Drawing to a Close

When you look back on 2019, what will you remember the most about the year?  I am willing to bet that you won’t remember the long hours you put in at work, nor will you remember the meetings that filled your days.  The arguments will vanish, the disagreements forgotten.  Instead, you’ll remember the groundbreakings and the ribbon cuttings, the celebrations of investment earned and jobs created. 

For me, I will look back on my time as your GEDA Chair fondly.  After a false start in January with a “snow-day,” we kicked off the year with our February meeting on Workforce in Action, and we continued strong through the Spring Workshop at Callaway Gardens.  Summer was spent with our different regional partners, and the Annual Conference was a tremendous success thanks to our sponsors and planners.  True, there were many long days and countless hours spent in planning… but when I look back on the year, I honestly say, “Where did the time go?”

With my time as your Chairman coming to a close, I want to sincerely thank the GEDA Board of Directors, the Committee/SIG Chairs, and our wonderful professional staff.  We accomplished so many wonderful tasks this year, and it was all because of the hard work of our members.  As a volunteer organization, our members make the difference, and we truly made a difference in 2019.

I would like to wish Chris Pumphrey well as he assumes the Chairman’s position for GEDA.  Having risen through the ranks of the Board and the Executive Committee, Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into the position.  He also has Andrea Schruijer and Sean McMillan to help lead the organization.  Under their leadership and the guidance of the Board, GEDA will have another excellent year. 

And of course, I have the extreme pleasure of serving as the Immediate Past Chair, perhaps the best position in all of GEDA!

See you all again in 2020!