As we move into August, I want to begin with one simple phrase: Thank You.
I acknowledge every Chapter Volunteer, Chapter Delegate, Committee Member, Elected Officer, Board of Directors, and our dedicated Staff for giving so much of themselves these past years, and this one in particular.
Take a moment to be proud of all the support from the chapters, those who strengthened relationships within your local and state associations, served our communities, created educational programs/events, and continued moving our mission forward. This all has been done while working with limited resources, balancing careers/families, and navigating challenges that would have caused many organizations to pause. Instead, you all have been unstoppable.
We have had to stand strong through some very dark times, never losing sight of the Alliance’s purpose, vision, and mission. Your commitment is the reason we are able to continue.
There is still much to navigate, areas that are in need of improvement—we will continue to do what we can to improve. Even when we may be frustrated, please remember what I said, after I took the oath of office. “There is no ‘us versus them.’ There is no Chapter versus National, because National is all of us. The Alliance belongs to every member, every Chapter, every volunteer, every leader, and every person who believes in our mission. There is absolutely no one in any role within the Alliance who is against anyone else. We may not agree, or align on how something is done, or miss the mark in response to internal issues, but that doesn’t mean anyone is working against anyone else.”
Many of you have told me that one of the reasons you supported me for President was because I have what you called “a voice of reason.” I use that voice to listen, understand all sides, work collectively to resolve, move forward, find solutions that best serve our members, our Chapters, the communities we represent and the Alliance.
For those who have been with the Alliance since the beginning, it’s understandable why it sometimes felt as though we had already arrived. Our first National Conference, and conferences, thereafter, were incredible. We welcomed remarkable sponsors, enjoyed unforgettable events/parties, with notable guests from our Community like Carson Kressley. We celebrated together in a way that made it seem as though we were already a mature national organization. Looking back, I like many now realize we were still in our infancy living large. Which is why now we have had to step back, regain our footing, and in many ways start over. We are rebuilding this organization from the grassroots up, creating the foundation that will support the Alliance for decades to come. While some things from the past may not have worked as we had hoped, we have learned from those experiences, and today we are building something stronger, more sustainable, and more meaningful than ever before.
As a grassroots organization, we need every one of you. We need to continue growing our membership, expanding our partnerships, and welcoming new sponsors who believe in our mission. To those Sponsors who have stood beside us through every challenge, THANK YOU. We are still here because of your belief, your generosity, and your unwavering support.
Last year we had to cancel the conference, we missed the chance to reconnect as a Community, however this year we are full on. It won’t look like conferences past, instead it will be an extraordinary, “Future Forward Business & Networking Conference,” where the emphasis is not on entertainment, but on each of us thriving, networking, moving our business and our communities forward.
If you have not yet registered, please do so. We are doing extraordinary work, there will be bumps along the way, however that doesn’t diminish the work, the roles each of us play in this organization. Thank you all again.
Happy Birthday America
