Glancing Back and Forging Ahead!
All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go…oh wait that was J.W.’s theme song! If you joined us for the 2013 conference you’ll smile at that memory. We all enjoyed a great night of celebrating the retirement of long-time member and friend to ARCUPA Dr. J.W. Mason from Arkansas State University. If you didn’t make it, you missed a wonderful evening. As my term as President winds down, I take this opportunity to say thank you to the many volunteers and friends who played a role in organizing and executing another fun and fact filled ARCUPA conference event.
I especially want to express appreciation to our sponsors. You’ve seen their logos on the registration site; you stopped by the booth, enjoyed a meal or two and picked up valuable information as you had a chance to meet with representatives from the companies who serve your institutions throughout the year. Their sponsorship provides much of the funding that makes what we do possible.
As your elected representatives, it is the goal of the Board to provide programs that are meaningful to you. Finding topics and presenters on subjects you request is an important priority! You did a great job of completing the conference evaluations – your open and honest feedback is critical to helping plan future programs. Which brings me to just that – future programs! The incoming Board has big plans to celebrate the 25th year anniversary of our chapter. They are busy visiting hotels and negotiating contracts to ensure you have another great experience. Mark your calendars and get it on the list for MUST DO events – June 11-13, 2014 in Springdale, Arkansas. We’ll have a great slate of presenters, terrific sponsors – the wonderful folks you count on seeing each year and some businesses who are new to ARCUPA. If you haven’t been to the Springdale area in a while, you’ll be in for a treat! The area has prospered and grown a great deal in recent years and there are many fun, exciting places to visit during your stay. Our plans include an event at the beautiful Crystal Bridges Museum! You won’t want to miss any of the excitement as we celebrate this 25 year milestone!
Watch for news about our latest member benefit: Lunch and Learn sessions! We are putting the plans into place to begin holding short sessions once a quarter featuring a variety of experts on subjects that are hot topics and lunch too! Space will be limited – oh and did I mention? These are FREE to members! Initially, these will be limited to Little Rock but if you are interested in hosting a Lunch& Learn in your area, contact any member of the Board and we’ll help you put one together at your campus. ARCUPA provides a valuable network and resource for our members. The services and experiences available to our members are special. Each year, your Board seeks to keep our programming relevant and valuable to you. I encourage you to give thought to volunteering to serve. Whether you hold an official position or lend support by serving on a committee, your contribution is important and has been making ours a chapter to watch for “almost” 25 years! ARCUPA is your chapter – how great do you want to make it?
Cynthia A. Anderson, President
ARCUPA-HR 2012-2013
