WINDING DOWN

A board meeting

I just finished my second term of 3-years as President of the Board of Directors. Suffolk chapter AHRC is a $73 million agency that helps give meaning to the lives of people with physical and mental disabilities.

In my first term there were some major issues that needed a decision and in my second term, the same thing happened.

It can be a thankless job, it requires the ability to upset the status quo and deliver decisions that might run contrary to popular beliefs. People judge without the full understanding of why you do something and you need to keep your cool and lay it out for them. In spite of all that it is the greatest privilege to serve this population and to this day I still serve them.

Installation of the board's new term

I also served on the statewide board, as a Board of Governor’s, the ARC of NYS, which is comprised of some 49 or so other chapters from the balance of counties in the state. It required going to conventions to Albany twice a year and many regional meetings in upstate NYS.

Since I divested myself of the state board I can feel a little better about my time, the idea of the traveling and meetings were burning me out, and so I decided to let someone else do it. Over 25-years of one thing can be enough.

Fred Salzburg, one of the best

I made a lot of friends on that board, have personally accomplished things I am proud of and as the president made one decision I am most proud of. The same people over and over again through the years have run the board, leaving out people that could of and should have contributed more of their time and energy, let alone their brain power. These are people dedicated and helpful who were shut out. This was not deliberate, just the culture of what we learned to accept. That one decision was to appoint a search committee to find a new CEO for our agency since the present one is retiring at the end of the year.

New people deciding the future is exciting, new people who are younger and have energy will bring it all to the table. The old school I am sure thinks this is a risk! I have every confidence it isn’t. On the state board, again we are sending two representatives to Albany to infuse new thinking, representation, and vigor.

I got an email recently announcing the next regional meeting and feel good that I am not going, a load lifted!