I missed seeing you all at the ASET Annual Conference in Tucson!

I watched the pictures come in on the meeting app, so I know you had a great view in the fantastic meeting location!  I had to console myself with the view from my home office.  That is an eagle who came to visit!  

I can’t tell you how much I missed seeing all of the ASET annual conference attendees in Tucson this year!   As you probably know, the major part of my work for ASET is planning our annual conference.  I start working on program content in January of each year for the August event.  I try to have all of the session presentations assigned by the end of March.  After that, it is just dealing with the details and providing speakers with the information they need to do a good job.

I always explain my job to people by saying that the on-site management of the conference is like being Santa Claus on Christmas Eve!  I work all year to make this happen and get such joy from seeing the actual program role out!

I have heard that many of you noted my absence and asked why I was not there.  I stayed home this year because my husband had surgery on his right foot this spring to treat a bone infection, and since he is diabetic he has been slow to heal.  He has multiple complications from the diabetes, and just could not manage alone.  All I can say is that this is a devastating disease that creeps up on you and robs you of your good health!  He is doing well, healing O.K. and I trust he will be fine soon.

I hope you all had a great time at the conference!  I will be able to read your comments in your speaker surveys and meeting evaluations.   I really take your suggestions to heart and strive to make the next year’s conference better than the last!  
I will start working on the 2018 program for New Orleans in a few months, so if you wish to give a talk, have a topic in mind or something you want to request on the program, please contact me!

ASET has a long history with New Orleans meetings and it will be great to go back to the Big Easy!

The 2018 conference theme is NOLA: Network, Organize, Learn – ASET!