Abstract
James D. Sterling, Ph.D. ALA President Keck Graduate Institute
As I near completion of my third and final year as a director of ALA, I look upon the changes and growth in the association and feel a sense of pride in the initiatives taken during my tenure. Three years ago, there was substantial discussion about the goal of moving ALA beyond being an event-centric organization to one that is member-centric. It's been clear to me for some time now that ALA provides its members more than an annual event to attend. Based on the results of the recent ALA Member Benefits Survey, our members agree.
Before conducting the 2008 ALA Member Benefits Survey this past Spring, the ALA leadership team relied on its own personal experience and insight, and presumed that JALA was the most valued member benefit, and that discounts to ALA events and networking opportunities followed closely behind. Survey respondents reinforced that this is, indeed, the case. They also told us that they'd like to see more online technical information, education, and networking—exactly as the ALA Board of Directors had mapped out in the ALA Strategic Plan! In fact, from a strategic point of view, members strongly reinforced that the ALA Strategic Plan is exactly on track with member needs and priorities.
In response to this kind of member input, we introduced the Global LabAutomation News feature on our Web site to provide the most up-to-date news information available, filtered by our volunteers specifically for our community. This service is available as an RSS feed, and I hope members are taking full advantage of this opportunity.
In the meantime, another extremely important new member benefit is taking shape on the near horizon. LabAutopedia at www.labautomation.org will break new ground as an unparalleled and practical source of online technical information. Designed exclusively for laboratory automation professionals by laboratory automation professionals, LabAutopedia will embrace and express the collective wisdom of our community through the dynamic application of Web2.0 conventions.
As a final comment on the agility of ALA, I would like to emphasize that ALA members can count on their association to be helpful to them, especially during turbulent economic times. As a valuable educational resource and meaningful professional support system, ALA is committed to staying close to its members, and continuing to adapt and evolve to their needs in ever-changing scientific business environments. Sound financial planning and management have enabled us to support LabAutomation2009 with several important new initiatives and partnerships that will ensure a vigorous, well-attended meeting.
For seven years, I have been an active ALA member and volunteer. For me personally, my investment in this organization has paid back time and again, contributing greatly to my personal and professional success. For this past year, it has been my pleasure and my honor to serve as ALA president. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I look forward to seeing you in Palm Springs next month for LabAutomation2009.
Sincerely,
