Dear Colleagues,
First, I’d like to thank you for a very successful Annual Business Meeting - we appreciate everyone’s attending and participating this year! We accomplished everything that we needed to and then some. The presentations we heard, the work we did to complete our strategic plan, and the discussions we held about processes will advance the Commission to the next level.
It was a pleasure to welcome so many new Commissioners! Much appreciation to Colorado Commissioner Keith Owen and his staff for their hospitality in beautiful Colorado Springs; to the national office staff for your first-rate work to prepare and support the meeting: and finally to all of you for placing your trust and confidence in Connecticut Commissioner Laura Anastasio and me to lead the Commission for a second year! We're excited that Kansas Commissioner Craig Neuenswander has joined the team as the new Treasurer - and we thank Florida Commissioner Bob Buehn for his service. And now, of course, it’s time for us to get back to work.
The first item of business is to complete the post-ABM survey, which was sent out via Constant Contact on Thursday, October 24. I've included the link below in case you didn’t receive it. If you have a new or updated email, please contact Beth Workman at
[email protected]
right away.
It's also time for me to review committee assignments. In mid-November you will receive a survey asking you to rank order your preferences for committee assignments. I’ll do my best to accommodate your selections while maintaining equal committee sizes as best I can. I'll also take into account particular skills or talents that may serve a given committee best. Committee assignments will be published on the website by early December. If you do not receive the survey link by November 21, please notify both Executive Director Cherise Imai and me. Also, please note that the National Guard and Reserve Task Force (NGRTF) is not a committee, but a temporary assignment in addition to your service on a standing committee.
Third, the Executive Committee (EXCOM) will not hold a face-to-face meeting this fall as we have in years past; instead, we will meet for several extended conference calls over the next three months to map out our programming for the upcoming year. If there is a topic or issue you’d like the EXCOM to consider, please bring it up to your standing committee chair by the end of December.
Finally, like last year, over the next several months I will schedule a 15 minute call with each of you individually to get to know you better and hear your thoughts about the Commission.
We’ve come a long way since our first meeting in 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona - and we should be proud of what we’ve accomplished to date! There’s still more work ahead to advance the Compact and more importantly, to serve military-connected students. Thank you for your dedication to serving our military families. It’s an honor to serve with you.
Respectfully,
John I. “Don” Kaminar
Chairman (AR)
