Ready for 2013? I think I am. The upcoming year will be my last year as your president, and if you think I just started and it's not time for me to go yet, I can assure you it's been 3 years already and my time is going to up before we all know it. I still have a lot on my agenda that I want to accomplish. Out of everything on my list, the most important thing to me is bringing you in, hearing your voice, your feedback, and making the ACGA a better organization for all of our members. If I could wave a magic wand and make that happen, I would. But the magic is not in my wand, it's in you. For me to know how best to guide this cruise liner of an organization, you have to speak up, write an email, make a phone call, attend some board meetings. If you're on the cruise deck, checking out the view and enjoying the ride, that's great! But that doesn't mean I don't need your participation and feedback. Maybe you're not so impressed with the ride, and you think we could be doing better. Your feedback and participation is needed also. The ACGA is an almost all-volunteer organization, and we are freaking amazing, the stuff that we do. And we do it on a shoestring budget with a very small group of dedicated people. Are you ready to put a bit of your heart into the ACGA? I want to hear from you.
That's a great lead-in to inviting you to our annual retreat, which will be in Oakland on January 13, 2013. It's a lively day with a lot happening, so the day goes by fast and is a great way to get to know your fellow members, brainstorm ideas, address problems, and get a free lunch to boot. Who gives you free lunch? We do. An official invite will go out in early January, so please consider spending the day with us.
I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday. Happy new year!
--Whitney
