PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

BRIAN HENRY, 2024 CHAPTER PRESIDENT

Park West Landscape Management

Happy… August? Is that really the month we are in? 2024 is just flying by so fast. For CAI-GRIE, the first seven months have been a bit of a blur. We switched and are embracing our new website/registration system Glue Up! We are still learning all the capabilities of this new platform and are working diligently with the developer to enhance the site and make it more userfriendly for all our members. This helps build a new foundation for the Chapter because it provides better visibility and allows for a more seamless integration with the other software needed to run this Chapter effectively. We know that this tool will ultimately help us for many, many years to come.

Our Education Committee has worked very hard to produce six successful educational programs and luncheons to date. Each event has been very informative, providing wonderful content to enhance the lives of our managers and homeowner leaders. Our next program is scheduled for September 11 at Pechanga in Temecula. This will be our Economic Forecast with Dr. Raymond Sfeir from Chapman University. Since this will also be our Annual Meeting, we encourage everyone to come out and support the Chapter and learn the results of our election of Directors for the Board.

Social networking is always a great time with CAI-GRIE. This year we sprinkled some new events into the calendar to spice things up. One of these events, the Comedy Night for CLAC at the Ontario Improv, produced a fun evening of entertainment and lots of laughs. We also just completed our Wine Tour in June. Members enjoyed a fun-filled day in Temecula wine country, living it up at three wineries and partaking in a relaxing atmosphere. We have three more new events this year: Team Trap Shooting, which will be held at Prado Olympic Shooting Park in September; a Concert for CLAC in October, with the critically acclaimed band Flashpants, held at the Haven City Market in Rancho Cucamonga; and our Chapter Holiday Party in December so we can all come together to celebrate our achievements for the year We hope that these new events will have a large turnout and create memorable experiences. Thank you, Special Events Committee, for all of your hard work!

One of my absolute favorite events of the year, and I am sure one of yours as well, is right around the corner. Monte Carlo Night is coming up on November 16 and will be held this year at the DoubleTree Hotel in Ontario, but with a bit of a twist … incorporating TOPS Awards into the event to make it an even more extravagant evening. Since we will all be dressed up in our finest, looking spectacular, why not also hold our awards program and celebrate the achievements of our members for their hard work and contributions to not only this chapter but the industry as a whole? The Monte Carlo Committee is working diligently to make this an evening we will all certainly remember!

We recently had an unexpected resignation by our Executive Director, Adam Ybarra. Rest assured that the Board and your Committee Chairs have stepped up to keep the Greater Inland Empire Chapter moving forward. The Board has hired an Interim Executive Director, Joan Urbaniak, who has a wealth of industry knowledge and experience in the role and with CAI-GRIE. We are confident in her ability to keep us running smoothly as we embark on the search for new leadership. As a Board we are already in the process of finding the right candidate for Executive Director, that will work hard, work smart, take accountability, and go above and beyond to make this Chapter the best it can truly be.

We also have some exciting news from the Board of Directors. Greg Borzilleri, Regional Director for Accurate Termite and Pest Control, has agreed to be the CAI-GRIE President Elect for the remainder of 2024 and will become Chapter President in 2025. Greg, we are very grateful for your service throughout the years and for your leadership, and we look forward to your presidency!

As I close out this message, it is fulfilling to see this Chapter come together and forge forward with so much collaboration and effort. TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More is the theme for this year. Many individuals have been going out of their way to make this Chapter what it is, stepping up in times of need to help with any task whenever necessary. Many members already put in long hours at their everyday job and then sacrifice more to help make this Chapter live and thrive. I want to take this time to say THANK YOU!

We encourage our members to get involved and stay involved. Help whenever and wherever you can; your participation and feedback continue to make CAI-GRIE the best it can be!