Dear Colleagues and Friends,
Greetings to all of you along with my hope that 2012 will be a year that brings satisfaction and fulfillment for you personally and professionally. In the midst of all the changes and transitions that we face, I hope you are able to do and abound in what you feel called to do!
Thanks to Bill Carpenter
As we begin this new year, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Bill Carpenter on behalf of the region for his tenure as Regional Director. As many of us testified at the last regional meeting, Bill served with grace and integrity, reaching out to many in difficult times. He brought a wisdom that served us well. Personally, I'm grateful to Bill for all of his help in the transition of the RD's office. Bill, thanks to you for all that you gave us, and we wish you well in your next endeavors!
ACPE - Challenges and Opportunities
The new year finds our organization facing many challenges and opportunities. As you know we are moving towards a new governance structure that will be presented at the REM/ACPE meeting in Arlington next month. I urge you to look at this structure closely and engage in conversations about it. The voting procedure for this new governance will also be presented at the national meeting, but it will likely be an electronic vote. I along with your regional leadership will keep you apprised of this process as we move forward. The work of the FCPE continues and both the work of the annual fund and the capital campaign are gaining momentum. You will continue to hear about these efforts during this year, and I invite you to support this work as you are able. Other matters are in front of us as well, and I refer you to your Board Representatives' report found on this website!
Jose Cedillo - SWRACPE's Emerging Leader
You may not have heard this yet, but Jose Cedillo is this year's Emerging Leader from our Region! Jose will be honored at the national meeting in Arlington next month! Congratulations, Jose!!
Get Acquainted Town Hall Meetings and Regional Newsletter
As your new RD, it is my hope to get around the region this year to become better acquainted with you, your centers and the work that you are doing. I anticipate setting up some "town-hall meetings" around the region to accomplish this and will let you know as these are scheduled. It is also my hope to start a regional newsletter again, perhaps sending one out on a quarterly basis. Look for a newsletter sometime in March!
2012 Regional Meeting
And one last thing, the 2012 fall regional meeting is not tentatively set for the week of Oct. 1-6 in Austin, Texas at the Doubletree Hotel. You will recall that this is where we held our meeting in 2010, and by all accounts it was a good setting. More details will follow. In the meantime, mark your calendars.
Best wishes to all of you in this new year!
Wayne Menking, SWRACPE Regional Director