Once you receive this issue of LMA’s magazine “Idarat Al Amal” we shall be at the threshold of the year 2004. in that year, LMA shall have completed its 45th anniversary.
At this juncture, we would like to stop and reflect. About 45 years ago, a group of professional managers got together and thought about launching a worthwhile mission. At that time, the concept of training and development in Lebanon was at an embryonic stage.
Consequently, they decided that they would serve their community best if they go in this direction. Thus LMA, as a not-for-profit association, was born and been on the march ever since.
Special recognition goes to LMA’s founder and first President Henry Louis, who was then Mobil Oil’s Human Resources Manager.
It is with deep sorrow that we inform our members, and particularly the old timers, that Henry passed away recently in Toronto, Canada where he and his family took residence for the last 15 years. LMA’s Managing Board transmitted their condolences to his widow and children.
* LMA takes pride in the fact that it was able to own its Center (450 sq. meters) thanks to the generosity of its members. The Center motivated the other apartment owners in the Building to name it “LMA Bldg”, a source of pride for us at LMA because of the implicit message this naming conveys.
*LMA continued during the years to cooperate with OMSAR providing training to officials in government and autonomous agencies, in the areas of:
· a) Managerial Skills
· b) Accounting
· c) Advanced Inventory Management
*LMA also designed and conducted public courses in the areas of:
-Organizational Design ( Emphasis on Job Description and Job Evaluation)
-Team Building and Group Dynamics
-Advanced Inventory Management

During 2005 LMA organized and conducted, on behalf of ESCWA, a Training/Development one week course to 72 Iraqi officials on the subject of “Managerial Skills and Strategic Planning”. The course was attended by six groups representing high officials from the Iraqi Government.

Topics of the course included:

1. Challenges of Modern Management
2. Crisis Management
3. Modern Concepts in Managing Human Resources
4. Project Management
5. Change Management
6. Time Management including Delegation/Empowering
7. Total Quality Management
8. Privatization
9. Team Building
10. Communication Skills
11. Effective Presentation Skills
12. Strategic Planning
13. The Role of the Public vs. the Private Sectors
14. Stress Management

*In the area of providing additional free services to its members, LMA organizes Wednesday meetings to its members whereby normally a video film on one of supervisory/management related subjects is shown, preceded and followed by group discussions coordinated by one of LMA’s designated faculty members. Alternatively, a guest speaker is invited to talk about a topical issue.

This year however, these meetings have had an additional feature, namely, Peter Drucker’s Six-Film Series on “The Manager and the Organization”.
Those who participated in a minimum of five of the series were granted an “LMA Certificate of Achievement”. Forty five participants were entitled to this Certificate and a “Graduation Ceremony” was held in their honor.
Finally, LMA will continue to serve its community with its logo: ”Continuous Improvement”. Best wishes for the forthcoming feasts and a happy New Year.