FROM THE PRESIDENT :

Spring is almost here, according to my calendar anyway, and as such, time for my inaugural column as chapter president. Before I tell you a little about myself, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Frank Flack for the outstanding job he did as president this past year. The chapter’s financial standing is strong, with an active membership approaching 200 in 2012. I can only hope to continue the high standards he has set for the chapter during his tenure. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Scott Schlueter as our new Secretary-Treasurer. Scott will work closely with Scott Jones, our current Secretary-Treasurer, over the next year to ensure a smooth transition. Mr. Jones’ performance over the past several years was invaluable to the chapter’s success, and he will be missed dearly. Please extend a special thanks to him over the coming year if you get a chance. Finally, we’ve enlisted the services of Geof Eckerlin as part of our Communications Committee in an effort to develop additional means to “get the word out” regarding chapter news and business. Welcome Geof.

This year’s chapter meeting in Watertown, NY was a huge success.  Great job Frank! We had a total of 115 registered participants, of which 16 were students. Congratulations to our award winners:

Conservationist of the Year – Carlton Goodwin
Student travel awards – William Fetzer, Christina Killourhy, Scott George, and Konstantine Rountos
Dave Bryson Memorial Scholarship Award – William Fetzer
Best Student Talk – Scott George
Best Student Poster – Alex Alexoides and Arthur Sinicropi

One of my main priorities as president of NYCAFS will be to explore options to increase chapter membership. In my opinion, the greatest asset the chapter provides is information exchange, and the more members we have, the greater the opportunity to develop ideas and knowledge from a diverse knowledge base. I’ll be continually looking for ways to increase membership so please don’t hesitate to contact me with your thoughts or ideas.

Finally, we are currently working on arrangements and the theme for our next chapter meeting. Right now, we are considering several locations around the state but hope to settle on a final destination over the next couple of months. The theme and associated program are even less certain and suggestions or ideas are welcome.

Tony VanDeValk, President