PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE Do Your Part to Recruit New Members coming convention in Las Vegas (which I believe will be very exciting). Based on the outcome of the election, it looks as though I have been given the honor and privilege of serving as the president of ALOA for another two years. I would like to first thank all of those who took the time to participate in the elections by casting their votes, and I greatly appreci- ate the confidence that you have shown in me to continue to lead our association. Second, I would like to personally thank all of those who participated by running for a seat and voice on the board. As most of you probably already know, ALOA’s board is comprised of volunteers. There are no paid positions on the board, so sacrifice is most definitely required. I did not make the above statements A because I am looking for any kind of sym- pathy, empathy or a pat on the back for myself or any other board member. I made the statements for a few simple, but very important, reasons: A) All of us should ap- preciate our board members and the work they do. B) Everyone needs to understand what the future of our association and industry is looking like, along with what role the ALOA board will play in that fu- ture. And C) It is so very important to be involved in some way, even if it is simply WWW.ALOA.ORG s I write this month’s President’s message for Keynotes, the ALOA elections are over, and it is just before the up- “That is why over the next two years, I plan to continue on finding ways to grow our membership, keep them and do everything in our power to improve our communication.” by voting or by encouraging someone who will be good for our future to run for a board position. If you look at our membership, you will find that the average age is well above 40 years old. Let’s face it, folks... we need to bring young people into this industry and into our association. And while we do have some younger members starting to join, we need more! As a matter of fact, I would like to see more members of all ages join- ing, and it is up to us to recruit them — all of us! I’ve said it before on more than one occasion: “If you’re part of the physical security profession, you should be a part of ALOA.” It’s that simple! As important as it is to bring these new members into the fold, it is equally im- portant to keep our existing members happy. It is also important for us to be able to identify and try to bring back any of those who may have leſt for whatever reason. That is why, over the next two years, I plan to continue to find ways to grow our membership, keep them and do everything in our power to improve our communication. There are also some exciting plans to increase our educational opportunities, including some new online courses, as well as many other things. Don’t just sit on the sidelines. Get involved! Respectfully, Jim Wiedman, CML President ALOA Security Professionals Association, Inc. [email protected] SEPTEMBER 2019 KEYNOTES 5
