Hitting the Highlights

By Joe Falbo, Buffalo Chapter President

It’s hard for me to believe, but my term is coming to an end and this will be my last message as chapter president. I began the year reflecting on my past involvement in the Society and shared the main reason for volunteering: the people. Now that it is time for the changing of the guard, I can say that the members and volunteers I had the pleasure to work with this year made it all worthwhile.

I want to thank all of the members that took me up on my offer and spent some of their time joining me for breakfast or lunch to share their thoughts about the Society and the profession. It was truly one of the highlights of the year for me. I would also like to thank all of the committee chairs, directors and officers for donating their time so that the 1,300 chapter members and the Western New York community could benefit from the hundreds of hours of CPE and public service they provided. The successes we had were the result of the hard work of these chapter leaders, and any shortcomings were mine.

Please indulge me just a bit longer while I extend a special thank you to three more people. The first is someone that many of you have never met but she makes me look better than I am on a daily basis: my secretary, Marcia. Thank you for going beyond the call of duty this year. The second is someone I think everyone knows: Ed Arcara. Ed essentially served as my co-president this year. As Ed takes over the leadership of our chapter, I am sure that you will continue to support him as you supported me. I have no doubt that he will do an outstanding job. Last but not least: my wife—thanks.

I strongly encourage any of you who have considered getting involved with the Society to do so. If you are not sure if you would like to make a commitment, simply join us for a few meetings, no strings attached. Joining a committee will likely involve a commitment of no more than six to eight hours a year. If your experience is anything like mine has been, you will receive more out of volunteering than you put into it. It’s no secret that our profession is changing; it is more important now than ever to be involved.

As always, please feel free to contact me at jfalbo@sfcpallp.com. See the Upcoming Events section in this edition of the paper, and continue to watch your e-mail for future events.

It has been my pleasure.