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<< back to the 2000 archive listing << Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Commentary From The Executive Director We look forward to your involvement and seeing you in Atlanta this August Only one month to go until the 87th Annual Meeting of the International Association for Food Protection! The 87th Annual Meeting. We say that proudly, but also many times we say it quickly without thinking about what it really means. Slow down for just a moment and think about what we are saying - the 87th Annual Meeting. Although science, health and our food supply are extending life expectancy, any way you look at it, 87 years is a long time; a long history of providing food safety professionals with cutting-edge, educational, scientific information that enables you to perform your responsibilities successfully. In 1912, the first Annual Meeting of the International Association of Milk and Dairy Inspectors took place in Milwaukee. Their purpose was to share information on improving the milk supply. The first two Presidential Addresses conclude our "Reflections from the Past" in this issue on page 527. These Addresses delivered by C. J. Steffen, offer real insight to our beginnings in 1911. Mr. Steffen served three years as the founding Association President showing his dedication to launching this "new" Association concerned with milk safety. Many Members have shown dedication to the Association over the years. I am sure we can name a number of current day leaders exhibiting extreme dedication to our Association. These Members have taken the Association to new heights. One way that Members make an impact on the Association is through their work with our Annual Meeting. Professional Development Groups (PDG) pro-pose symposium for presentation at the next Annual Meeting. PDG Members become active by convening symposia or giving presentations. Technical papers are also a way to become involved. Each paper and symposium is reviewed before being accepted as a part of the Meeting program. This review process is an essential part of the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting that ensures our continuous quality content making our Meeting THE Meeting of choice! We recognize in recent years, as food safety has become a "buzz word," many commercial ventures that produce meetings dealing with food safety have joined our efforts. We want you to consider the 87-year history that your Association has in producing a science-based, food safety conference. Ask yourself, "what are some of the differences between IAFP's Annual Meeting and these newcomers?" Analyze who is behind these "new" meetings and conferences. Review the speaker list when making your decision of what conference to attend. Is a "commercial" venture or an association sponsoring the meeting? Many times you can tell by looking at the registration fees! Associations such as the Inter-national Association for Food Protection have a personal stake in holding down costs and offering economical registration rates. We are here to serve your needs - you are our Member; you are a part owner of the Association. The International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting is known for its quality content, our ability to allow one-on-one interaction with world leaders in food science, and we offer a great value for our registration fee. We encourage you to review the meeting schedule on page 560, then commit yourself to attending this year's Annual Meeting. Become involved with a PDG and show your leadership abilities by convening and/or presenting during a session next year. We look forward to your involvement and seeing you in Atlanta this August. |