Ladies and Gentlemen,

As we come to the close of another year, I'd like to extend to you my warmest wishes for this holiday season.

I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Happy New Year from the IAATI Western Regional Chapter Executive Board, as well as from my personal family.

Please have a safe season, and I look forward to seeing you in 2008.

2007 was a year of growth in the IAATI WRC, with our membership growing almost two-fold thanks to IAATI providing a complimentary membership to those who attended two IAATI WRC events, the 2007 WSATI Training Seminar in San Diego, CA, and the 2007 CATI - Rocky Mountain Vehicle Crimes Training Seminar in Glenwood Springs, CO. Now it is up to you, as new IAATI WRC members, to see the benefits of continuing your membership in IAATI and "re-upping" when your memberships expire at the end of 2008. This was definitely a year of strong support and commitment from the 2006-2007 IAATI President Tommy Hansen, the 2007-2008 IAATI President Bobby Southard, and the IAATI Executive Director John Abounader, as well as the rest of the IAATI Executive Board.

The biggest benefits of IAATI is your ability to "network" with peers throughout the world, to receive updated information via the APB and the eNEWS, and to be kept aware of current trends and information via email messages from the IAATI President, the IAATI Executive Director, and the IAATI WRC President. For any information coming via email, and to be allowed online access to the IAATI Membership Directory, you must sign up for the "Member's Only" section at the IAATI.org website. You must have your member number and name. If you do not know the information, please contact me. During 2007 the number of people signed on to "Member's Only" almost tripled. It only takes a few minutes, and you can gain so much from being a "Member's Only" recipient.

The new IAATI WRC President, Skip Davidson, takes over as President on January 1, 2008. He will be supported by a great IAATI WRC Executive Board that assisted me, 1st VP Rick Greenwood, 2nd VP J.D. Hough, and 3rd VP Jim Kautz. I was also able to depend on 2006 IAATI WRC Past President Dave Petrelli. Stepping up to assist in 2008 will be 4th VP Frank Graber.

IAATI WRC will continue to grow in 2008, with some ideas that came up at the IAATI WRC Executive Board Meeting at the IAATI Training Seminar in Phoenix. Soon there will be the online ability to to find membership information for association members within the IAATI WRC jurisdiction whether they are IAATI members or not. And soon there will be an IAATI WRC e-Newsletter covering activities and information provided by the associations within the IAATI WRC jurisdiction. Once again, to receive any email offerings, you will have to be a "Member's Only" recipient. For more information on either of these new ideas, contact 2008 IAATI WRC 1st VP Rick Greenwood at rgreenwood@wrciaati.org.

In closing, I just wish to say it was an honor to serve you as the 2007 IAATI WRC President. I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people, make a lot of new friends, and to add to the size of my professional family. If any of you would like to become future Executive Officers or Regional Directors, please contact the Executive Board at eboard@wrciaati.org to let the Executive Board know of your interest.

Have a Healthy, Happy 2008.

Sincerely,
Gary Labb
2007 Western Regional Chapter President

Click Here to view the President's October 7, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the Past President's October 7, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the Past President's September 8, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the President's July 1, 2008 Message

Click Here to view the President's May 28, 2008 Message