PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE 
By Donna H. Mooney

This certainly is turning out to be a banner year for CLEAR. In the winter 2001 issue, I announced the formation of CLEAR's Associated Regulatory Investigators online group Associated Regulatory Investigators and, in the Spring 2002 issue, I detailed plans for several other projects, most of which will be completed before the September conference.

At this time, it is my very real pleasure to announce....let's have a little trumpet fanfare here, please, maestro.....the availability of CLEAR's online board member training course (http://www.clearhq.org/flyer.htm). Since it's on the Internet, you can use this inexpensive course to provide the basics of regulatory board membership to your board members anytime, anywhere. The course is self-paced, so those taking it can visit whenever it's convenient and stay as long as they'd like. Each of the six modules is designed to take approximately 40 minutes to complete. Each also contains links to current online information, which is a truly wonderful feature that can't be incorporated in a traditional training course. The modules are:

• The History and Purpose of Professional Regulation
• The Role of a Board Member
• Administrative Rulemaking
• Licensure Examinations
• Professional Discipline
• Continuing Competence

A brief self-quiz follows each segment to help board members assess their progress and a certificate of completion will be sent to those who finish the course. All in all, this is a great deal and something many of us have been awaiting for a long time.

On the international front, thanks to Rex Corlett and Lila Quero Munoz, online translations of CLEAR's main Web site sections are available in both Japanese and Spanish. I'm making plans to travel to Ireland this fall at the invitation of Eugene Donaghue, CEO and Registrar of the Irish Nursing Board. This is a natural step in the decision to continue exploring closer links to regulatory programs in the United Kingdom.

In my final column in September, you can look forward to the announcement of other new products and services. So much of the current activity at CLEAR these days is part of the highly successful campaign to RECRUIT, RECLAIM and RETAIN members that was unveiled in January and has received ongoing and enthusiastic support from you, the members. Thank you.

Of course, I can't end this column without mentioning that the annual conference this year is going to be fantastic. We've added a pre-conference workshop on ethics to the excellent session lineup and fun social events. Full information on CLEAR's 22^nd annual conference is available in this newsletter. It's hard to believe that it's been more than a dozen years since I attended my first CLEAR conference.

Oh yes, when you receive them next month, don't forget to return your ballots to CLEAR headquarters. Beginning this year, they must all be returned by mail and there will be no on-site voting. I'll announce the President-elect and new and continuing board members at the Saturday luncheon in Las Vegas. See you there!

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