Closure

Likely everyone who made the trip to Denver is settled back in their work, and eagerly anticipating whatever seasonal break awaits them in the coming days. Nonetheless, there is unfinished Annual Meeting Business.

First, It is now time to close the opening session!

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been” -George Eliot

After I shared the quote with my father, he lit up in a moment of awakening while a weak smile formed on his face. He then gave me a gift I will always remember. He proclaimed, “I got there!”

That’s what the planning committee, the professional association, and all of us that care for students want for you!

It was an honor. ~ Don

Second, the evaluations are available.

I have said it before but it is worth repeating: evaluations are very important to the Annual Meeting Planning Team. We really, really do listen to the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Everyone involved in the planning wants to craft the best possible experience for you - so take the time to complete the evaluation. You'll find it here.

Days 2-4: Best Laid Plans

I have to confess that heading into the Annual Meeting I thoroughly believed that I would succeed in getting in a new post every day. Apparently sometimes, we overextend ourselves... :) Oops.

Hopefully everyone has returned home safe and sound and is back in the office catching up. It only took me about 2 and 1/2 hours to get through all the waiting emails - not bad! I suppose I was with the people from whom I get 75% of my emails so I'm guessing that cut down on the attention the inbox needed.

I'm planning two more posts after this before we put the Peak Performance Playbook to bed for the year. But for now, some news and notes about the 2008 Annual Meeting:

• In total, we had a record number of 1054 registrants; this was up from 1034 in 2007.
• About 280 of our meeting attendees were first timers, many of whom were well served by AFA CONNECTION programming.
• We had 151 tables at Fireside Chats. That represents about 90 fraternal organizations, many of which had more than one table to accommodate connections with campus professionals.
• There were about 30 associate members in attendance who created a great atmosphere in the Exhibit Hall (please tell me you got some of those yummy desserts on Friday!).
• At the Fireside Chats Meet & Greet six umbrella organizations were represented - NALFO, NAPA, NIC, NMGC, NPC, and NPHC. How cool is that?
• The addition of the first-year case study challenge allowed us to nearly double the number of graduate students who were able to participate in this type of programming.
• With the wonderful gift from Beta Theta Pi, as well as several other cutting-edge organizations we celebrated the creation of 6 endowed funds created with the AFA Foundation that will provide ongoing scholarships for Annual Meeting attendance.
  

Congratulations again to all of the Foundation donors and award winners who were recognized in Denver. So much to be proud of! And, thank you again to an amazing AMPT - anything and everything you loved was directly related to their work the past 14 months.

Here's to returning those many messages that piled up while you were away!
Thank you for joining us in Denver. I am so glad you were there.

Day 1: Starting the AM off right

Today a group of AFA members went into the Denver community to volunteer at Project Angel Heart, a local agency that the AMPT chose to support as a way to give back to our host city of Denver. Here's a first-hand account from program coordinator, Josh Orendi, of the experience:

The service plunge supporting Project Angel Heart was better than any of us expected. What an amazing way to kick off this year's Annual Meeting! AFA volunteers joined the kitchen staff from Project Angel Heart for nearly 4 hours this morning.

These guys serve more than 700 clients per week thanks to the work of more than 300 volunteers. However, don't think soup kitchen. Instead, think of a nutritious, customized 'meals on wheels' with a little extra love and attention. The prepared meals are nutritiously dense carrying nearly 2000 calories each. Each meal is prepared from scratch and customized to the unique dietary needs of each client. The meals are frozen and packaged in handmade care bags. Drivers deliver a week's worth of meals to each client.

All of Project Angel Heart's clients are people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life threatening illnesses that are not capable of preparing nutritious meals on their own. Each client is recommended to the program by a doctor. Thanks to the work of Project Angel Heart's staff and volunteers more than 300,000 meals are served with love every year.

Our volunteers were side-by-side with the kitchen staff chopping vegetables, cutting bread, washing dishes, decorating care bags, processing chicken, and more. This was the real deal! We made new friends, enjoyed a little interfraternal brotherhood/sisterhood, and made a difference supporting a great cause.

Thanks to all those that volunteered.

Day 0: The AM countdown continues

Safe travels to everyone coming to Denver today!

Here at the Hyatt we're continuing putting together your registration packets with program books, Association information, name tags and meal tickets. The 2008 AFA Board is having their final meeting and graduate staff is in training.

See you soon.

Day -1: Let the AM countdown begin

Greetings from Denver! By my math, if day 1 of the Annual Meeting is Wednesday, that makes today Day -1.

For most of the folks attending the Annual Meeting, today or tomorrow will be the last day in the office. As you're wrapping up all things December there, here are a couple of last minute to-do items for the AM.

1. Make your shuttle reservations to/from the airport. You can use Super Shuttle or check out this link for more options. A cab could be a good option if you're able to share with one or two other people as the cost will be comparable to the shuttle.

2. Be sure to opt-in to the NEW critical alert text system for the Annual Meeting. Enrollment is not automatic, you'll need to go here to sign up. Alerts will be sent only if critical information needs to be communicated (e.g. if all programs are moved back 30 minutes because of the luncheon runs long) or in case of emergency. The system will not be used for daily updates - room changes, reminders, etc.

As you're doing these things, here in Denver, we'll be making signs so you can find your way around more easily, welcoming the graduate staff, and stuffing our leaner, greener registration packets. Those are our big tasks for today.

Check back tomorrow for more about what's going on behind-the-scenes as more than 1,000 AFA members and partners begin their travels to the mile high city.

Denver in December

For months I've just been assuming I'm going to freeze my tush off at the Annual Meeting - when I get to leave the hotel, that is. I decided the more responsible thing to do would be to ask The Weather Channel exactly what to expect. Thought I'd share what I found and save ya'll the search:

Tuesday, Dec. 2 - 61/34 (Windy)
Wednesday, Dec. 3 - 49/31 (Partly cloudy)
Thursday, Dec. 4 - 48/31 (Partly cloudy)
Friday, Dec. 5 - 53/33 (Partly cloudy)
Saturday, Dec. 6 - 54/34 (Partly cloudy)
Sunday, Dec. 7 - 50/33 (Few showers)

Seems like we're in for some mild mountain air. But I'm willing to bet that 30-ish feels pretty darn cold when the sun's gone down!

Information courtesy of weather.com's 10-day forecast for 80202 (that's the zip of the hotel).

De-lish, part two

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday and the tradition of cooking, cooking, and more cooking, I thought we'd revisit this post.

After reading it a friend sent me this recipe:

Creamy Truffle-Scented White Bean Soup

Look for bottled minced roasted garlic in the produce section near the fresh garlic. It adds a deep, sweet caramelized flavor. A drizzle of intensely flavored truffle oil makes the soup extra special. You can substitute another flavored oil, such as basil oil, instead.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1/4 teaspoon truffle oil)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced roasted garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
• 2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon truffle oil

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper; sauté 2 minutes or until onion is tender. Add rosemary; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth and beans. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Let stand 5 minutes. Pour half of mixture into a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed bean mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining bean mixture. Spoon 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls, and drizzle each serving with 1/4 teaspoon truffle oil.

A little something in case you're not so much interested in leftovers tomorrow.

What sounds good for dinner?

One of the two humans in my household inevitably asks this every day. (The other two household inhabitants are terriers.) And usually, the routine is to go through a list of available options or food genres the asker is in the mood for until the askee says, "that sounds good, let's do that."

Easy, because we have the local restaurants down pat. Not so easy if you're in a new place - say Denver, CO and need to find a restaurant that sounds appetizing and fits in that per diem of yours.

For just this reason, the on-site arrangements committee has provided a handy local guide that details all kinds of restaurants near the Hyatt Regency Denver. With price codes, distance from the hotel noted, websites, and information about whether reservations are needed, we hope you find this guide helpful in finding just what you're craving, or planning that reunion meal with friends you only see once a year.

Packing...

I just got my first out-of-office message from someone who is leaving today and will not be back until AFTER the Annual Meeting. Something about that was wicked stressful. And it sure as heck motivated me to start making lists. I do like lists.

I started with a packing list because I am convinced/paranoid I am going to forget something. It would be especially frightful if I forgot something I told someone else I would bring! Anyway, I learned during my site visit some interesting facts about traveling to Denver for those of us who function at or around sea level most of our days. So, as you're packing, here are a few extra items you might want to include:

• Lip balm: what ever kind works best for you, beware chapped lips in the winter that may be made worse by the altitute
• Lotion: for the hands, especially, see above item about chapping
• Reusable water bottle: one of the biggest pieces of advice about traveling to higher altitudes is to drink lots of water; think ahead and pack your refillable bottle to help us stay green
• Pain reliever: all that thinner, drier air may be headache-inducing - good idea to have your fave around (this is especially bad if you don't drink a lot of water - see above)

Happy packing and prepping - for the holiday, for the meeting, and for the Catch 22 that is being out of the office. So nice to get away, yet so much will be there when you return :).

An uncommon opening

The 2008 opening session - which is the feature program for the entire meeting - will not be:

• Passive.
• Boring.
• Impersonal.
• About someone else.
• Common.
  

Choose to commit your morning to this opportunity. Choose to engage with your colleagues in a way that we often talk about but maybe rarely do. Choose to participate. Choose to learn.

choose to CLIMB
Thursday, December 4. Program begins promptly at 8:45 a.m.

Get there early to get a seat.

The other deadline

Friday, November 21 is also the deadline to register for the Annual Meeting. Go here to register if you haven't! You're not going to want to miss what we have planned.

If you believe you have registered by haven't received your confirmation yet, email info@fraternityadvisors.org or call the Central Office at 317.876.1632 to confirm. It never hurts to check.

Crunch time

My husband has this saying he uses when someone makes a poor choice: "They were wearing their bad-idea jeans." Well, today I told him that I forgot to put on my crunch-time jeans when I went to the office yesterday.

You see, for the Annual Meeting planners, we are 3 days away from THE deadline. And, somehow I made the transition from Sunday to Monday without realizing that. THE deadline would be the day that all the boxes need to find their way on a [insert preferred shipping company here] truck and begin the journey to Denver.

We have a three day window for packages to arrive, next Monday-Wednesday. Because then Thanksgiving happens. Then travel happens. Then before you know it you're in Denver with about 1,000 of your closest friends.

Every book, supply, sign, pen, and lanyard will arrive at the Hyatt nearly a week before you do. Join me in wishing them safe travels. Because if they don't make it...

Well, we're not even going there.

Ode to planners

Despite being the Annual Meeting Chair and having been a part of AM planning since 2001, I have never presented an educational program. I can't say that's a good thing, per se, but when I read this blog post I realized why.

It also made me incredibly thankful that so many of our colleagues aren't handicapped by those worries, and serve as presenters every year. There is no learning without faculty and I'm so, so grateful to our Annual Meeting faculty.

Coincidentally, I don't give blood either. No needles for me. We're talking turn green, pass out kinda reaction to them. So in college I planned blood drives. Lots of them.

You've heard the saying, 'those who can't, teach?' I prefer this quote from Jennifer Lopez's character in The Wedding Planner: "Those who can't, plan."

De-lish

So, this is a high risk thing to share, but I'm gonna do it anyway. As AM Chair, one of the things I get to do is sample the hotel's food and help craft the menu for our two banquet meals.

Anyway, during the site visit in October, we tasted this soup: white bean, truffle scented puree. Now, I'm not really a soup person. And, fun fact, I don't like white creamy foods. (I think it's a texture thing.)

But this soup. The white bean, truffle scented puree. It was PHENOMENAL. I mean, I had dreams about this soup. I have since tried to find something like it in Columbus. No dice. It was SO good.

I was thrilled to learn a few days ago that the magic soup is scheduled to be our first course at the closing banquet. What could be better than four-star, yummy, comfort food on a December night in Colorado? It's delish. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

If not, may I have yours?

Reaching the peak through powerful program performance

Enjoy today's post from Angie Bong, a member of the Educational Programs Committee. This one is about what they have done to make your educational programs better; read on...

The Association has made so many fantastic changes and additions for the 2008 Annual Meeting, it seems as if nothing is standing in our way of reaching the – the best Annual Meeting yet - which is only 21 days away, in case you’ve forgotten. The Annual Meeting Planning Team has worked tirelessly over the past year because, especially in hard economic times with limited travel budgets, we want you to get every penny’s worth from your Annual Meeting experience.

The Annual Meeting provides a great opportunity for members to reconnect with friends and colleagues, to visit with our associate members about the exciting opportunities and services they can provide, to celebrate with those who have contributed so much to the fraternal movement, and of course, to learn and grow. One particularly valuable learning opportunity at the Annual Meeting is the vast array of programs presented by our stellar members.

The Annual Meeting has featured many amazing presenters and programs in the past, yet the Educational Programs Committee thought we could help provide an even better educational opportunity for our members by creating some resources to help ensure programs are meeting members’ needs. We poured over past Annual Meeting evaluations, consulted with some of the best presenters in the field, and scoured the Web for the best presentation advice we could find, and we are so pleased to present the AFA Annual Meeting – Best Practices for Successful Presentations.

The Best Practices for Successful Presentations resource was designed as a tool for all Annual Meeting presenters to help them design the best possible program based on what you have said makes for a great presentation. It was distributed to a coordinating presenter from each presentation team today: Here’s a sneak peek of some of the best practices we shared with them today:

· Begin with the end in mind. A snazzy title does not make up for a lousy idea. Be thoughtful about your learning outcomes. What do you want participants to learn? What emotions do you want to stir? What are you offering that audience members cannot get elsewhere? How can outcomes be sustained outside the Annual Meeting? Review your learning outcomes with the audience at the beginning of the presentation.

· If you are presenting a best practice from your college/university, organization, or company, make sure you cover how audience members can apply the same concept at another institution, organization or company. Or, do some research on other entities that are implementing similar practices and share how the concept has worked elsewhere.

· Prepare your program ahead of time. Have someone you trust review your content before you present. Participants can see right through a program that was thrown together in the hotel lobby 10 minutes before the presentation. Great presenters who are not prepared can still produce a bad program. You owe it to your audience to prepare well even if you are the best presenter ever.

· Know your audience and develop rapport. Try to imagine who is most likely to attend your presentation. If you were an audience member, what would you want to know or understand? What would be confusing? Let the audience know they are important and are the reason you are there. Mingle with participants before the presentation begins to help build rapport.

· Be enthusiastic. Be sincere. Be authentic. Find your passion and allow it to shine through as you give your presentation. Enthusiasm is contagious and passion will help you connect with your audience.

We hope that you will be as impressed as we are with the great programs in store for you this year. The Association is committed to you and your feedback, and as such is striving to continually improve. Resources like the Best Practices for Successful Presentations are helping us reach the peak. We can’t wait to sit back and enjoy the view.

Eight is enough

Of the about 950 folks registered for the Annual Meeting as of today, more than 200 are first-time attendees. It's likely that a large majority of those first-time attendees are students in graduate preparation programs who will soon be our full-time colleagues. Students, btw who likely never have seen the TV show that is this post's namesake, save a Nick at Nite marathon.

As a member of the AMPT I have been very, very lucky to meet and work with some amazing up-and-coming professionals as graduate staff members. The thing about grad staff, though, is that we are only able to provide that opportunity to eight graduate members. And yet so, so many of our soon-to be first-year professionals are amazing in their own right; I hope you have a chance to meet them, to offer some words of wisdom, and to challenge them to be the next great thing in the fraternal movement. Tonight I want you to meet the 8 representatives of the next generation that I have the privilege to work with while we're in Denver, and hear a little bit about their interest in serving our Association. The narrarator for this guest post is Tyler Blair (Beta Theta Pi) from the University of Kansas). Did I hear a "Rock Chalk?" Thought so. Well done.

Greetings from Grad Staff!

Each year 8 graduate students are selected to join the Annual Meeting Planning Team to assist in the execution and management of this premier professional development event of the Association.   While the Annual Meeting is still 3 weeks away, and we've only been on board for about that same amount of time, the 8 of us are in serious prep mode!  On behalf of the team, I'd thought I'd take a few minutes to give you an inside look at our Grad Staff experience thus far.

I had always known I'd apply for Grad Staff - ever since my senior year when my own Greek Advisor was getting ready to attend this thing called the "AFA Annual Meeting," I had known that this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.  Not only have I always been a conference junky who loves the behind-the-scenes aspects of events, but I also knew that being on the Grad Staff would be an awesome opportunity to help myself become an active member of AFA. 

Here’s what other Grad Staffers had to say about why they applied:

"I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for me to network with other professionals working in the field of fraternity and sorority life" 

~ John Salazar, University of Maryland, Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc.

“Everyone I had spoken with that had been apart of Grad Staff had such positive experiences and looked back with such fond memories that I knew it was something that would be a meaningful experience in my growth as a professional in this field.”

~ Meg Shamburger, College of William & Mary, Kappa Alpha Theta

“Volunteering is part of my personal and fraternal values. I wanted to give back to the organization that has helped guide me to become a better professional.” 

~Alex Snowden, Illinois State University, Beta Theta Pi

“I wanted to be on Grad Staff because I would like to become more involved with AFA and I felt that this position will be a great stepping stone for my future involvement within the Association.” 

~ Katelin Getz, Ohio University, Alpha Delta Pi

The other part of our experience is the cohort we will form with one another. Grad staff is a shared experience.  The 8 of us will be spending long days and late nights together.  We all come from diverse backgrounds, but with similar interests and passions, and have a lot to learn from one another, (hopefully!). For the past 4 weeks, under our fearless leader and Grad Staff Coordinator, Jennifer Leung, we have been busy getting to know each other.  In addition to the 7 new Facebook friends each of had within 24 hours of joining Grad Staff, we have all been engaging in weekly ice breaker activities via a Blackboard Discussion board.

Oh, and in addition to all that fun stuff, don't worry, we've been working as well.  We've been busy learning about our on-site responsibilities, understanding the role of the Annual Meeting, planning our travel, and filling out lots of paperwork. 

And all of this preparation is getting us all very excited.  Here is what the rest of the team has to say about what they are most excited about as we prepare for Denver:

"I am looking forward to being behind the scenes of the Annual Meeting and understanding what are the needs of professionals to better assist Greek Students." 

~ Daniel Hernandez, Western Illinois University, Delta Tau Delta

“I’m excited to meet the rest of the awesome Grad Staff members and to be surrounded by individuals who are passionate and excited about what they do!” 

~ Maria Iglesia, Clemson University, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority Inc.

“I am most excited about meeting everyone and making some new friends.  I am also excited about getting involved with AFA and learning more about what all it takes to make the Annual Meeting all that it is!”  

~ Ashlee Canty, Western Illinois University, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

As the Annual Meeting quickly approaches, we hope you are getting excited too.  Whether you attend the Annual Meeting to create or renew friendships, engage in meaningful dialogue, or sharpen your professional skills, the 2008 Annual Meeting has a whole lot to offer.  On behalf of the 2008 Grad Staff Team, we are looking forward to being a part of helping you reach your Peak Performance.

See you in Denver!

  ~ The 2008 AM Grad Staff Team

So, if there are other 2nd year masters students reading this or professionals who think they may be hiring a recent grad this spring/summer, would it be a good time to make a shameful plug for AFA's 1st 90 days program? I'm thinkin' yes. Let experienced members and those who just lived it help those new professionals out there Be. R.E.A.D.Y for anything in their first year. [Disclaimer: Yes, I am definitely on the 2009 1st 90 days committee. Give a girl a blog, and see where she takes it?]

National Hazing Symposium, Wed. Dec. 3rd, 2008, 9am to 4pm

Did you know that just last month AFA renewed its sponsorship of HazingPrevention.org - the parent organization of programs such as the National Hazing Symposium, National Hazing Prevention Week, and the Interdisciplinary Institute for Hazing Intervention?  Organizations such as HazingPrevention.org rely on the many sponsorships that offer their talents and resources to help bring an end to hazing.  This year, we are lucky enough to partner with the organization to host the National Hazing Symposium in conjunction with the Annual Meeting.  There is still room to register for the NHS, and the late fee has been waived until Nov. 20!  Read on to learn about what Tracey Maxwell, executive director of HazingPrevention.Org, has to say about the symposium...

2008 marks the fifth time the National Hazing Symposium has been presented to great feedback every time. This year we have an especially unique program planned, and we are pleased to be partnering with AFA for the second time on NHS. The 2005 program in Atlanta was a huge hit with almost 200 participants, and we expect this one to be as well. I am pleased that AFA has agreed to waive the late fee through Nov. 20th for those folks who would still like to register. Read below for program details and a link to the registration page. 

In 2008, the fraternal movement was sent into shock when two university administrators were indicted on charges of aggravated hazing. While the charges were dropped, it marked the first time that university personnel were named in a criminal case. This year’s National Hazing Symposium answers the question of what it may look like for fraternity and sorority professionals to stand trial for hazing incidents.

Since the late 1980s, David Westol has conducted “Hazing on Trial” for hundreds of college and university campuses. For the first time, David is applying his well-known program to the context of fraternity and sorority professionals: one of your colleagues is on trial for their knowledge of hazing activities and you’ll be the jury to determine their future. The mock trial will lead to discussion about how professionals can address hazing culture with attention to the legal environment.

In addition to “Hazing on Trial,” this year’s symposium will serve as a launch pad for increased attention to the necessary steps to address hazing culture. Dr. Elizabeth Allan and Dr. Mary Madden will present on the initial findings of their four-year national study, and participants will discuss ways to address recommendations provided in their report. As the fraternal movement continues to make great progress with how we are a part of the solution, anyone invested in ending hazing culture should consider participation in this full-day seminar.

Hope you can join us!

If you're interested in participating in this pre-conference, be sure to register by Nov. 20th

AFA Legends, Part II

Today we continue our AFA legends theme and turn to Dan Bureau, 2004 AFA President and committed leader to the fraternal movement. I asked him to share his "can't miss" moment of the Annual Meeting. And here it is:

The can't miss moments are the amazing educational opportunities that are provided each day. Now, this means there are a lot of can't miss moments, but really, the programming at the AM is always very good.

Here are some tips on getting the most out of your educational program attendance:

1. Be intentional. About what topics are you most in need of education? Come to the AM with this list in mind. Then, review the list of educational programs and aim to attend one program about each topic.

2. Come early. Presenters work hard to put the program together and some will be more crowded then others. Out of courtesy to the presenters and in the hopes to get the best seat, come early!

3. Participate. Not every program will be highly interactive (and we should all be ok with that!) but when you have the chance, contribute. This may mean responding to questions, asking questions or simply asking your neighbor what she/he thinks about the topic at hand.

4. Take notes. In an effort to be more sustainable, many presenters will not bring copies. That's ok because copies promote passive learning anyway. Commit to taking notes for each program and then review them once you get back home. List all of the programs you attend and then write down the ONE thing that you took from each that can inform your practice. This will make your learning intentional!

There is so much to do at the AM; however we're there to advance our skills relative to supporting fraternity and sorority communities in student affairs. Attending educational programs and doing so with intention is the most important thing you can do at the AM.

This year we have more than 130 educational programs coming to Denver. Be sure to be on the look out for the Program Book, scheduled to make its debut on the AFA website about the 24th of November, and begin to chart your personal learning experience for the Annual Meeting.

Have your own "can't miss" moment? Log onto the AFA Facebook Group page and share your own "can't miss moment" on the Discussion Board. The Annual Meeting Planning Team wants to hear from you.

AFA Legends, Part I

Ever wonder what some of the AFA legends think of the Annual Meeting? Lucky for you, I asked!

Jennifer Jones Hall was the 2006 Shaffer Award winner and will attend her 21st Annual Meeting this year. After that great history, she has a list of “can’t miss” experiences for the Annual Meeting. Here they are:

1. The Opening Reception where you get to see everyone involved in the Fraternity/Sorority Movement.

2. The AFA Foundation/AFA Awards Luncheon...this is a great opportunity to really be inspired by the work being done in many different avenues.

3. The Closing Banquet of AFA....again...to see our Schaffer and Anson Award winners be honored for their service to the profession...is just awe inspiring.

Speaking from personal experience, this year’s Shaffer and Anson winners are people you need to know. They are amazing role models, friends and professionals. I can’t wait for you to meet them!

Tomorrow: Find out what Dan Bureau, 2004 AFA President and AFA rock star in his own right, has to say is the best thing about the Annual Meeting.