Dear Western District Members,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Before checking out for the holidays, please see below for our final Call for Papers (deadline on 12/20) for the upcoming 2022 District Annual Meeting!

Some additional events to be aware of as we head into 2022 include:

• ITE International Awards open on January 1
  (https://www.ite.org/professional-and-career-development/awards/)
• Western District Student Leadership Summit hosted by San Jose State, January 28-30 (https://sjsuite.weebly.com/)
• Registration and hotel reservations now available for 2022 District Annual Meeting (Palm Springs, June 26-29): https://westernite.org/annualmeeting/

When I first started my ITE journey as a university student, I never imagined it would lead me here and to so many incredible people along the way. As my term comes to a close, I have a few words of gratitude and thoughts to share:

• To our Western District Committee Chairs and volunteers, our District would not accomplish all that it does without your tireless work. Though it may seem thankless at times, you please consider this a big THANK YOU on behalf of all our members for making a positive impact on our industry.
• To my fellow District Officers: Cathy, Mark, Neelam, Joe, and Kim, thank you for your day-to-day support and for the warm welcome when I first joined as Secretary/Treasurer. Through the untold hours of meticulous budgeting debates, policy discussions, and Annual Meeting fun, it has been a pleasure to work alongside you and draw from your passion. I am very fortunate to have served with this group of individuals.
• To our Western District members, thank you for entrusting me with this leadership role and thank you for staying engaged. Despite having the world turned upside down on us, you adapted to virtual events, stuck with us through a technical hiccup or two, and our District is thriving. I look forward to seeing you in person at our next Annual Meeting soon!
• Last but certainly not least, I owe a heartfelt thank you to Neelam Dorman for her encouragement in taking those early steps on this journey. To Cathy Leong for her careful guidance during my time on the Board. To Mark Spencer and Dalene J. Whitlock for their advice along the way, whether big or small – it did not go unnoticed. In the spirit of our MiteY Mentorship program, you’ve all been mentors to me in one way or another.

It has been an honor to serve as your Western District President. Joe, the District is thriving and I am confident it will still see brighter days ahead under your leadership – I wish you the best!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a safe and happy New Year!

Sincerely,
Giancarlo Ganddini
President, ITE Western District