Parting Words From Jan Addison, CFE

During the last year, I’ve been experiencing a lot of “lasts.” Last summer, I attended VenueConnect for the last time and, in the fall, the International Convention Center Conference for the last time. This will be the last time I will be sending information to all IAVM members and HQ staff. I will be retiring Wednesday, March 2. Cleaning out my office and files has been a roller coaster ride down memory lane. You all have been an important part of my life for well over 20 years. It is impossible to touch base with each of you personally, so I am reaching out through this message to say thanks for sharing your expertise over the years, quickly responding to my numerous phone calls/email on various crazy topics, and for your friendships, which will continue to be priceless.

To new members of IAVM and others, I am going to take this last opportunity to encourage each of you to become active in IAVM. Don’t sit on the sidelines. IAVM is your organization, so if you haven’t expressed an interest in joining a committee, now is the time to do so. It doesn’t matter what position you hold at your venue. Stephen Covey once said, “Leadership is a Choice, not a Position.” IAVM needs your leadership and, whether you realize it or not, by committing your time and energy to IAVM, you will reap more benefits than I can possibly relay in this short message. In addition to committee work, include becoming a graduate of Venue Management School, obtaining your CVP and/or your CFE on your list of personal goals, if you haven’t already done so.

I’ve talked about a lot of “lasts,” but am looking forward to a lot of “firsts” around the bend. In addition to spending more time with family and traveling, I plan to devote more time enhancing my photography skills, like the picture I took of the gator recently. No, I wasn’t that brave, or rather that stupid, to be eye-to-eye with him; that’s what long lenses are for.

I know you all have work to do and I need to get back to cleaning out my files, but I didn’t want to miss this last opportunity of saying thank you once again and I will truly miss seeing you on a regular basis. I know you take good care of your venues, but remember to take good care of yourselves, also. We are supposed to work to live, not live to work but somehow in this business that balancing act isn’t always balanced in the right direction. Enjoy!