As my two years as HEUG president come to a close with the upcoming Alliance conference, I am most pleased to let you know that the HEUG board has elected Kari Branjord from the University of Colorado as the next president of the HEUG. We had an extraordinary opportunity this year to select a president from two exceptionally prepared leaders, Kari and Dave Baugh from the University of Louisville. Both had a huge level of experience with HEUG, with the products and with technology, and both were ready to be president. The board had a very difficult decision to make and that was evidenced by the margin of one vote that determined the next president. In reality, the HEUG is the winner in this election having had both of these dedicated individuals working on behalf of our members.
The presidency of the HEUG has been an honor for me, not because of what I have done but because of the nature of what we have been able to do together. This is an organization which works for its members, bringing together people from many institutions, states and countries who want to share, to support each other and to help each other to be successful. I have said many times that what separates HEUG from many other user groups is the willingness for all of us to be candid, to help each other to avoid mistakes that we have made, to share our successses, to teach each other and to learn from each other. Every day, the level of communications among our members, in the forums, on blogs, in direct emails, shows the extent of that sharing.
Kari has a huge task ahead of her. Like every member of our board, our PAGs, and our conference teams, she is a volunteer who has to balance her work for her institution with her workload for the HEUG. It is not an easy task. I have great confidence that Kari is up to it. I know you will share that confidence and wish her the best of everything as she begins her presidency at Alliance 2010... See you all there...stan