April 2005 Newsletter

Bob Grenier, PhD, CCP, CDP
2005 Region 5 President

Greetings fellow AITP members!

It has been awhile since I communicated with you. I hope 2005 has been enjoyable for you personally and successful for your chapters. Personally, 2005 has been a year of change so far. My wife and I sold our large house and we are moving into a condo at the end of April. I am seriously considering a job change. Our youngest son got engaged and we are involved in planning a fall wedding. Although stressful and time consuming, these are generally happy changes. Last week, we hosted a couple from Sweden for several days. On a somewhat sadder note, my mother passed away on April 3. Hopefully, things will be back to normal soon and I will be able to pay more attention to my duties as region president.

Have you taken advantage of our Kinkos benefit? I did twice this month. I had the programs printed for the celebration of my mother's life and I had one hundred copies of a ninety page manuscript printed and bound. I saved enough to pay my AITP dues for the next four years! This is only one of the great benefits available to us as AITP members.

Are you an educator or student? Does your email address end in dot edu? Are you interested in attending the Association Meeting in New Orleans next October? You can purchase airline tickets for prices significantly below those available to the general public by visiting http://www.studentuniverse.com. The prices are even cheaper than PriceLine.com.

Is there still an interest in having a Region 5 Student Conference in the fall? If so contact me ASAP.

There will be a Leadership workshop at the Region 5 Spring meeting which will be hosted by Capitol Chapter in Springfield Illinois June 9 - 11. Mark Kleine who is on the AITP Board of Directors and has been the primary developer of the AITP Portal will be the primary presenter at the workshop. Mark Gilfand, AITP Executive VP/President elect, who was instrumental in the original development of the AITP Portal will also be presenting at the workshop. Emphasis at the workshop will be on how to use the AITP Portal to better manage your local chapter.

Region 5 is also holding a raffle for a Compaq Presario Laptop Computer. You do not have to be present to win. Funds will replenish the region's treasury.

All members are welcome to attend the spring meeting, but I strongly encourage all chapter leaders to attend. While you are in Springfield, I think you will enjoy visiting the new Lincoln Library. Illinois Newspapers have been raving about it. I will have the registration forms, for the meeting, posted on the region's web site.

I hope to see you in Springfield in June.

Region 5 will thrive in 2005!