MAA President's Message
Let's Get to Work! Together!
If you're anything like me, you're wondering where the year has gone? It's already August, which means it's nearly time for the MAA Annual Conference in Traverse City! I'm very excited to host you all in my home town! There is still time to register too (though you may have to go to an "overflow" hotel) so, if you've decided at the last minute that you really want to come, go online and get registered! I promise it is going to be a great time for learning, networking and reconnecting.
This time of year, I find myself figuring out how I'm going to get everything done before the snow starts to fly again (yes, I went there). Every year right after the March BOR, I start with a great plan; I figure out how many weeks I have to do fieldwork and how many parcels I need to visit, then determine how many to visit weekly. It sounds great and looks good on paper, but it seems I rarely can stick to it. This year is no exception. There is always something coming up that distracts my attention, though somehow I always manage to pull it off! If you are someone who implements a great plan for getting all the various parts of an assessment roll complete, with time to spare, then you and I need to talk. And, you need to share your knowledge. Let's work on writing a new class.
Ideas like this come through my head all the time; I can't be the only one, can I? When something comes up that you need to learn about, what do you do? Personally, I get on the phone and ask someone after I've tried to find the answer myself. But, better than that is taking a class on the subject. If you have an idea for a class, either one that hasn't been offered in a while or something completely new, let our Education Committee know. MAA is looking for subjects to offer that will grab your interest.
MAA is also looking for members to serve on its various committees. And now is the time to get involved. As my year as President is winding down, Paula Jastifer is just getting started on planning for next year. MAA has ten standing committees: Awards, Bylaws, Conference, Education, Finance, Legislative, Long Range Planning, Membership, Nominating and Standards. Rather than being the person who sits and complains about how this didn't get done or that MAA hasn't done this, get involved and find out what needs to happen. MAA is your organization; it exists to help you, as its members, and it works best when we all work together. Look for sign-up sheets during the Conference, Summer and Fall schools. Be the change that you want to see in our organization.
One last thing, the MAA Annual Meeting is held at the Conference. This year, with the bills for Assessing Reform coming out, it seemed to be the right time to have one of the sponsors speak at our meeting. Representative Lower has graciously agreed to attend and will hopefully give insight as to what has happened since the introductions. It should make the meeting a bit more interesting, I would think! :) Hope you can make it.
Amy L. DeHaan, President