To my friends, colleagues and the IDA family,
As my two-year term as IDA Board Chair comes to a close, I am baffled by how quickly it flew by. It feels like just yesterday I was invited to be the Chair Elect and I watched in the wings as Kathleen Rawson served as Chair. I’m a big fan of Kathleen and was awe struck by how she guided us through those two years, with such wisdom, humility and humor all at once.
I became the Chair at the Vancouver Annual Conference and it has been a whirlwind since then. Serving as the Chair of IDA is not an extensive amount of work, rather it is an abundance of opportunity. It is a gift to be in service to this organization, an organization that has meant so much to me for almost 20 years. It is a privilege to be in the company of such esteemed leaders that are creating systemic change in their respective cities. It is an honor to work closely with the team of IDA, led by David Downey. I’m grateful for every moment that I have spent in service to this Board and this industry.
IDA is in an incredible position with sound financials, a meaningful strategic plan and the most adept team. The advocacy work that began a few years ago is making real progress and I highly encourage more leaders to get involved. The professionalism of the programs continues to elevate each year with the Annual Conference and the spring summits and forums. The caliber of Emerging Leaders never diminishes and the graduates of the program are industry rockstars. The research efforts are creating benchmarks, documenting best practices, and showcasing tools that can be utilized by us all. We continue to grow the number of certified place managers and improve the credentialing process. The impact of IDA is stronger now than ever, but the work is never done.
As my season comes to a close, I’m thrilled to welcome Kris Larson next week as the incoming Chair of IDA. Kris will bring his own perspective and expertise, and the organization will be well served by the new leadership. Kris is one the legends in place management and I’m very much looking forward to watching as he puts his mark on the work. Under Kris’ leadership, the board will thrive and David and team will most certainly be empowered to continue to elevate the excellence that is IDA. To all of my Board colleagues and industry peers, thank you for this honor and I look forward to watching the future of each of your places unfold with IDA leading the charge.
With Gratitude,
Kate Borders, LPM