Viewpoint from the Chair - June 2012

As I reach the end of my term as Chair of the Amigos Board of Directors, I’d like to offer a number of acknowledgements. First of all, I want to thank all Amigos Members for their support of the Board's recommendations this past year. It goes without saying that this has been a historic year, given the multitude of preparations and activities surrounding the merger of the Missouri Library Network Corporation (MLNC) into Amigos, now just days from completion. From the beginning, both the Amigos and MLNC Boards believed this merger would be in the best interests of our respective memberships, offering tremendous opportunities to expand all aspects of training, discount programs, and resource sharing that have long been the strengths of both organizations. We see a very bright future for the combined organization, and I look forward to continuing my service on the Amigos Board as we all move forward together.

I want to thank all of my colleagues on the Amigos Board of Directors for the confidence they showed in me by electing me to lead the Board this past year. I have the greatest respect and admiration for these dedicated individuals and their willingness to give of their time and talents to serve Amigos. All Amigos Members have benefited from their Board service.

I also want to thank the dedicated professionals who comprise the Amigos staff for their unwavering support, professionalism, and service to Amigos Members. Their efforts make our work lives and our libraries so much better in so many ways.

I want to express my sincere best wishes to Jennifer Goodson as she begins her term as Chair of the Amigos Board of Directors. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Jennifer during our time on the Amigos Board, particularly during the activities that have culminated in the merger. She is a dedicated and consummate professional, and I know she is the right person to lead this newly united organization as we move forward into what should be a truly exciting year.

And most importantly, I want to welcome MLNC's members and staff to Amigos. Your presence makes us stronger as an organization, and your contributions will surely benefit us all. As Bonnie Juergens said following the May Amigos Members vote, "Now we are one!"