President’s Message Continued…

I am proud to have been able to lead the Academy again and to serve you. I continue to grow both personally and professionally from this experience, and I thank you for contributing to that growth and for allowing me the opportunity to serve you again. I have done my best to live up to the mission of the Academy, the Code of Ethics and to my Oath of Office.

I cannot sufficiently express my appreciation and gratitude to the other members of the Academy Board with whom I have had the privilege to serve. Service on the Academy Board, and being the President, are uniquely rewarding experiences that are founded upon dedication, cooperation, collaboration and understanding.

As CPM’s, what we do in our lives, both professionally and personally, is critical to the success of our agencies, in achieving the mission of those agencies and in our becoming better persons. I urge you to continue to reach for and achieve success in your lives and to promote the CPM philosophy within your agency, your Society and the Academy. I encourage you to increase your participation in your Society and at the national level with the Academy. I look forward to seeing many of you next September in Columbus, Ohio at the 20th Annual AACPM Professional Development Conference.

As I have stated in previous President’s Messages, the highlight of my Presidency and the most tangible benefit to serving on the Board has been the friendships forged and the opportunity to work with my outstanding colleagues on the Board, with the officers of the Societies and with each of you. Greg Hyland is a strong, dedicated, focused and yet very personable leader and manager. He will serve us well as Academy President and will continue to move the Academy forward. The 2007 Board of Directors are an outstanding group of individuals, dedicated to providing the best possible programs and services to foster the CPM movement nationally.

As I end my term serving you as your President for a second time, I wanted to share some final thoughts and comments and challenge each of you for the betterment, growth, maturity and future of the Academy.

Since the Conference and House of Delegates (HOD) Meeting concluded here in Madison on September 12th, I have been giving very serious consideration and reflection to all the events, actions, comments made during the Conference and especially at the HOD Meeting. I have considered and evaluated the impact on the Academy Board Members, the HOD Delegates, our membership in general and especially on the reputation and prestige of our Academy.

The words “appearance”, “integrity”, “transparency” and most importantly “civility” were mentioned and referenced often and I truly took them to heart. I can speak for each Board Member that they have done so as well.

I have also reviewed and contemplated the Academy’s Code of Ethics as specified in SOP 4.00. If you have not done so recently, I strongly encourage you to access the SOP on the Web Site and do so.

My wife, Mary, attended the HOD Meeting in Madison this year. Although she has attended every Conference I have attended since 1998, this was her first opportunity to attend an HOD meeting and witness what takes place. I challenge those HOD Delegates to ask yourselves, “Would you have wanted your spouse/significant other or perhaps your son or daughter to have been present and witness what occurred?” “Would their presence have affected what you did and said and how you said it?”
I was recently told by a long standing Academy Member that the 2007 House of Delegates was the most disturbing one that they ever attended. I have learned that at least two Delegates will never agree to serve again as an HOD Delegate. Most disturbing to me is that several up and coming Society Leaders who were considering running for Board positions have confided in me that as a result of what occurred at this year’s HOD Meeting, they will never consider running for the Academy Board. These are tragic losses for an organization that continues to struggle to attract and maintain members, and to secure qualified and motivated persons to run for national office.

I am proud that I can say with complete conviction that my behavior, actions (and reactions to what was occurring or being said or implied) and comment, and those of every member of your Board of Directors, would have been the same if our spouses or children had been present, regardless of what was happening or being said. In my case, my wife was there and did witness what happened.

As we, individually, and the Academy, as an organization, move ahead, I challenge every member of this Academy, every Society Officer and every HOD Delegate to review, assess and consider your actions and statements in the context of the Academy’s Code of Ethics, and consider the impact and long term effect of what you do and say on those around you and on the Academy as an organization.
I leave the position of President with gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve you twice, and I wish every success to the Academy in the future. I look forward to continuing my service to you as Past President of the Academy during the upcoming year!

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