Dear Western District Members,

Happy New Year!  Hard to believe the new year is upon us and it is 2022 already. Where did 2020 and 2021 go? We are all hopeful for more connections and renewed in-person activities this year. As of January 1, 2022, the Western District Board begins a new term and we welcome Doug Smith as our new Secretary/Treasurer. The new Board also includes new Section Representatives representing all of District’s eleven Sections.  I look forward to working with all our new Section Representatives and Officers in the coming months to continue the great work in the District on behalf of ITE.

The new year has already kicked off with our Mid-Year Board Meeting which was held on January 21^st. The meeting included updates from all the District’s Officers, Committee Chairs, and Section Representatives regarding activities for their respective positions since the Annual Board Meeting in June 2021. Other notable topics for discussion included the nomination of candidates for awards and candidates for the 2023 District Officers, review of the current District finances and budget, and open discussion with Section Representatives.  The discussion with the Section Representatives is a great forum to hear the state-of-the-section reports and collaborate on topics affecting the membership at the local level. Discussions of virtual, in-person, and hybrid Section meetings were included, as well as any discussions of any challenges the Sections may be facing. This dialog helps the Board to understand what our District’s Sections are doing and if there is any additional support that is required.

Upcoming this weekend is the virtual 2022 Student Leadership Summit, January 28-30th, hosted by the student chapter at San Jose State University.  This is always a great event and program for our District’s student members.

As a reminder, the 2022 ITE Western District Annual Meeting is scheduled for June 26-29, 2021 in Palm Springs at the Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel & Palm Springs Convention Center. Our Western District LAC has been very hard at work coordinating and planning a great meeting!  Go the website for more information and look for schedule updates as they layout an exciting and great technical program!  For those of you who have submitted abstracts for the Annual Meeting, you will be notified if your abstract was selected very soon.  Registration is open and also reserve your hotel rooms now.  We are looking forward to a great meeting!

Sincerely,
Joe De La Garza
President, ITE Western District