Remarkably, we had several members present for the event who were also present for the 90^th celebration, for the 75^th celebration and even for the 50^th celebration. I don’t know many organizations that can boast that degree of loyalty.  I hope that members such as Dr. Geraldine Ray, Maidana Nunn, Mary Woody and others realize how valued you are and how appreciative we are that you were in attendance.

While it has been said before and it will be said again how thankful we all are that we have had such remarkable support in every aspect of preparation, I want to contribute my personal thanks to you Linda, Cindy and the Board of Directors, to Eunice & Diane, event co-chairs, the students, and the incredible group of volunteers from Savannah who accepted this challenge with the grace and charm that brings honor to such an auspicious occasion.

Please allow me to also publicly thank my GNA staff members who each committed in their own personal and professional ways to make this a positive, landmark experience for our members. Linda introduced each of the staff members to you earlier this morning and I know that they are in this room today. I appreciate this opportunity to let our members know that we are quite fortunate to have the skill and talent of extraordinary staff professionals who often times work around the clock on your behalf.  I may not tell them as often as I should, but I am very proud of them.

Speaking of staff, we have experienced a couple of significant retirements this year.  Long-time staff member, Sylvia Smith, retired from GNA last February after 21 years of service. She has redirected her talents to her church and their mission trips.

Another long-time staff member is retiring at the end of this calendar year.  Staff lobbyist, Demetrius Mazacoufa, JD, is cutting back on his lobbying work and after more than a quarter of a century, GNA will have new representation at the Capitol to monitor and assist favorable legislative outcomes for nursing. I don’t take this important staffing decision lightly. It is critical that we have an orderly transition and find an experienced professional, committed to good communication who can properly represent the profession of nursing with integrity.  Work has already begun to gather advise from Demetrius and input specifically from elected GNA stakeholders to fill the lobbyist position in time for the start of the 2008 legislative session.

In the spirit of our theme, “GNA storytelling,” the story that remains the most vivid for me occurred seven years ago when I had been on the job for only three months. The Georgia Department of Transportation dropped by the West Peachtree GNA headquarters building to deliver the ominous news that they were going to take GNA’s building through imminent domain. We had three months to negotiate with the DOT for the value of the building, vacate the premises; buy a new building, renovate it while planning for our annual meeting in Athens, raise the money and end up with a mortgage free asset that did not come from membership dues…. Dr. Debbie Hatmaker was GNA President at the time and Catherine Futch was President of the Georgia Nurses Foundation. It was at this time and under these uncertain circumstances that we all learned just how much could be accomplished through a commitment to a common goal.  The rest of the story as you know had a very happy ending.  All of that is factually recorded in the annals of GNA history. But what may not be so obviously documented is how and why so much was accomplished against what seemed to be some pretty intense obstacles.  I am as clear now as I was then that it was due to a genuine partnership between staff, the elected leadership, and the membership. One based on mutual respect. Absent that advantage—the outcome would have been much different.  And that was the lesson and the “story” to carry forward.

Organizationally our more recent challenges may have been different in nature but a committed and respectful partnership with the membership and between the current elected and staff leadership has similarly reaped good benefits and enhanced stability for the organization. We have all good news to share as we celebrate the past and look forward to the future.

Since the last time we gathered for the membership meeting in 2005 where significant structural changes were adopted by the two-thirds majority,  membership revenues have grown by an incredible 12.3 percent.   This is a remarkable turn around to what had previously been a slow annual decline in membership of about 3 percent each year. These growth statistics have exceeded expectations and are not typical to current association trends.  We are in fact in an enigma.

Important to note is that the increases reflected in membership revenue do not include those monies set aside in the new Growth & Development Fund that was created with those structural changes.  The Growth & Development funds are registered in a line item separate from membership revenues. Those funds are managed and allocated according to the GNA Bylaws by the elected Director of Membership Development and the Regional Coordinators and they are intended to support Chapter growth and participation. This committee elected by the membership meets four times a year to review Chapter requests. Funds from that account have been distributed according to the committee’s instructions to all Chapters who have requested funding and in support of Chapter Chair participation in special group projects like strategic planning.  In fact, all requests made to the Growth & Development Committee by GNA chapters were approved for funding. So that process seems to have taken hold and is working well.

As most of you know only 23 percent of GNA’s annual income is derived from membership dues. So at the same time we are focused on the strategic objective to recruit, retain and service our members, GNA staff also have competing demands to generate the 77 percent of our revenues that come from non-dues. We have good news to report in those areas as well.

In addition to unprecedented increases in SPAC revenues, CE income and sponsorship, MBNA, our credit card affinity program, has been renegotiated. MBNA was bought out by Bank of America about the same time our renewal contract negotiations were due.  I am pleased to report we now have an even stronger financial commitment from Bank of America. The contract commits a significantly increased guaranteed amount each year for the next seven years. I encourage you to learn of several new ways that you can support GNA by utilizing some of the new programming available through Bank of America that bring you additional benefits personally and bring more non dues revenue to GNA.  

I want the best for GNA and for our members. I am confident that you do to. I have no doubt that the founders of GNA over a century ago would be very proud of their organization today.  This is a special moment in time. Happy Anniversary, GNA!

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