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There was a wide range of experience levels, and those of us (including myself) who have not before been involved in the governance of our society were able to learn a tremendous amount from the past and current Student Steering Committee members. With several sections having been recently reinstated, there was a lot of focus on methods for recruiting and maintaining new members. I'm particularly excited about the location of the AGM in Bellevue for the four Pacific Northwest programs at at the Universities of British Columbia, Washington, Western Washington, and Victoria. No event on the SNAME calendar holds as much value for its diverse members, students and professional alike. The rare proximity of the event will allow us to bring many more students than in previous years. It will be a pleasure to introduce our sections to those from other regions, and expand our networks with global industry leaders.

I must extend my particular thanks to Gil, Weston, and Dr. Boutwell, who led the discussions and have been pivotal leaders in establishing the role of our student sections in the society at large. It was inspiring to hear first-hand of their successes and failures through their respective levels of leadership within the SSC. The most consistent theme through all of the lessons and anecdotes was that any successful initiative must be a team effort. Motivating others to take ownership of the innumerable details is key in implementing change. This will be practiced in the establishing and expansion of outreach programs for all levels of students, as well as the organization of established and growing university sections. 

Upon taking the role as chairman of our section, it was clear that the workload and commitments would be great. I'm gratified to report that the support network of professionals and students is equally great, and I confidently expect that the challenges ahead of us will eventually become great successes in teamwork. My friends and colleagues, lets get to work!