As I write this, we’re less than a month away from our conference. We have around 500 people registered, including many folks who weren’t able to attend last year and a number of new attendees. It’s going to be awesome!

But I also write this with some sadness, as this marks the last official President’s message before my term ends. I’m grateful to our membership who entrusted me with the incredible honor and tremendous responsibility of serving as Board President. I’m so incredibly proud of our Association, our board, our committee chairs and volunteers, our regions and sections. There is so much great work going on, more than any single person could possibly fathom.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the true heroes of the Association, the people who freely and willingly give an hour here, an hour there, heeding the call to jump in and give back to the industry. I cannot possibly list all of the people who come to mind and are unified in our desire to provide the best possible education and networking opportunities for our members. And you’re continuing to give even in the midst of dealing with some of the greatest challenges in recent memory. You have all contributed to the foundation that will serve future generations — all aimed at protecting our natural resources and providing equitable access to clean water. I cannot tell you how incredibly proud I am to have been your colleague and partner this past year.

Rob Lee and Family at Banff National Park.