NJAPPA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
April 2008

Our Second Annual NJAPPA Conference at the Seaview Marriott is now behind us, and I hope that you were able to attend.  In spite of a soft economy and reductions in educational funding in New Jersey, we were pleased to see an increase in attendance.  In fact, seventy-five registrants were able to make the two-day event.  The title of the Conference was The Three C’s of Communication – Consensus, Cooperation, and Commitment.

The presenters did an excellent job of covering communications in today’s world as well as far in to the future.  Billy Riggs, the owner of “The Positively Magical Attitude,” used his blend of comedy, music, and magic to teach communication skills that we can use in the workplace.  Dr. Rich Yankosky, Chip Stoll, Steve Handfinger, and Joe LaGaipa of Sungard Higher Education, along with J.R. Magee of Cisco Systems, presented their ideas about the present and future of communication delivery hardware and software.  Then on Friday, before we (thirty-five participants) took off for golf, Dr. Steve Sobel, “Speaker Extraordinaire” and the author of “The Good Times Handbook – Your Guide to Positive Living and Exciting Life” finished the conference by explaining how we can motivate our peers and employees by using positive communication techniques.

NJAPPA sincerely appreciates the time that all of the speakers and sponsors took from their busy schedules to inform, enlighten, and entertain our members.

It is time to move on and prepare for our Annual Spring Meeting, which will be on May 1, 2008, starting at 8:00 a.m.  We will be meeting at Rutgers University, and directions and our agenda will be going out shortly.  We will spend the day discussing the construction and remodeling of athletic facilities.  We will also show you some examples of innovative playing fields, so put the date on your calendar now and plan to attend.

May 1, 2008, is an important day for NJAPPA in that we will hold elections for our next year’s officers and directors.  If you are interested in becoming more active in our professional organization and would like information about serving, please email Danny Fuchs at dfuchs@middlesexcc.edu with your questions or offer to nominate yourself for a position.

I am also happy (I think) to announce that my term has expired, and I will be giving up the presidency to an extremely qualified President-Elect who will raise the bar even higher.  At least that is what she promised me.  Please come on May 1, 2008, and welcome Dianne Gravatt of Rutgers as your new President.

See you then!

  

 

Ken Olsen
President