Please take a trip back with me. The year was 1976-77. (You can tell I was still a student, because at that time a year was counted from September to May). I had just completed my MLS degree at the University of Michigan. I started my first professional job at the Air Force Weapons Lab as a GS-5 librarian. I bought my first car, a panama red VW Rabbit. I got my very first dog. I met a wonderful man and started dating him, and I joined the Rio Grande Chapter of the Special Libraries Association. Now we fast forward, and I do mean fast, to a quarter of a century later, I’ve had several library and information positions, I’ve had numerous cars. I have had five fantastic dogs, I finally married that man I met in 77, and I am still a member of the Special Libraries Association.

As you can see many things changed in my life, but the one constant has been SLA. And there is a very good reason for this. Through SLA I have continued to learn about the information world, both technologies and applications and I have formed a strong network of colleagues and friends whose knowledge is endless. I know that there is no question or problem that at lease one of these people have encountered. And they are always willing to share on any issue. I can’t truthfully say that about to many of my other affiliations.

This is why I was so pleased to be asked to run for the Board of Directors. I see this as an opportunity for me to learn even more about the association, to get to know many more of the members and most importantly to give something back to this Association that has done so much for me. I’ve sought other opportunities, first at the Chapter level, where I have had the pleasure to serve as President of the “Mighty” Rio Grande chapter, not once, but twice. And I have been afforded the opportunity from several SLA presidents to give back to the association by serving as conference chair as well as a member of several committees including my present position as a member of the Finance committee.

But we are at a time of great change with the opportunity to become even better than we are now. We are looking at a new name, a new governance structure, in fact a new image. We face some great challenges chief among them funding and how we view ourselves in the information world. I know I want to be a part of these changes and I believe I have skills that will help to move these issues forward. I am at a point in my career where I believe many of my experiences in the chapter, as a committee member and chair and as a former member of the board of directors can be useful.

Because I currently serve as a liaison to the federal government and I am involved with many politicians, it is tempting for me to make big promises. Promises like, “If you elect me to be your treasurer I will lower your dues, while increasing services.” But we all know that no one can make let alone keep those kinds of promises. The promise I will make to you is if elected to the SLA Board of Directors as your treasurer I will listen to the concerns of the membership, I will be diligent in the pursuit of reasons behind the issues. I will work closely with the Association staff, not micro managing them, but letting them do their job so I can do mine in support of the membership.

So I look back on these past twenty-five years and I am thankful that a` constant in my life has been my membership in SLA. It has enriched my professional life and so many of the members I have met have enriched my personal life. I hope you will support me as your treasurer,