Past Presidents’ Farewell Message
President’s Farewell Message:
As I step down from the DC EAPA President’s position, I would like to thank each and every one of you for giving me this opportunity to serve you. I have found that this chapter’s President is always fully supported, has an amazing Board, positive feedback is given, and everyone is pulling in the same direction. It has been a time of success, dilemmas and above all, significant learning. I have found it to be very satisfying and I have learned much more about EAPA International and our profession. I will miss it, although I am looking forward to going back and sitting where you are!
It is always expected that leadership will have its challenges, but no one imagined that 2020 would bring us a global crisis. Not only did we EAPs have to make rapid changes in service delivery in our own workplaces, but the chapter had to pivot quickly to continue our meetings. Thanks to the flexibility and technical expertise of our board members, we were able to change to a Zoom format. It has been a very affirming experience. The corona virus has been an epic test of character and determination for millions of people around the world; for us it has been a test of our adaptability and grace under pressure.
To my board of Directors, 1st Vice-President Kristin Scholl, 2nd Vice-president Rachel Kaufmann, Secretary Amy Williamson, Treasurer Bob Norton, and Jeff Becker, our Webmaster, I would like to say congratulations for passing the test. Your resilience and determination to continue to serve the membership continued to thrive during this period. I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work to pulling off the monthly meetings on a digital platform. There is a saying that you are as good as your team. I have had a great team, committed individuals who shared in the bigger vision for our chapter.
To the members of DC EAPA, thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you and the support you gave us thus far. You remain our greatest asset. Your patience with us as we navigated the technology and changes in speaker schedules has been much appreciated. .As we endeavor to expand our membership, it has to start with current members. Let’s plant the seed among members with potential in leadership and mentor them as it will eventually help the board and the chapter.
To the EAPA International Office, we appreciate your commitment to supporting this chapter. Greg DeLapp, Chris Drake, Shirley Springfloat, Julie Rochester- your guidance and feedback have helped us tremendously as we transitioned to the new normal. Special thanks as always to Dottie Blum and Evelyn Joy for guiding us through the election process.
I am happy to hand the baton to Amy Williamson. She will be an excellent Chapter President and she will be supported by the newly elected board. Amy brings a grace and freshness of spirit that reflects her dedication to this chapter. I wish her the very best, a successful tenure and continued growth. We will continue to be here for her and the new board.
As for the incoming board, the secret is stay in touch with each other and have fun. We always ensured that we met at least three times a year, whether in person or via a Zoom meeting. We exiting officers will fully support the incoming board members. I have received support from the immediate past and past presidents of this chapter, which helped me grow in my role.
I would also like to thank all the presenters we have had in the last two years. We have worked to give you, the membership, a variety of topics but also to give you salient information as we navigated the unknown Covid-19 waters. Please let the new board know if there are any topics they can look into.
With EAPA membership dropping nationwide and our own chapter experiencing a decline in membership (we have half the members we had in 2016), we need to continue to attract EAP professionals, treatment center representatives and graduate student interns in the Metro DC area. Easier said than done, I know, but – other chapters around Washington, DC have folded or are inactive due to lack of interest. We need to keep looking for ways to accentuate the positives of membership and give you the best meetings possible.
I have been a member of this chapter for over 20 years and I am amazed how quickly those years have passed. I have had the honor of serving two terms as treasurer and one as president. We can’t keep looking back, we need to look forward and keep reinventing ourselves as we strive to stay relevant. Even though I have moved to Albuquerque, NM in my new position as Director of Behavioral Health for Albuquerque Fire and Rescue, I will continue to stay as a member of the DC EAPA Chapter and I look forward to witnessing our chapter flourish as it serves its members.
Be well, stay safe and take good care of yourselves and each other.
Yours in Service,
Maia Dalton-Theodore, LCSW, SAP
