Message from the outgoing national president.

(Outgoing National President Audrey Y. Davis gave the following remarks to attendees of the American Society of Military Comptrollers Professional Development Institute on the final night of the PDI.)

It's been a great PDI, hasn't it? I for one have had fun, and I hope you have, too. I'm not going to take a lot of time because I've been reminded that you really don't want to listen to me speak tonight, and I am one of the few things standing between you and the dance floor. But I want to quickly wind the reel back three days ... we started the PDI with a stirring and inspirational opening ceremony that brought tears to our eyes, reminding us of why we're here and why we do the work we do, providing financial management support to the men and women who defend America.

Ken Kreig set the stage, sharing the [Defense] Secretary's imperatives and the transformational challenges we face in today's environment. He challenged us to engage in the conference, learning the tools we all need to accomplish these imperatives and face these challenges.

I heard someone joke about Ken's telling us that it's okay to steal ideas, and then Moose Millard told us to have fun while we're doing it. Yes, at lunch time Moose encouraged us to "lighten up" AND told us that we could have fun and still be professional.

Later that night ... Elvis was in the house! We had a terrific time at the welcome reception eating good food, meeting new people, and dancing. I know I had fun that evening.

The next morning Robin Gerber encouraged us to find our leadership passion and dream just as Eleanor Roosevelt did. We learned from the stories of Eleanor Roosevelt, Heather Whitestone McCallum, and Dr. Ben Carson that it really doesn't matter what difficulties we've faced in our lives because if we take personal responsibility for our own lives, we can go on to accomplish anything we want, achieving our dreams and making a difference in the lives of others.

Heather shared the five-point STARS program her family developed for her--to be positive, to dream big and accomplish our dreams incrementally with short-term goals, to be willing to work hard, to face the challenges in our lives and master our situations, and to have a support team. She reminded us that sometimes we may even be the support for someone else and not even know it.

The chapter fair rocked last night! And then today the Army drill team inspired us with their precision and excellence. It made me proud to be American.

How many people have you been nice to since lunchtime? We still have seven days left to live out the commitment we made to Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson inspired us all with his life story, sharing with us his philosophy for living and showing us what it means to think big. You, too, can dream big dreams and accomplish them, and I know if you really want to, you will.

I ask you what one, two, or three things did you learn this week? What will you take home and share with others? Have you met someone new? If not, you still have tonight.

So, as I close, I say thank you for the opportunity and privilege to serve you as your national president. And I extend special thanks to General McCall, his staff, and the National Executive Committee for the time they took to bring me up to speed this year, allowing me to engage, ask questions, and add value.

Mr. Montelongo, Sir, I pass you this gavel with pride and honor, wishing you much success in the upcoming ASMC year.

Audrey Y. Davis Outgoing National President, ASMC