Report from President

It seems like yesterday that I prepared my remarks for last year’s Annual Report. Time sure does go fast when you’re having fun and are active. That is what this past year has been – “fun and active.”

This year has been particular rewarding, since the Association has had an influx of new members who are interested in contributing their time by joining our various committees. The vitality of organizations like the FDA Alumni Association depends on members willing to get involved. During my tenure as President, there has been times when we had difficulty getting volunteers. Now that members are willing to step up to the plate, the workload is distributed and new and exciting ideas are driving the Association in a positive direction.

The Board of Directors, under the leadership of the Chairman, Nancy Myers and Vice Chairman, Andy Bonanno have done a great job is steering the Association on a course of future expansion and growth. I particularly want to recognize Andy’s contribution at this time since, by rule, he will be cycling off the Board this year. The work he has done to develop the successful mentoring program for ORA managers has been just one of the many examples of his contributions in the ten or more years he has held leadership positions in the FDAAA.

The strategic planning process we undertook this past year is expanding the services we offer to our members and has confirmed that there is a strong desire to accommodate the professional and social needs of our members “outside the Beltway.” Social events held in places like San Francisco have tripled in size. We are hoping to take advantage of tying into preexisting groups that have been meeting in places like Dallas, Minneapolis, New York and elsewhere for years, as we strive to expand our membership to all current and former FDA employees. After all, the FDAAA is an organization that is not restricted only to those retirees who live and work in the DC area.

This Annual Report provides a good summary of our past year’s accomplishments. I think you will agree by a quick read of the report that the FDA Alumni Association is a unique organization that is dedicated to keeping the FDA family connected and it supports the Agency we have and continue to respect.

Finally, let me close by inviting all current and former FDA employees who are not currently FDAAA members to consider joining. We welcome you and I am confident you will find it to be a great organization. You can find an application form on the membership page of our website (www.fdaaa.org). Sign up. You will be glad you did!

Edward A. Steele
FDAAA President