Past President Annual Meeting Remarks

Paul F. Taylor, Las Vegas, Navada - 2004

HOW FAST CAN A YEAR GO BY? AS MY GRANDMOTHER WOULD HAVE SAID, TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING FUN AND THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE THE CASE ON BOTH COUNTS THIS PAST YEAR. THE TIME HAS FLOWN AND IT HAS BEEN ONE HELLUVA RIDE. IT HAS BEEN A YEAR FULL OF FUN AND EXCITEMENT AND A NUMBER OF VERY POSITIVE THINGS THAT HAPPENED WITHIN OUR ASSOCIATION. BEFORE I HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THOSE MANY THINGS, LET ME MAKE SOME VERY GDESERVED THANK YOUS TO SOME VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY DESERVING PEOPLE:

FIRST TO MY WIFE KIM. EVEN THOUGH SHE’S A REGISTRAR AND A MEMBER OF THIS ASSOCIATION, WHEN YOU ARE APART FOR MANY WEEKENDS, OR ATTEND A NUMBER OF STATE AND REGIONAL MEETINGS AND WHEN THE REGULAR JOB GETS IN THE WAY OF AACRAO BUSINESS, THEN AACRAO OFTEN CONFLICTS WITH FAMILY TIME. I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE HELP AND SUPPORT KIM HAS GIVEN ME DURING OUR AACRAO ADVENTURE.

TO LINDA FAUL, MY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. LINDA KNOWS MORE ABOUT AACRAO THAN MANY OF OUR MEMBERS.

TO SHELBIE HUGLE—MY DIRECTOR OF ADMISSION WHO REPRESENTS A STAFF OF DEDICATED PEOPLE AT LCC WHO TAKE UP THE SLACK AND ALLOW ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT

TO JIM KERLEY, THE PRESIDENT OF Lexington Community College WHO RETOOLED MY JOB DESCRIPTION, ALLOCATING A SIGNIFICANT % OF MY TIME TO AACRAO.

TO JERRY SULLIVAN, JANIE BARNETT, AND BARMAK NASSARIAN. THEY ARE GOOD LEADERS AND EXCELLENT MANAGERS WHO LIKE MANY OF US SUROUND THEMSELVES WITH TALENTED PEOPLE.

TO ALL OF THE AACRAO STAFF—THEY MAKE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPEN SEAMLESSLY

TO THE THREE PRESIDENTS THAT I HAD AN HONOR TO SERVE WITH ON THIS BOARD. BILL HAID, LOUISE LONABOCKER AND GENE SCHUSTER. I STOLE OR BORROWED MUCH FROM THESE LEADERS.

TO HEATHER SMITH—WHO HAS BEEN A MENTOR, AN ADVISOR, A ROLE MODEL, SOMETIMES A TORMENTER, BUT MOST OF ALL A GREAT FRIEND.

TO TOM BILGER—INTO WHOSE VERY CAPABLE HANDS I WILL PASS THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS ASSOCIATION IN A FEW MINUTES

TO THE AACRAO BOARD—NOT JUST COLLEAGUES, BUT LIFELONG FRIENDS WHO ALL BRING A COMMITMENT TO THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS MEMBERS AND GO FAR BEYOND THE DEFINITION OF VOLUNTEER.

AND FINALLY TO YOU, THE MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION WHO SERVE ON COMMITTEES, TASK FORCES, BOARDS, WHO PRESENT, WHO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE, WHO ATTEND THIS ANNUAL MEETING AND THOSE WHO, THOUGH UNABLE TO ATTEND, GIVE TO THIS ASSOCIATION IN OTHER WAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THANKS TO EACH OF YOU

SO WHAT HAS THIS ASSOCIATION ACCOMPLISHED THIS YEAR? YOU HAVE SEEN WRITTEN REPORTS FROM JERRY AND FROM ME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN VARIOUS VENUES DURING THIS MEETING. SOME OF YOU HEARD HIGHLIGHTS AT YESTERDAY’S TOWN MEETING. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION JUST FEW THINGS, OUT OF SO MANY THAT HAVE MADE ME THE MOST PROUD. THESE INCLUDE:

LAST YEAR I TALKED ABOUT INCLUSIVITY:

ALL BOARDS, TASK FORCES, COMMITTEES, AND SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS HAVE SOUGHT VOLUNTEERS FROM THE MEMBERSHIP

LAST YEAR, WE OPENED THE PROCESS FOR SUBMITTING A PROGRAM PROPOSAL FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING

I AM PLEASED TO REPORT THAT OVER 80 PROGRAMS WERE SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OUTSIDE OF THE COMMITTEES

LAST YEAR WE HAD LOTS OF DISCUSSION ABOUT DIVERSITY AND LEADERSHIP AND I AM PLEASED THAT A TASK FORCE WAS APPOINTED, CONVENED BY THE CHAIR, BILL HAID, AND THAT A REPORT WAS GENERATED

I AM FURTHER PLEASED THAT ALMOST EVERY RECOMMENDATION FROM THAT TASK FORCE HAS BEEN OR WILL ACCOMPLISHED BE BY THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BUSINESS MEEETING.

I AM PLEASED ABOUT THE FORMATION OF THE DUES TASK FORCE AND THE WORK THAT THIS GROUP CONTINUES TO DO, UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF BRAD MYERS AND VICE PRESIDENT ROOF.

I EXPECT A VERY MEANINGFUL REPORT AND WE SHOULD ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS TASK FORCE, SUBJECT TO MEMBER APPROVAL, COULD CHANGE THE WAY DUES ARE ASSESSED AND COULD RESULT IN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW MEMBERS.

I AM PLEASED THAT THIS BOARD HAD THE COURAGE TO PROCEED IN FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF TASK FORCE 2000 AND THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAT MET FOLLOWING THE CHICAGO ANNUAL MEETING. THAT BOARD, IN 1999, PASSED A MOTION WHICH CHALLENGED BOTH THE CURRENT AND FUTURE BOARDS TO SEEK NEW REVENUE STREAMS, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS. FOUR YEARS AGO, AACRAO GENERATED A PROFIT OF approximately $500,000.00 IN CONSULTING. AT THAT TIME THE BOARD MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO PLACE those dollars INTO A RESERVE FUND FOR STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT. FOLLOWING LAST YEAR’S ANNUAL MEETING THE DECISION WAS REACHED TO RE-INVEST $250,000 OF THOSE DOLLARS AND LAUNCH AACRAO ES. AACRAO ES CURRENTLY HAS 157 SCHOOLS, REPRESENTING almost 1.5 million STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO USE THIS SERVICE.

AND WHILE I PERSONALLY APOLOGIZE TO YOU FOR THE MANNER IN WHICH AACRAO ES WAS ROLLED OUT AND PROMISE THAT THIS WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN, I AM PLEASED, WITH THE INTEREST OF THE MEMBERSHIP IN SEEKING TO HAVE BETTER AND MORE OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD AS IT TENDS TO THE BUSINESS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS MEMBERS. THE BOARD HAS INITIATED POLICIES TO ENSURE THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

(Off the cuff, said): that the board listened to both the State and Regional Officers, who met in DC in December, and at the Leadership Meeting in February (which involved all of the AACRAO Chairs in Washington) we listened to what those people told us. Immediately following that Leadership Meeting in Feb., the Board not only listened to what they suggested, but passed the following policy:

President Taylor apologized for the manner in which the investment in AACRAO Enrollment Services was made. The board has listened to the membership and has initiated policies to ensure that that we have established guidelines to direct ventures involving third parties.

The board passed the following policy:

Board Policy on AACRAO Service-Delivery Ventures Involving Third Parties

To ensure that the reputation and trademarks of AACRAO receive the utmost protection, the Board has developed the following guidelines. All AACRAO-branded service units that involve third parties through such arrangements as partnerships, joint ventures, or licensing agreements shall comply with these guidelines.

1. The services offered by AACRAO-branded service units must relate to the Association's mission and its members' professions.
2. The Association shall, through appropriate member involvement, develop and impose high quality standards on AACRAO-branded service units.
3. The Association shall assess the membership's views and conduct business and legal due diligence prior to, and periodically after, launching an AACRAO-branded service unit.
4. The President shall appoint an advisory panel of voting members to review such ventures involving AACRAO branded service units.
5. The Association shall develop a communication plan to keep the membership informed of the activities of AACRAO-branded service units.

THAT SAID, I AM SO PLEASED AT SO MANY POSITIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THIS YEAR INCLUDING THE LARGEST NUMBER OF MEMBERS TO EVER ATTEND AN ANNUAL MEETING, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ATTENDEES TO GO TO SEM AND AN INAUGURAL TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE THAT WAS MORE THAN DOUBLE THE PROJECTED SIZE. WE HAVE PUBLISHED MORE BOOKS, MOVED FORWARD WITH TECHNOLOGY, DELIVERED MORE COURSES ON-LINE. WE HAVE CONINUED TO USE TASK FORCE 2000 AS A BEACON AND IN DOING SO, HAVE PROVIDED ABUNDANT QUALITY SERVICES TO OUR MEMBERS. SERVICES THAT YOU DEMAND AND THAT YOU DESERVE.

OUR RESERVES STAND AT approximately 1.7 million dollars.

NONE OF THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE PRESIDENT OF AACRAO. ALL OF IT IS BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK, DEDICATION, VOLUNTEERISM, AND LOVE FOR THAT ALMOST 10,000 MEMBERS SHARE FOR OUR STUDENTS, OUR INSITUTIONS AND OUR PROFESSION.

I THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE ALONG FOR THE FANTASTIC RIDE AND I WISH THE BEST TO ALL OF YOU, BUT MOST OF ALL I WISH THE BEST FOR OUR ASSOCIATION.

THANK YOU.