I can hardly believe another year has passed us by, and that the holidays are upon us again! We have certainly had another roller coaster of a year, haven’t we?
Offices re-opening / re-closings, mask on/mask off (in my best Mr. Miyagi voice!), technology exploits, ransomware attacks on national infrastructure, a host of tech adoption (NFTs anyone?) and we coined another buzz word – “Hybrid Workforce.”
In the loop-to-loop world we live in, I am grateful for the steady group of peers I have in this chapter. In 2021, we found new ways to socialize and get together, from rooftop gatherings to outdoor happy hours, to a round of golf followed by a monsoon! We made new friends, tackled tough topics, and once again helped each other survive and thrive in the “new normal”. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, this year we raised almost $40K for charitable contributions from the chapter, and we gave back to the community not only in cash, but in service and in kindness! None of this would be possible without participation from the whole chapter.
As we head into 2022, we have some changes to our board (thank you to all that took the time to vote!) I am pleased to present our 2022 Board:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank
Joe Kraus for his incredible dedication and service to this chapter. Joe has served this board for 18 consecutive years, in just about every role from Chair to Member-at-large (He claims that he never served as Membership chair, but he has certainly been part of building the ranks all these years). Ever the committed, Joe has agreed to undertake a special project in 2022: to review and revise our by-laws, to align with the direction of SIM National, and to meet the growing needs of our chapter. As you have occasion to see Joe physically or virtually, please thank him for his service to the team.
With the Omicron variant upon us, we opted to play it safe for our Holiday Party this year, postponing it and making it a kick-off party for 2022. While plans are still be made, our 1
st in-person meeting of next year will be a celebration of SIMCAC and its members, so keep your eyes out for those announcements. As we march into 2022, we have a number of programs teed up for the first quarter, including discussions on 2022 IT trends, supply chain impacts, zero trust, and navigating the tight market for talent. Those will open up for registration early next year, and I look forward to seeing you at as many of these events as you can make.
I want to leave you with my most sincere holiday wishes from my family to yours. Whatever you celebrate, whenever you celebrate it, I hope the joy and peace of the season remains with you through the coming year. As we enter 2022, I want to wish everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year.
All the best,
Mike