Dear Members,

Happy Holidays! The end of the year has arrived and as I look back on the last twelve (12) months, I am proud of the year we've had and the successes we have achieved.

We have had an outstanding year of programs with well-known and respected nationally recognized ATD speakers and local experts with a wide range of topics, ranging from team engagement, performance consulting, panel discussions, e-Learning, and facilitation skills. We have an excellent attendance rate of twenty-nine (29) people per month which includes both members and non-members. Besides our monthly programs, this year we saw growth in our virtual programs as well. On average, our virtual programs have twenty (20) participants in attendance on topics ranging from persuasive communication, change management, and trends in e-Learning technology. For the second year in a row, we had an outstanding turnout at our Mix and Mingle event that we co-sponsor with the International Coaching Federation and the National Speakers Association.

This year we have pushed to increase our social media presence and better the look and feel of our web site. In fact, our web site is now mobile friendly! We continue to communicate with our members and non-members via social media outlets. If you haven't liked us or connected with us yet on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter, we hope that you will do so soon!

We continue to be very healthy in our membership and financially. We have consistently added new members this year and are preparing for the influx of new members next year with the International Conference and Exposition (ICE) being hosted in Denver. Financially, we are in excellent shape and have enough money to cover expenses for the coming year.

This year, the Rocky Mountain Chapter was honored with three (3) Sharing our Success (SOS) awards. The purpose of this award is to share our best practices with other chapters to improve chapter services and management. Our first SOS award was submitted in late 2014 and awarded in 2015 for the strategic approach and partnership we took to find our VP of Finance. Our second SOS awarded was for the approach and achievement of the rebranding we completed. Our most recent SOS awarded was for our sustainable CPLP Virtual Study Group. Within the last two years, Rocky Mountain Chapter has exploded into an award winning chapter and we plan to continue this legacy next year and beyond.

The success that Rocky Mountain Chapter has experienced is largely in part to our committed board members and all the hard work that they put into their leadership roles. Our volunteers are an integral part to executing our monthly events and deserve tremendous recognition. We also say thank you to the many speakers who have volunteered their time to share their passion and knowledge with our members. Of course, our chapter would not exist if it were not for our members. We are more than two hundred members strong and your commitment, feedback, and passion for our industry keeps us going as a successful ATD chapter.

After my three (3) years of board member experience, I feel truly honored to see the growth of the chapter and watch us meet our potential. I am honored that I was elected to lead your chapter this year. As I pass the torch to your next president, Robin Doss, I am confident that with her leadership and the amazing board that is in place for 2016, the success we've had thus far is only the tip of the ice berg.

Cheers and happy holidays to you and your family.

Very Truly Yours,

Michele Padilla

2015 President