Being Thankful for Our Involved Members and Volunteers

In this season of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for all the volunteers this year. They have been a real blessing and we truly appreciate their involvement. We had some new board members step up into their roles. As a collective we had great ideas and events that really gave back to the members. Volunteers have been working hard behind the scenes and at the events to ensure everyone had a worthwhile CLCA experience.

This year we had members from all over come to our events and offer input for future events. Past state presidents and chapter presidents attending and contributing to our events made them even more special. It is truly wonderful to see our people give back and to care about our industry. We owe a lot to those who volunteered and blazed the path for us.

I am especially thankful for our board members who kept fighting the good fight in spite of Covid, water restrictions, and not being able to meet in person for most of the year. One of the major benefits of CLCA membership is networking with our chapter members and those from up and down the state. When that was shut down, any momentum we may have had in our chapter ground to a halt. I am thankful that we were eventually able to regain our momentum with a series of successful events and look forward to a great year next year under the leadership of our 2023 CI President Ivan Salazar.

New members, I’m glad we finally got to see you in person this year. We welcome you with open arms and encourage you to become active and stay active. With Covid more or less behind us, we look forward to a lot of fun and educational events with new and old CI members, as well as joint chapter events with San Fernando Valley Chapter.

Volunteering – and that’s what we are doing with our involvement in this chapter – is very rewarding and helps you, the chapter, and the community. It gives us opportunities to strive for something greater. Thank you all for the support you have given me this year as your Chapter President. It has been an honor.

~Kyle Hillendahl, 2022 Channel Islands Chapter President