CAI-NJ Jan. 2019 (w)

LOOKING AHEAD LARRY THOMAS, PCAM | CAI-NJ CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

H opefully everyone had a great holiday with family and friends. Now that the holidays are over, we can all start that diet we’ve been putting off and start thinking about the upcoming spring and summer. However, for now, we are amid another New Jersey winter and from recent years, there is no telling what the weather will be. If we are lucky, we will escape any major snow storms and our budgets will not be impacted as in previous years. We had a great annual meeting and chapter retreat on December 6th at the Clearbrook Cultural Center in Monroe Twp. Many thanks to the Board and staff at Clearbrook for allowing us to have our event there every year. As well as, all their assistance with setting up the room and the audio and visual for us. All our committees are off to a great start. I look forward to a very productive and enjoyable year. As mentioned, at the retreat all our committees did an amazing job in 2018. They set their goals early and worked all year towards achieving their initiative. I have said it a dozen times and I’m sure that you will hear it from me again, we have the most dedicated and passionate committee members of all the CAI chapters. I’m pretty sure that no other chapter has as many committee volunteers as we do. It was wonderful celebrating our 40th Anniversary through- out 2018. It’s quite a milestone for our chapter. One of my personal highlights for the year was spending a few hours with Wendell Smith and listening to the early stories of our chapter. Wendell was a true pioneer in our chapter. He is still a very interesting and motivating personality. Please review our “Save the Date” calendar on page 7 and start making plans to attend as many of our events as you can. The Board, staff and committees are diligently

working to make sure all our events are relevant, timely and provide networking and educational opportunities for all our members. The Awards Committee has had two meetings so far in December and is planning a spectacular evening. This is one of our signature events and it’s always great to acknowledge our standout members. I also need to mention that our chapter will be hosting the PCAM case study this year. It will be held in Morris County and will take place from September 5th to September 6th in Cranbury, NJ. All of you CMCA and AMS manager

“I also need to mention that our chapter will be hosting the PCAM case study this year.”

members should review the PCAM application (for more information on the PCAM designation, go to page 40) and see if you’re close to meeting the PCAM requirements. If you are a current CMCA or AMS, this is the perfect opportunity for you to attend the case study and obtain your PCAM designation. I’d like to end my column by thanking Larry Sauer for the six years he was on the CAI-NJ Board. Larry was chapter President in 2017. He was a vital part of our growth and success during his time on the board. I’d also like to thank Jim Rademacher and Jack McGrath for heading up our Political Action Committee for the past 3 years. They both did a remarkable job raising money so that we can have our voices heard in Trenton. n

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