Dear DCLA Membership,

I take this opportunity to introduce myself as the 2012-2013 President of our Association. This is my third year serving on the Board, and it is an honor to have your trust to guide us forward in the coming year.

My first action as President was to convene the annual DCLA Board retreat, at which time the Board welcomes and orients new Board members, engages in exercises to bring us together as a team, and begins planning programs and activities for the coming year. In 2012-13, we welcome Amanda Wilson, Department of Transportation, as Vice-President/President-Elect, and Vickie Crawley, Library of Congress, as Director. Megan Sheils becomes Immediate Past-President. Barbara Conaty, Jessica McGilvray, Karen Quash, Roman Santillan, and Rebecca Trinite continue in their respective roles.

This year, at the suggestion of Past-President Richard Huffine, I invited Susan Fifer-Canby, also a DCLA Past-President, to lead the Board in strategic planning with an outcome of short-term and multi-year goals for the Board. We had an incredibly fruitful planning session. In the next couple of weeks, look for the announcement of our Strategic Plan and action goals.

The Board is setting an ambitious agenda for the year, and we know it will be successful with your involvement and participation. DCLA has been an all-volunteer organization since 1894. It is up to you to shape the association to be what you want it to be.

To that end, please feel free to send comments, questions, ideas, and feedback to me at any time in the next year at jprotka@corcoran.org.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Protka

DCLA President 2012-13