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<< back to the 2002 archive listing << Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Postcards from Iowa, July 2002 I don't think that there is any question about which meeting is THE food
safety meeting to attend This is my last column as President, and I can’t begin to describe the experiences that I have had last year. It has been wonderful and crazy, all at the same time. I wouldn’t have traded this experience for anything, although I have to admit, I was relieved to pass the gavel on to Anna Lammerding at the end of the Award’s Banquet. For all of the wonderful memories, I am glad to pass the responsibilities on to the next President. It does take so much time and energy, and in the end, you simply get tired. I am delighted with the outcome of the Annual Meeting. It is a tribute to everyone involved, from the staff, exhibitors organizers, presenters and attendees, that the meeting was such a success. Each Annual Meeting outshines the previous one, and that is no discredit to the previous meetings. Our Members have made the Association what it is, and the Annual Meeting is a tribute to all of you. There were times in San Diego when I simply could not believe what we have accomplished together. Every one of us should be proud. Of the memories that I have of the San Diego meeting, one really stands out.
I spoke to the Student Professional Development Group’s luncheon, and as
always, I continue to be impressed with the quality of our students. They really
are a bright and energetic group, and they should be given credit for all that
they do. Many of you may have had the opportunity to meet one or more of them
at the sessions, either in their role as presenters or as session monitors,
and I hope you took a few minutes to get to know them. They are the future,
not only of our Association, but also the ones who will determine the future
course of food safety. We are fortunate to have them as part of our Association,
and I look forward to seeing many of them as members of the Executive Board
in the future. It would not surprise me at all to find out, twenty years from
now, that several of our student members had become President of IAFP. I could go on about the statistics of the meeting, but I think that would take away from the experience. Suffice to say that it was our largest, in terms of attendance, and largest, in terms of presentations. Bigger isn’t always better, but when you can combine quality and quantity, you definitely have a winning combination. And by any definition, IAFP 2002 in San Diego was a “winner”. Again, everyone should be proud of themselves and the Association for putting on such a meeting. I don’t think that there is any question about which meeting is THE food safety meeting to attend. In closing, I would like to thank all of the staff, Donna, Karla, Beth, Donna, Pam, Bev, Didi, Shannon, Lisa, Julie, Lucia and especially David, for their patience with me. It isn’t easy working for an Association, where every year you get a new President and new members of the Executive Board. These folks are truly professionals, and take all of the difficulties in stride. I have rarely had the opportunity to work with such a dedicated (and fun loving!) group, and this may be the best memory of all. Take care, and I’ll see you in New Orleans for IAFP 2003. |