For all those who were wondering what I "would of said"; here it is. Once again, thanks to all of you for making the last four years very memorable and for making all the conferences, from Denver thru Tampa, fun and conferences to build on. God bless.
"Where do I start to properly thank all those persons who have over the past 4 years volunteered, helped, assisted, cajoled, advised, at times questioned, commented and been a friend when I needed one? I can’t within the time here to thank you all appropriately. But, I will be remiss if I can’t try.
First, I want to thank my Executive Board, Liz Burke-Brown, Eric Wolff, Susan Brooks, Helen Fern, Paul Shubin and Fran Kowalski. Without their dedication to me and the entire organization the past 4 years would have been tedious and not as successful. This team deserves a lot of credit to getting IDEA sailing back in better seas that previously.
I want to thank all the various committees and their committee chairs for their volunteerism and the time needed when called upon. The Conference Content Committee, Golden Matrix Awards Committee, Host Cities Committee, Hall of Fame Committee, Web Site Committee, Emerging Technologies Committee and Foundation Committee all have helped me and the family with moving us forward. Thank you to all the Advisory Committee Reps over the past 4 years who were the pipeline from our Active and Allied members and were their voice to us.
I especially want to thank all of the Active and Allied Members-new and old- for wanting to be a part of this family. There would have been no way that the IDEA could have existed for the last 29 years as the best and oldest professional organization like ours without their support. And I want to say a special thanks to all of the Conference Sponsors and Partners from Denver thru Tampa. You have meant a great deal to the success we have achieved together over these years at conferences especially during these trying economic times when both the industry and teams are looking for tangible results and tangible reasons “why” we should attend and year after year I see your faces and booths. I and all of IDEA thank you.
There are some individuals who I will recall here and some that I have forgotten so please excuse me now if I have a brain fart and don’t mention you by name, but who have been some old friends and have travelled the road with me. In no particular order, Paul Shubin, Paul Darst, Mark DiNardo, John Franzone, Rich Carlino, Tim Beech, Doug Swan, Rod Murray, Keely Fimbres, Kyle Richie, Aaron Buckles, Bob Becker, David Schndler, Rick Fairbend, Scott Simpson, Ed Filomia, Chad Messina, Jeff Griffith, and The Phillies.
I also want to say millie grazie to Jacqui Brown, Becky Rodriguez, Emily Wentworth-SQUIRREL- and Alex Page for all their hard work behind the scenes and behind the registration table. Thank you. This list can go on and on but we have to end soon. I have said this over and over again, but I think it’s because I am Italian that I believe so deeply in mio familia that it’s almost second nature to want to see you all, laugh and party with you all, and help you all as if you were all Fanticola’s.
For all of our members, old and new, remember that. We all are part of a very special and unique family but we need to keep fresh and this family needs to keep moving ahead. To move ahead we need to step forward, so we need some new faces to step forward and be a part of IDEA’s committees, chairmen, advisory reps, and to step forward to be on the Executive Board. There’s 18 months before Kansas City, so I hope you’ll be prepared to play a more active roll there and moving ahead and support this new Executive Board as you have done for me.
So, as Jimmy Buffett would say “It’s those changes in latitudes, changes in attitude, nothing remains quite the same. Through all of our running and all of our cunning. If we couldn’t laugh we would all go insane”. Thank you all for a wonderful ride, good night, don’t forget to tip your bartenders and waitresses!"
