewed energy. I look forward to connecting with all of you in the months ahead.
