First round of thanks has to go to Ken Vance and the Georgia P.O.S.T. for all their work in hosting the conference and coordinating all the social events. Their efforts assured that everyone attending the conference knew that we were in the hospitable Peach State and added a social component that created more opportunities for networking. It is often said that just as much learning occurs during the social interaction of conference attendees than during the training sessions themselves. They also share credit in bringing us our featured leadership speaker, Jack Enter, a Georgia resident. The Georgia Special Olympics benefited from the Fun Run/Walk and silent auction that raised $2,300. A special thank you to everyone who brought something to the auction.
A large thank you goes to Director Connie Patrick and the entire FLETC crew for all their contributions to the conference and training that they provided. FLETC pulled all the stops in making the conference possible for many of us, then providing first-rate training. I particularly enjoyed the tour of the FLETC facilities. We learned about the crime of human trafficking with the DHS Blue Campaign, had a terrorist briefing, training on the Below 100 initiative and a legal presentation on “Brady/Giglio”.
Thank you to all our vendors who provided informative breaks and lunches. Without their support, conferences such as ours would not be possible. Their products and interest in IADLEST also contribute to making our law enforcement profession better.
Thank you to the Redden Group for all their help in coordinating the logistics of the conference. Their efforts make day-to-day planning and logistics of holding a conference manageable for all. I am looking forward to their future participation as we plan the 2013 conference in Portland. Information about our ‘Call for Presenters’ and the 2013 Portland conference will be at IADLEST.org soon. Reserve the dates of June 2-5, 2013 now!
Thank you to the executive team of IADLEST and the efforts of our out-going president, Dick Clark. Under his guidance, IADLEST has hired a full-time executive director and has set this organization on a path for future success. I owe a great deal of gratitude to Dick and all the recent past presidents for making the tough decisions that have set this organization on a path of being the national leader on peace officer standards and training and made my job as incoming president all the easier.
Last, thank you to all of you who support the mission of IADLEST and have entrusted me with the presidency of this organization for the next year. It is a privilege to be a part of IADLEST and I am looking forward to serving you as we build on past successes and move forward.
Bill Muldoon