APA Div. 28 President Column

Time certainly does fly when you're having fun. It is hard to believe that this is my final column as Div. 28 president and that my term is coming to an end. Although this job certainly requires lots of hard work, I truly enjoyed the experience. I am thankful and honored to have been able to represent such a distinguished group of scientists and educators. I think this has been a successful year for the division (but, see below) and I have a lot of people to thank. First and foremost, guidance and support from our Past President Ellen Walker and President-elect Stacey Sigmon were invaluable. Second, Matt Weaver put together a terrific program for convention this year that served as a showcase for the tremendous work that our members do. I came away with new research ideas and am hoping you did, too. Third, the Div. 28 Executive Committee, especially Kelly Dunn and Jane Acri, played a crucial role in keeping me on track.

I also want to congratulate our newly elected officers: David Festinger, our president-elect designate, and Cecile Marczinski, our incoming member-at-large. David and Cecile officially begin their service in 2016, but they have already become active in the Executive Committee. I know that they will make vital contributions to Div. 28's future success.

In response to the growing presence of social media in our daily lives, I formed an ad hoc social media committee, with Jin Yoon serving as chair. Thank you, Jin, and welcome. The social media committee is just starting out, but you may have noticed their work with the hashtags, daily updates and tweets that went out through our email list during convention. I heard a lot of positive feedback about these innovations in advertising our program, so it is clear that the social media committee has already had a positive impact on the activities of the division. I am looking forward to seeing what else they come up with to invigorate our social media presence.

We are all busy people and I'm sure you have something else competing for your time right now, so, I am going to keep this column short and sweet. But, before I close, I want to give you a third communication challenge. In my first column, I asked you to talk to the public. In my second, I asked you to talk to each other. Now, in my third, I'm asking you to talk to us, the leadership of Div. 28. As I mentioned above, I think that 2015 was a great year for Div. 28. We had a fantastic convention, our treasury is in good shape and there are strong leaders in place who will build on our past successes. But, that's just my perception and I am likely biased. We would love to hear from you, the Div. 28 members, about how you think the division is doing. The division is only as strong as its members, so it is important that you feel engaged and excited about division activities. What are we doing well? What can we do better? Are there things that are being overlooked? Do you want to serve in a leadership role? Please feel free to email me with questions, comments or thoughts and I will do my very best to address them in collaboration with the Div. 28 Executive Committee in my final months as president. If we don't have a resolution, I will be sure to pass them on to our incoming president, Stacey Sigmon.

Thanks again for your confidence in me. It's been a wonderful ride.