I know we all probably say this every year, but I really mean it this year. Where did the time go? Now that December is here, it seems like it’s all gone by so fast. Yet, some of the individual days seemed awfully long at the time. Fortunately, I have had the pleasure of spending the last 9 months as President of this wonderful organization and had the pleasure of working with a collective board made up of some of the hardest working and most creative people I know. With their help and the help of our committee and section chairs, we have managed to have a pretty good year despite everything going on around us.
The distractions of layoffs, salary freezes and an overall dismal economic outlook did take their toll at times this year. Then, as Fall rolled around, our state suffered 500+ year flooding, adding insult to injury to many of our citizens -- some of our members, in fact -- already suffering from the fallout of this economic nightmare we’ve been living. In the face of everything, it has been more important than ever to focus on the things AALA does the best. We spent a great deal of the year looking for more ways to help our members with networking opportunities, educational speakers and up to date articles in our newsletter.
In June, we rallied several vendors and experienced members to assist us in turning our annual half day seminar into a full day with Jeff Mangrum of SST Communications taking us on the Hero’s Journey to explore leadership. That afternoon, we opened the meeting up to unemployed members of the legal community for Jeff’s next session “Finding the Eye of the Storm.” At the conclusion of Jeff’s session, we offered roundtables moderated by vendors and members with advice to both employers and job seekers.
To continue as a Platinum chapter of ALA we must work even harder in difficult times, bobbing and weaving to adapt to the changing marketplace – good or bad. We believe reaching for this Award of Excellence each year ensures our members receive the benefit of all the things required to meet all the standards our national organization has set forth for a superior chapter. You may read about the Presidents Awards of Excellence here. Of course, it takes the work of many to achieve all the criteria in those standards. And, that means I need to thank all of you for your part in making our chapter great.
And, I want to thank our business partners again for their invaluable contributions of not only their money, but their time and talents. Our Business Partner Program affords us the opportunity to schedule some of the same top-notch speakers who appear at national and regional conferences each year. In addition, the generous contributions of our sponsors enable us to provide numerous scholarships to national and regional conferences each year. These individuals are experts in their fields and always open to share their advice and recommendations on the latest products and services in the marketplace.
We've been great citizens in 2009. We've contributed time and money to the Atlanta School for the Deaf, Homestretch Mission, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Toys for Tots and Samaritan's Purse. Thank you all for your generosity in sharing your time and donating toys and money to these worthwhile organizations. It's so important to be mindful of all the good things we can do as a group. I hope we can continue to show our community at large what great stewards AALA members are in 2010.
Also, as we prepare to face the new year, I encourage each of you to continue to explore and use the resources available to you as members of ALA. The ALA website is a valuable resource for articles on current issues facing legal administrators. Check out the Reference Desk, as well as Discussion Forums and the Question of the Month for relevant and up to date information. There is also a Diversity Resources Database which ALA is working to update on a regular basis. If you are not receiving the ALA News or ALA Currents, I recommend you go to the ALA website to subscribe. Both of these publications should be on your regular reading list.
Lastly, some quick announcements or reminders about events in the coming year. The board has voted to conduct a 2010 salary survey. That information will be sent out early in the new year. In addition, CLM classes will begin again in January. Not only will there be a CLM exam offered at the ALA conference in Boston in May, but Atlanta is being considered as a site for offering the exam in the Fall of 2010. This would be a great time to get serious about pursuing the CLM if you have been thinking about it.
It was my sincere hope that all of us would thrive in 2009. I know it hasn't been easy, but I'd like to think we did better than just surviving. Thank you all for everything you do. I wish you all a joyous holiday season and very Happy New Year!
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15-Jul-10
