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President's Message Summit Recap As I took over the reins as president of NANPA at the close of this year’s Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina, I knew I had some really big shoes to fill. I was so grateful that I was privy to Steve Maka’s leadership skills and decisions throughout 2004. The Charlotte Summit was wonderful, and the only thing that could have made it better was to have been able to see more of you there. I want to personally thank Jim Clark, master of ceremonies extraordinaire and our outstanding keynote and banquet speakers—Kevin Adams, Arthur Morris, Tim Laman and John Sexton. I remember my first Summit in Corpus Christi, Texas, like it was yesterday. It was hard to know what to take in first: the excitement, networking, seeing old and new friends or the visual overload. It was both great and overwhelming. I felt the same way again in Charlotte, made even more so by my new position at the helm. Now I have the chance to mentor where I had been mentored. Networking, a term I used to associate with boring business meetings, is much more like a reunion at a Summit. I enjoyed getting to know Kevin Adams on a personal basis through our work together on the post-Summit field trip, “Waterfalls of North Carolina.” I was humbled by his hospitality in sharing “his” waterfalls. Gary Carter opened his home and yard to at least four separate groups of enthusiastic nature photographers, so we could experience his wonderful songbirds. These are just two examples of those willing to share their time and knowledge—there were many more. While we all enjoyed this new area of the country, we almost experienced quite the snowstorm. It was enough to convince us that future Summits should be held closer to the south, southeast or southwest. We’ll keep in mind places and times of year where photo opportunities before, after and during the Summit can be maximized. Our Summit Committee is always ready to accommodate our member requests and needs, when possible. Speaking of which, we owe a great deal of gratitude to those who work behind the scenes to pull these Summits off. As President-elect, I was able to witness the work of Summit Committee chair Kathy Adams Clark and Summit Program chair Debbie Ferrell, along with the entire committee. They do an outstanding job and make it all seem easy. Believe me, it’s not. After attending many of their long and detailed teleconferences, I became aware of how much time and energy goes into every detail. And let’s not forget the good work done by NANPA headquarters under the leadership of our executive director Francine Butler. And thanks to Christy Powers who is in charge of meeting arrangements. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the continuing success of both the High School Scholarship Program and College Scholarship Program, which manage to bring out pearls from willing minds. We have seen some proof of the enduring influence of the committees in the students who continue to support NANPA by returning to our Summits each year. And just because I haven’t mentioned others specifically, it doesn’t mean that they are not appreciated. A hearty thank you to all of the volunteers, breakout speakers, exhibitors and attendees who have made this another Summit to remember. Site Index Search Disclaimers Contact Us  North American Nature Photography Association 10200 West 44th Avenue, Suite 304 Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-2840, USA Phone: 303-422-8527 Fax: 303-422-8894 E-mail: info@nanpa.org © 2001 All Rights Reserved |
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