Our 89th Annual Michigan Federation State Convention will be held later this week, and I want you to know we still have room for you if you can make this event. You can still get a room at Boyne Mountain & I will make sure that we have room for you at the table. We have lots of special treats lined up for you that includes great guest speakers, professional development sessions, invaluable information that will have an effect on you as a member, plus wonderful meals and receptions planned for your enjoyment. The Grand Mountain Lodge at Boyne Mountain is a wonderful destination resort that will be pleased to be of service to you.

This year Michigan will have the honor of having one of our very own Michigan members installed as our National President. Past State President Barb Henton will be only the 5th National President that hails from Michigan. Please plan to attend the National Conference in Reno, NV in July this summer. It will be a grand experience to share in her installation.

As a Federation, we have been under-going many changes, except changes to continue as your leadership attempts to bring BPW into the global market place. We must be willing to accept some changes to insure our place in the future. We can expect that technology will be an even more important method of staying connected and used as a means of conducting our BPW business. The use of conference calling across town, across a state and across the nation will be another way of holding a meeting. We already use it in a limited manner, but in will become more common place in the near future. This can be a good thing for all of us.

Many things have been accomplished behind the scenes this year in an effort to lay the ground work to build upon. A few years ago I said we must lay a solid foundation on which we can soar to greater heights. Now that many foundation parts are in place, it’s now time to build up. I have great expectations in our regions for the future. Your leadership did not act in haste with appointments of our new regional coordinators. We knew we want to have just the right people in these key positions. We conducted a state wide search, did extensive interviews of applicants, and wrote job descriptions that encompassed the responsibilities to a region and the Executive Committee. Only after that was completed could the President-elect made the final appointment announcements, which took place this spring. As your state president, I am very pleased with the outcome.

It has been an honor for me to be your state president. You all have taught me much, you have given freely of your time with me, and we have worked together as team members for this federation. I thank you for the opportunity. Your new board to take the lead now, they will continue with this work in progress, for our BPW future.
I look forward to seeing all of you at convention.

Penny Modlin
BPW/Michigan President