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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Dear all,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please forgive the delay in conveying this message of gratitude. My day job sort of caught back up to me, but my sincere thanks are no less vehement. I know some people do not generally read my emails in their entirety, something about being too wordy, the bloody nerve, but I do hope you will consider reading this one from top to bottom in case one of your friends played a role in making this year’s convention a success. Give them an extra shout out for being great people!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And, because I will inevitably forget someone who volunteered, please accept my apologies in advance, and know that your service is no less valued.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First, I want to thank President Tracy Soforenko for taking it in stride when, typically around mid October, I start to get a little snappy. He’s pretty resilient and knows not to take my pointed comments personally. Tracy’s a great guy and does so much for this organization all year long and not just during the convention planning season. Do buy him a drink next time you have the opportunity. And it would be ridiculous to leave out Sharon. When we elect one person to lead, we invariably elect their spouse, and she plays a key role in supporting Tracy and the organization at large.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our contract examiners play a very early role in the convention planning process. Joe Hobson and Charlie Brown help ensure all our contracts are fair and reasonable. When there are issues, they help me come up with the right language to negotiate better rates and amenities for our convention.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The following individuals were great in general. They responded reliably each time they were called upon throughout the weekend for a variety of tasks, and trust me, they were called often: Rich Tyas, Kathryn Webster, Nick Petrillo, and Syed Rizvi. I am especially grateful to Rich for damn near being omnipresent. He was especially instrumental with helping Project RISE, and anyone who takes extra care of our students is a winner in my book.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Speaking of students, a warm thank you to Kathryn Webster, Arielle Silverman, and Jerald Meredith for coordinating the student track. Though Project RISE is its own entity outside of convention logistics, we should take a moment to acknowledge our mentors: Evelyn Valdez, Susie D’Mello, Deepa Goraya, Mitch Ford, John Bailey, and Jimmy Morris.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Of course the convention hospitality was in large part owed to our excellent chapter hosts from the Peninsula and Tidewater chapters. It’s possible I like Uricka Harris a little more, because I found myself slamming Stewart Prost with request after request from the affiliate. I figured I would try to break his spirit a little, but no, he remained steady with anything I threw at him. And Debbie, his better half? I’m so glad she has a great sense of humor. A huge thanks to both chapters in general for training the hotel staff, having our restaurant menus embossed, lining up hospitality entertainment, orchestrating our opening ceremony, setting up child care, and doing pretty much anything else I begged of them.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My two floor managers during General Session this year were Domonique Lawless and Kris Lewis. I am highly selective about who I pick for these roles. They keep the agenda moving seamlessly. They need to be reliable and detail-oriented on a whole higher level and need to roll with the stress of dealing with a variety of personalities. I was incredibly blessed to have chosen well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our presidential runner this year was Jessica Reed. I’m grateful for her debut on the convention floor team and look forward to cultivating another reliable source.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In addition to others who will soon be mentioned, thank you to Lizzy Schoen for helping to run mics for us.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our audio team was once again led by Michael Kitchens. He was supported by Jacob Hamm, Nick Petrillo, and Jeremy Grandstaff. Together the team was responsible for mic positioning and availability across our various sessions, music output, recording, and streaming. I am especially grateful to Jeremy for figuring out the new streaming protocol. I later learned some of the hotel staff were curious about our program and tuned into the banquet keynote. They were understandably impressed by Mr. Ron Brown’s remarks. A big thank you to our audio guys for giving our convention a voice.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And speaking of voice, our social media team this year consisted of Sarah Blumberg on photography as well as Sarah Patnaude, Desmond Walker, and David Bartling on social media channels.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year we roughly started a new program. Similar to our national ambassadors, Christine Grassman led a team of people responsible for taking an extra step in welcoming people to the convention. It’s a program we hope to further develop at future conventions. Her team consisted of: Jennifer Blinsman, Joe Hobson, Chris Walker, Naim Abu-El Hawa, Bobbie Cohen, and Mausam Mehta. Our special guest handling, including the congressman’s escort, was tackled by Uricka Harris and Tasha Hubbard.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our marshals this year were led by Lois Fritz. She was joined by Jennifer Blinsman, Brittany Ingram, and Renee Rogers. Thank you to them for allowing us to more easily find our way on time.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Also thank you to Brittany for coordinating this year’s roommate assistance program. I think the role helped cut down some traffic on the mailing list. Perhaps she’ll agree to coordinate again next year?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Last in our hospitality category was Jacki Bruce. She was very helpful in keeping the traffic moving in our hospitality suite. Friday evening alone saw five different groups moving in and out of the space, so thank you so much for keeping those trains firmly on the rails.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our door prize coordinator was Debbie Prost. She was assisted by Stewart Prost, Rich Tyas, and Michael Matthews. Talk about an excellent collection of door prizes this year!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And of course, a big thank you to our auctioneers, Jacki Brown and Laurie Wages. We are so incredibly lucky to have spirited people to generate so much revenue for our programs and services. They are best, second to none when it comes to auction management. They were assisted by Syed Rizvi and Rich Tyas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rounding off our staff on the external partnership front, Annette Carr was fantastic as exhibits coordinator. She does so much more than even I give her credit, and we are incredibly lucky to have her in our corner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year our information desk was staffed by Alex Castillo and <span style='color:black'>Nijat Worley.</span> This year the information desk generated so much activity that next year I’m kicking them out into the hallway where they can deal with the frenzy a little more comfortably.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our box lunch distribution was handled by Diane Johnson, Jim Walker, Collin Bruce, Rich Tyas, and Nick Petrillo. Yes, I’m aware of the issues there, for which I sincerely apologize, but thank you to this team for hanging in there. We will improve.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our banquet ticket scanners were Mary Durbin, Rachel Schreiman, and Nick Petrillo. I’m aware of the issues there too, and while I already have some ideas to make next year flow a little smoother, I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to count on this team to help with one of the more stressful points of the convention agenda this past weekend. A special thank you to Mary Durbin for stepping in at the last minute.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Last, but never least, our registration team was once again led by Sandy Halverson. Among many other tasks, Sandy directly oversaw our special dietary requests. Our webmaster, Cathy Schroeder, handled online registration. Jessica Reed was among those who assisted with on site registration. And Mark Roane is presently tackling the hardest job of all, settling our master bill with the property.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Though these names will mean little to the vast majority of you, I want to include some of the hotel staff who specifically helped me make Tracy’s agenda come alive. Lee Heft was our technical lead on sound. Debra Hill was our dedicated point person on guest rooms. Krystyn King was our catering manager. Denise Creasman was our lead sales manager who doubled up as event planner at the last minute, and though I am ashamed to admit I have since forgotten her last name, she is so awesome she can be one of those celebrities who only needs a first name. Raff was the person I harassed most about unlocking rooms, servicing meeting spaces, fixing meal orders, and a myriad of tasks I am sure I must have driven her crazy over.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Again, I am sure I have left out some names. This is not intentional. Everyone is valued, and any oversights are my own fault.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>On behalf of our president and our entire membership, thank you, thank you, thank you. Truly, the convention could not have happened without you. You are the backbone of this annual gathering, and we could never adequately express just how truly wonderful you are.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Most sincerely,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Joe Orozco, Convention Operations<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>