Mid-year Check-in: Message from the Chair

• Wanda Whitney
• May 3, 2013
• Message from the Chair
• 529

Greeting MAC Members!

As I prepare to attend the One Health conference in Boston as a representative of the MAC Chapter, I have been reflecting on all the happenings of our organization over the past six months.

This has been a particularly exciting year for those working behind the scenes to improve MAC processes and communication. Just to share a few examples, we are currently shopping around for a system that will better support our needs related to online registration and member renewals, we are in the midst of conducting a pilot for an alternative website platform, and we are identifying ways to streamline modes of communication and methods for capturing the work of the organization.

In addition to efforts to improve organizational operations, your peers on our volunteer force have been diligently working on initiatives to advance MAC programming, membership recruitment, and member benefits.

Once again, we are faced with a healthy budget that allows us to continue to look for ways to further enhance the benefits you receive as MAC members.  In the coming months, please keep an eye out for the 2013 MAC Research Grant call for applications and as well as announcements highlighting our numerous other annual awards & scholarships.

If you are interested in additional detail regarding the work of the organization, please take a look at the Annual Report ( http://bit.ly/18zPzVk ) that was recently submitted to MLA. This brief report connects MAC efforts to 5 MLA goals which include Life Long Learning and Knowledge Creation & Communication.

Currently, we are gearing up for the 2013 MAC Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh. I hope you share my excitement to attend the first Annual Meeting to be held in Pittsburgh since the Pittsburgh Chapter mergedwith MAC. The Executive Board is very pleased with the way the meeting is taking shape thanks to the hard work of Co-Chairs David Nolfi and Nancy Tannery and their cadre of volunteers. Stay tuned for more information in the very near future!

As we continue to work on your behalf, please offer your valued perspective on how we can better serve the needs of the organization and our membership.

For those attending One Health this week, I look forward to promoting MAC along with you!

Stefanie
Chair, MAC/MLA
warlicse{at}jmu.edu