PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE  TO 
THE MEMBERSHIP
By Deanna Williams
December 2003

It’s a pleasure to assume the leadership of this organization at a time when CLEAR is poised to move forward in so many productive ways. My predecessor, Mack Smith, is to be commended for ensuring CLEAR’s stability and, for the first time since the unexpected events of September 2001, refocusing its outlook toward the future. Also, you the members deserve accolades for supporting CLEAR during times that are so difficult fiscally for many states. Here’s hoping that all your agencies experience a positive turnaround during the upcoming months.

Now on to what we can do together to further CLEAR’s future. I’ve already shared with the Board of Directors my vision for the year which can be thought of as the “3 M” Plan, which builds on the well-demonstrated notion that the most effective way to market CLEAR is peer-to-peer. Our taking the time to tell counterparts how useful we’ve found CLEAR as an organization is far more powerful and productive than any other marketing strategy we could employ.  Basically, I believe that if the current members all work together to Market CLEAR’s products and services, its Membership will certainly grow as a result, and this increase in participation in turn will translate into more Money for our organization. Of course, if this works as I hope it will, we the members will be the real beneficiaries simply because the larger and more diverse the CLEAR community, the more useful ongoing interactions will be during meetings and throughout the year.

To get the ball rolling on this initiative, I’m asking each of you to contact three professional peers, whether in your jurisdiction or anywhere else in the world, and invite them to become involved. If they’re interested, ask them to mention your name when they join CLEAR and, for each new member you recruit, we’ll give you one free online board member training registration to be used by anyone you designate. Certainly you’ll want to steer prospective members toward CLEAR’s Web site (http://www.clearhq.org) for complete and current information. If you want us to send you additional materials, such as CLEAR brochures, just drop staff an e-mail and we’ll send them off straightaway.

As you might imagine, final preparations are underway for the midyear business meetings in New Orleans. It’s never too late to sign up for committee service and join in the fun of participating in the annual conference program planning activities of CLEAR. Once again, just drop staff an e-mail if you’d like to be appointed to a committee or working group. The midyear meeting presents the opportunity for the Board and all CLEAR committees to meet face to face, to conduct ongoing business and to plan the program for September’s conference in Kansas City, Missouri. We’ve got a great theme for September: 21^st Century Regulation: “Show-Me” What Works, and a fantastic host agency in the Missouri Division of Professional Registration headed by Marilyn Taylor Williams. Certainly you’ll read more about the conference later this winter when the full details are available.

Right now, I want to wish you a wonderful holiday season and I look forward to seeing many of you next month in New Orleans!

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