And now, heeeeeere’s your incoming SAA President, who will take office on Saturday 17 August. Let’s have a big round of applause for Danna Bell-Russel!
When Jackie asked me to contribute a pre-presidential blog post to “Off the Record”, my first response was, “Sure, why not? My second thought was, “Wow this year has gone incredibly fast. I can’t believe next week we go to New Orleans.”
This has been an amazing year. Jackie and Nancy have been gracious with their time and energy. I have learned so much from them and the other members of Council and the SAA staff. These are people with boundless energy, enthusiasm and intelligence. They simply leave me breathless.
I am also in awe of all that we accomplished during this past year. Included in our accomplishments is developing SAA’s new strategic plan. Most people know that strategic planning can be difficult, intense and exhausting work. It certainly was for Council and the SAA staff. When we put out our first draft we were expecting comments but were amazed by the number, thoughtfulness and intensity of the comments. It helped to remind me that SAA members are smart, diligent, intense, and willing to share opinions about what SAA can and should be. Council heard you all loud and clear and made some tweaks to the plan. We also provided measurable objectives and key performance indicators to show the progress toward our goals.
If you would like an opportunity to discuss our strategic plan and suggest activities that will help us reach our goals I hope you will come to the Strategic Plan forum on Thursday, August 15th from 12-1:15 in the Grand Salon 21/24.
Our strategic plan is a living, working document that Council will review regularly. We also need our members to help insure that our strategic plan continues to thrive and grow with the needs of the organization. If you’re unable to attend the forum please take the opportunity to chat with me or one of the current or future members of Council during or after the conference.
I look forward to serving as your president. See you all in New Orleans.
–Danna
Off the Record 