PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE See You in Orlando attend. It’s so exciting to be attending our first convention in two years! We have a ton of great classes and events for you, and the Security Expo will be packed with new products. Be sure to attend both days of the Expo, as you’re going to need them. Our venue, the Caribe Royale, is a A great one as well. It not only has a sun- ny Orlando location, it’s also convenient and family-friendly. Make your reser- vations now before rooms sell out — Orlando is going to be a popular des- tination this summer as people start traveling again. If you have any questions, be sure to reach out to our fantastic and helpful staff. We will see you in Orlando! Thank You While I’m excited about attending the convention, it’s also going to be a bittersweet time for me — this will be my last ALOA Convention attending as president. It’s been a great four years serving as your ALOA SPAI president. I had been involved with the ALOA for years before becoming president, but serving as your association leader has truly been a new and unique honor. I’ve traveled far and wide representing our collective interests and working to improve the industry from the inside out. WWW.ALOA.ORG LOA 2021 in Orlando is fast approaching. I hope you have taken the time to submit your registration to “While I’m excited about attending the convention, it’s also going to be a bittersweet time for me — this will be my last ALOA Convention attending as president. ” We have had challenges and successes, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. When I became president, I had no idea of the challenges that would be coming our way. Heck, none of us did! The past year-plus has brought on challenges that we never could have dreamed of. Our as- sociation, our businesses and our lives were upended, and we all had to find a way to survive and get through this era. I’m proud to say that ALOA SPAI didn’t just survive, but innovated. Yes, in-person classes and conventions could not be held. Our staff worked primarily from home, but everyone stepped up with new ideas and took on new projects. Now, we’re positioned for the future. We developed new webinars, unveiled an ongoing podcast and restructured staffing to keep operations running smoothly and profitably. And through it all, we worked hard to retain the same level of member services that we’ve always provided. Thank you for supporting our staff, leadership and the association overall over the past year. We couldn’t be here without you. I want to thank you not just for the past year, but also for the past four years. Thank you for putting your trust in me as ALOA president, and thank you for the support, suggestions and encourage- ment over the years. As I hand the reins over to the next president, I want to wish him luck. I hope you give whoever wins the same trust, respect and cooperation you’ve shown me. The two candidates are both exceptional men, so I know the next presidential term will be a good one. Go forth and do great things. I will be behind you every step of the way. Jim Wiedman, CML President ALOA Security Professionals Association, Inc. [email protected] JUNE 2021 KEYNOTES 5
