President's Message

Member Survey

Everything in life, it seems, has an important "timing" factor associated with it. And as we all know, sometimes "timing is everything." At this very moment, for example, time is running out on your opportunity to respond to the 2006 Member Survey—which closes Tuesday, April 11, end of business. Don't miss this opportunity to voice your opinions and share your ideas. If you have not yet completed this survey, please go to the accompanying article on the 2006 Member Survey and click through the link to the survey.

Outstanding Achievements

The first Newsletter of the year is the appropriate time to express appreciation for the leadership of the prior year's president. By any measure, Sam Cheris served our Colorado Chapter with distinction— many outstanding achievements were compiled under his leadership. In 2005, this chapter planted the seeds for a number of initiatives that will bear fruit later this year and for years to come. These seeds include Diversity in the In-house Practice of Law; Pro Bono opportunities for In-house Counsel, and a networking organization for Colorado general counsel and CLOs. Last but certainly not least, the Chapter ended its fiscal year in 2005 with noticeably more growth in its financial resources compared to recent years. Sam would be the first to share credit for these achievements with the volunteers who gave generously of their time and energies to make these things happen: the committee chairs and committee members, the 2005 officers, and the members of the board. To commemorate the individual successes behind the chapter’s successes, the Board honored these Directors with Outstanding Achievement Awards:  Sam Cheris, Jean Robertson, Carolyn Hariton, and Susan Hammerman.

Time for the Ultimate Goal

Having established all necessary activity foundations, the time is now right to take those steps that will lift this chapter to its rightful parallel with more well established regional chapters and focus seriously on earning national recognition as ACC's Chapter of the Year. That should be our goal as an organization—not because of the honors we will all share and the respect we will enjoy from other chapters, but because performance to that level of recognition will mean that this chapter is serving you, its constituents and beneficiaries, to the maximum of its potential. It will mean this chapter is doing all that it can to fufull your professional development needs, enhance your career growth, enable you to better serve your client-employers and to help you and others to recognize and appreciate the importance of the essential role you play in the success of the legal entity you represent.

There is no time to waste. Reaching the goal of becoming the top ACC Chapter in this nation will take time and will require extraordinary planning and commitment, not just on the part of those of us already involved, but from many of you who have yet to come forward and be a part of the committee efforts underway and yet to be envisioned. You can help and we encourage you to contact any Director of the Board for more information.

Becoming the top ACC Chapter will also require that we build stronger foundations by expanding membership and, for greater financial capacity and stability, that we pursue mutually beneficial strategic alliances with vendors and law firms. On this latter topic, we are aggressively exploring this idea, taking particular note of tried and proven program that are functioning well in other geographic areas.

Take the time now to read in this Newsletter the accompanying articles that reveal the progress this chapter is making in key areas and some of the ways your local chapter allocation from your annual dues is being used. Remember that a small commitment of your time toward the important work of this chapter can be rewarding, giving a sense of achievement, vital business contacts and lifelong friendships. Is it time you raised your hand to volunteer a little of your time?

I look forward to serving you through the balance of this year and beyond.

John R. Linton
President
ACC Colorado