Happy New Year to all our members! I hope your holiday season was a joyous one for you and your family. This is a very special time for our association. We are celebrating our 50th Golden Year Anniversary! It is my privilege to serve as President during this remarkable milestone in NASCLA’s history.
We have already had several exciting and productive meetings this year. I look forward to many more to come throughout the fiscal year. I’d like to share some of the work our committees have accomplished since we were last together in Savannah, Georgia.
In October 2011, NASCLA’s Resources Committee held an onsite meeting where two national model programs were developed: Elderly Abuse Prevention and Disaster Response. These programs are structured to provide licensing agencies flexibility in adopting an array of strategies, communication tools and partnering activities. The best practices and toolbox items under each program provide a general outline and a means for agencies to customize their own unique solutions to better protect consumers within their own jurisdictions. Program information is currently being uploaded to NASCLA’s members-only website and is expected to officially launch in April, at the NASCLA 2012 Mid Year Meeting.
The NASCLA Strategic Planning Meeting was held earlier the month. Our Executive Officers continued their work on the NASCLA Board of Directors Strategic Plan for 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Strategic Plan is a fluid and living document. It helps guide our management team and enables them to ensure that we accomplish the priorities that have been set forth by the NASCLA Board.
The NASCLA Model Legislation Committee met and finished draft Model Legislation for Pre-Licensure Education and worked on Specialty Licensure language as well. In addition, they are working on back ground information necessary for a panel discussion on state Immigration Laws directly affecting state licensing programs which may be presented at an upcoming NASCLA Meeting.
On the horizon we have the NASCLA 2012 Mid Year Meeting in Orlando, Florida scheduled for the end of April. This year, the NASCLA Accredited Examination Program Committee will be conducting another Job Occupational Analysis similar to the meeting held at the NASCLA 2011 Annual Conference. This meeting will be held concurrently with committee meetings; taking place on Wednesday, April 25th.
NASCLA’s 50th Annual Conference which will be held at Sunriver Resort in Bend, Oregon. The General Sessions will run from Tuesday, October 2nd through Thursday, October 4th. The Conference will end Thursday evening with a special Farewell Dinner and Awards Banquet. I hope to see you all at these upcoming networking event opportunities! Please mark your calendars and save the first week of October 2012 for your association! NASCLA will be celebrating a milestone this year and hope to include many members that have been so dedicated to our mission since the formation of the association in 1962.
I wish to thank all of our members in assisting us with our common goal in protecting the health, welfare and safety of the general public. I hope all of you have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012!
Sincerely,
Craig Smith
NASCLA President
