Growing into the New Year

Hello and Happy New Year! What a year it has been! When I was first asked to join the executive committee, I definitely did not imagine that I’d be serving as Vice-President and President during a pandemic. The board and I went into this with specific goals and timelines, which have had to be reset multiple times. While things have not always progressed in the exact manner that we hoped, circumstances enabled us to reset, reprioritize and to take extra time to ensure that all the advancements we are making are exactly as we need them to be. This, in turn, will enable VNLA to continue to grow and better represent its members.

Through everything, I have been able to rely on a strong Board of Directors and Executive Committee. On top of that, we have been fortunate to have an Executive Director who has the VNLA’s best interests at heart and who is diligent in making sure that even the finest details are addressed. More than anything, I was very fortunate to have Christopher Brown Jr. serving as Past-President this year. His board experience and guidance have been invaluable and will be greatly missed. While he will be moving on from the executive committee, we look forward to him staying involved in other ways.

As my term has come to a close, I find comfort in passing the position along to Jeff Howe, with Chris Dowdy as a strong VP to support him. Jeff has been actively involved on so many committees and brings with him a level of passion that will make things happen. He will have a strong executive committee and board to collaborate with, and I am confident that the association will thrive under his leadership in the coming year. Many things the board has been working on the past several years will be put into action and tested this next year, and Jeff will be diligent to see them through to the next step.

It has truly been a pleasure to serve as VNLA President. Know that I will spend my time as Past-President doing everything I can to connect with our members better and to find new board members who will help propel us forward and continue to give us a voice with our legislators and communities. If you think you or a staff member could be that person, please let me know. We strive to have a diverse board to better serve our membership, and we are always looking for people who are passionate about key issues facing our industry. While we do our best to represent our members, we know that it takes a unified voice and encourage you to be an active part of that voice.

In closing, I would like to thank each and every one of our members and partners for your trust and involvement. Keep pushing forward, telling your stories and helping our industry and businesses grow!

All the Best,

Seana Ankers

VNLA President

Sankers.vnla@gmail.com

571-419-7228