Dear Association Members and Friends,
“Wherever we look upon this earth, the opportunities take shape within the problems.” (Nelson Rockefeller)
While spending a week in Detroit for the AIG Board Meeting and Fall Conference, it occurred to me that the city would not be where it is today but for the problems it has experienced over the past 15 years. Among those problems were financial insolvency, bankruptcy and many high profile public corruption prosecutions that resulted in city leaders being sent to prison. But, like the sun breaking through after a storm, out of those problems arose opportunities and rebirth. It is gratifying to see how the people of Detroit have enthusiastically seized those opportunities to turn the city around. The evidence is plain to see. You can see it walking the streets and feel it talking to the people. The dawn of a new day in Detroit became especially evident, in part, because of the creation and empowerment of a City Inspector General. That’s called putting your money where your mouth is, and it made the decision to bring the 2015 AIG Fall Conference to Detroit an easy one.
By all measures, this year’s Fall Conference was a great success, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the attendees, speakers and exhibitors. Thanks again to AIG Executive Director Phil Zisman and his staff, and Professor Ned Benton and the folks at John Jay College for their hard work and support of AIG. I especially want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Detroit IG James Heath, Deputy IG Kamau Marable and their staff for everything they did to make this conference a success. One recurring theme from Detroit is that the IG profession is noble and valuable. It was good for everyone to be reminded of that.
The AIG Board also met in Detroit and received election results. Eleven Board Members were elected or re-elected to new 3-year terms as follows:
Stephen B. Street, Jr.
Melinda Miguel
Barry Kluger
Howard Schwartz
Austin E. Onwualu
Mary T. Cagle
Natalie S. Monroe
John A. Carey
June W. Jennings
Daniel W. Lucas
Richard David Holmgren
We also elected three new members of the Executive Committee as follows:
Howard Schwartz
John Gasiorowski
Randal Meyer
Please join me in welcoming our new Board Members: Mary Cagle, Natalie Monroe, John Carey, June Jennings, Daniel Lucas and Richard Holmgren.
I believe the success of the Detroit conference has set the table perfectly for us to celebrate our 20th Anniversary in Boston next year. Thanks to Massachusetts IG Glenn Cunha for allowing members of his staff to come to Detroit to provide valuable information to our conference attendees about Boston. The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Boston from November 16-18, 2016, and promises to be fantastic. Save the dates, everybody.
Respectfully,
Stephen B. Street, Jr., AIG National President
