As if it were yesterday, I remember accepting the passed gavel and outlining my goals for the coming 12 months.  I admit that it felt like a long and somewhat daunting road ahead.  Yet, I write this as the soon-to-be past president.  However, I am proud of all we were able to accomplish as a chapter, which was possible through the hard work and dedication of our board and committees.  I am grateful to all of you for your time, but, even more so, for your creativity and enthusiasm.  You not only helped to maintain our quality programs and events, you improved them and helped them grow.

Our membership has stayed the course with more than 180 members, thanks to the efforts of the committee and co-chairs Jackie Ghosen, APR, and Kathy Kirst.  The committee also spearheaded the organization of two happy hours for members to network and socialize, which were a huge hit.

Programs are vital to providing value to our membership.  Without a doubt we hit our target, apparent by the record attendance this year at sessions focused on social media, crisis communication, and marketing and media events.  Not only did the committee plan pertinent topics for programs, they thoughtfully chose meeting sites that highlighted our great region.   Many thanks to Program Chair Seema Malyavantham and the members of her committee for outstanding work.

How could we not celebrate the success of the 20th anniversary Excalibur Awards?  I can say without hesitation that it was our best awards ceremony ever.  Lori Allen and her committee thrilled attendees with a convenient location, great food and drinks, time to network, and an engaging awards presentation that included visuals and ended early!  All this capped by a successful auction coordinated by Eileen Herbert and members of the scholarship committee.  It was a wonderful evening.

I am grateful to Barb Byers, APR, for nearly single handedly overseeing our e-communications efforts, for resurrecting the e-comm committee, and for getting the ball rolling for the chapter's social networking initiative.  I also appreciate the efforts of Virginia McAuliffe and the PRSSA Liaison Committee for their ongoing outreach to the area student chapters, and for their successful coordination of the 2nd annual career conference for students and new professionals.

Past president Mike Barone, along with Olivia Belter, had the unenviable job of soliciting new chapter sponsors in a tough economic climate.  They accomplished their goal with unwavering enthusiasm.  Behind-the-scenes, Jeff Paterson, APR, represented the chapter on a regional diversity committee, and I appreciate the foundational steps that he and the group were able to accomplish.

At last year's annual meeting I set my sights on two new initiatives and I am grateful to those who helped make the vision a reality for the chapter.  First, we set out to enhance the APR program, and we accomplished this goal by promoting the value of accreditation at monthly programs, by fine tuning the study course to better match the demands of the readiness review and written exam, and by recruiting a team of chapter APR's to serve as readiness review panelists.  Our success is due in large part to the efforts of Julie Marranca, APR, and Ron Smith, APR. 

Second, we set out to make our board nominations a transparent and inviting process and we succeeded by announcing the first open call for nominations.  This would not have been possible without the efforts of Jackie Ghosen, APR, and Mike Barone.  I truly appreciate both of them dedicating so much time and energy to make this happen.

I want to thank the chapter's board of directors for their time, insight, and their recognition of the integrity and potential of our chapter.  They inspired me with their dedication and creativity, as well as their ability to make work so rewarding and so much fun.  Special mention goes to Tony Astran, for recording our monthly minutes, John Fisher for painstakingly tracking the chapter's finances each month, and to John Senall and Eileen Herbert for serving as our chapter delegates at the PRSA National Assembly in San Diego.

Two members are stepping down from the board who deserve recognition.  They made impactful contributions which were invaluable to the chapter's evolution.

Mike Barone joined the board as treasurer in 2004, serving in this role for two years while chairing the chapter's finance committee.  During this time, Mike also formed a chapter Sponsorship Committee and created year-long support levels.  Since the effort began in 2005, the committee has generated more than $23,000 of revenue, in addition to thousands of dollars of in-kind support.  This cushion has allowed the chapter to offer low-cost programming, as well as to take on a major initiative in 2008, Mike's presidential year.   Recognizing the chapter's strength and the talent of its members, Mike took on the challenge of hosting the PRSA Northeast District Conference.  He recruited a dynamite committee that coordinated a rewarding conference for 240 attendees from across the northeast.  The conference shined the spotlight on our profession and our region, and set the bar high for the upcoming host chapters. 

As immediate past-president, Mike may have caught his breath, but he certainly didn't coast.  He continued his efforts securing sponsors, and was instrumental in drafting the new board nomination process.  To me personally, Mike was always there to answer my calls and meet with me regarding pressing chapter issues.  He was an ever-present cheerleader and supporter which was invaluable to me throughout the year.  Thank you Mike for all you have given to the Buffalo Niagara chapter.

Barb Byers, APR, joined the chapter in 1994 and has been a hands-on member for a number of committees, including membership and e-communications.  While she denies being technically savvy, Barb was instrumental in the major overhaul of the chapter's web site several years ago, and, ever since, she has overseen the programming of the site, while handling the primary responsibility of chapter email blasts, job postings, event updates and e-newsletters.  Much of this has been done while she has served on the board, which she was first elected to in 2002.  Barb's leadership track included serving as a chapter delegate to the PRSA National Assembly, and, during her presidential year in 2005, she oversaw the planning and implementation of the chapter's 40th anniversary celebration. 

Barb, too, refused to take the easy route during her third term.  She continued her oversight of the chapter's e-communications, including the implementation of the process to accept credit cards through the chapter's web site for program and event registrations.  I feel one of Barb's greatest contributions over the last few years was serving as a sounding board for the current presidents.  Her long-time tenure on the board offered Barb tremendous history and insight, which has proved invaluable when considering new initiatives or dealing with pressing issues.  It was a support-system that I certainly relied on countless times throughout the year and, this, along with her countless accomplishments, made her the obvious choice to receive the chapter's Outstanding Practitioner Award this year.  Thank you Barb for your ongoing dedication.

Many thanks the chapter's unsung hero, Brenda Schwamborn.  You are our rock, always there to dot our "I's" and cross our "T's."  Thank you Brenda for serving as our anchor. 

Jackie Ghosen, APR, gave 110% as president-elect.  I am so impressed with her thoroughness and attention to detail, which helped to keep me on my toes.  Jackie stepped up to the plate this year time and time again, and the chapter could not be in more capable hands in 2010.

Finally, I want to thank the membership for this tremendous opportunity to serve in this role.  It was incredibly rewarding to work alongside such passionate and talented practitioners to enhance our already strong chapter. 

Best wishes to all of you for a prosperous new year!