As the new CEO at WTIA, there are thousands of organizations and two orders of magnitude more individuals I would love meet. Although I have met with many of you, I have a long way to go. And as some of you already know, this is my first time leading a trade association, so I’ve also begun reading everything I can find about your company, our industry, and what the best trade associations do to serve their members. That is, I am reading at night, when I am not meeting with you.

In all of the necessary – and frankly expected – deluge of information during these first few weeks on the job, one thing is quite clear. The Pacific Northwest is one of the most powerful and accomplished regions in the world. While it is true that we can do much to improve professional development, increase access to capital, and attract top talent, it is also true that the Pacific Northwest has an abundance of resources sufficient to achieve any goals we set for ourselves.

I am proud to be the CEO of this venerable organization. I am proud to be an 18 year resident of the great state of Washington. And I am especially proud to have the opportunity to work with you to build a 21^st century cooperative venture of talented professionals who will build a sustainable socio-economic environment to benefit all the people who live in this region.

In the coming weeks and months, I will begin outlining the WTIA priorities, our focus in providing services and programs for you, and specific opportunities for you to help make our region the crown jewel of a global industry.

Onward!