APRS President's message.

Maybe it was karma or just dumb luck, but I had an epiphany recently and found the direction for this brief message. I happened to be talking with a young professional who was interested in why I thought professional involvement was important. I've talked many, many times about this topic, yet for some reason, this time the message had a different spin. So, here's what I've decided to be worth the ink in my pen, and more important, the time you spend reading on.

Often, those of us who have committed to our professional organizations, whether they're local, state or national, get involved for a variety of reasons. Maybe we're just plain dogooders who feel some sense of duty, obligation or responsibility to step up to the plate and fill a committee seat; it might be because we get coerced or persuaded by a colleague who needs to fill a position and thinks we would be great for the job; it might be that we think getting involved looks good on our resume; or maybe, just maybe, we get involved because we really want to--we find that it's better to get in the game and do something to help the cause rather than sitting back and letting others drive the ship. Whatever the motivation, many of those who commit to their professional organizations believe that it matters.

What I would like to do as I bid adieu as president of APRS is send my sincere thanks to all those who have committed time, effort, blood, sweat and tears to this organization. This applause and fanfare goes to those who contribute to the good of the overall cause--professionals who have not only been committed to their positions and agencies, but to those who have indeed dedicated themselves to their profession.

To whom do I refer? The list of APRS members who have assumed leadership positions and have chosen to move and shake is long and distinguished.

To those who coordinate efforts to offer grants to small states that have a difficult time affording presenters for their state conferences; to those who coordinate the creative programming session Call of the Wild, one of the most popular sessions at the national Congress in each of its four years; to those who plan and coordinate the annual auction each year; to those who work diligently in the area of diversity and inclusion, offering open forums for members to speak their minds on the topic; to those who coordinate Keeping You Current and to those who submit the many informative articles necessary to fill its pages; to those who spend immeasurable hours accrediting agencies and universities; to those who serve on the certification board working to validate the importance of certification; to those who spend their time working with the Student Branch to assist students with their transition into the field; to those who work with parks and recreation educators to host the Research Roundtable each year; and to the many others not mentioned here who commit their energies to making our field a great one ... you should all be proud!

These days, joiners seem to be more of the minority than the majority. With the impending evolution that the National Recreation and Park Association is facing, it's of the utmost importance that there continue to be active member leaders who guide the direction of NRPA. We must be reminded that our professional organization is only as good as we make it. And of course, one of it's primary purposes is to serve its members--that's all of us!

So it is with this that I put my pen down (actually, I'm typing this) and step down off my soap box (actually, I'm in my desk chair). I hope you will, at the very least, appreciate all that many of your colleagues and peers do in terms of leadership within this organization. They truly are special professionals and, more important, leaders.--Jamie Sabbach, CPRP, APRS President