Dear Members and Friends,
Looking at that opening line in this letter it hits me as somewhat ironic. Members and Friends??? It is an ironic opening for a letter here because I would have to consider the members of the Virginia Fire Prevention Association as friends. I could even go on to expand on that and call most of you family.
It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your President these past two years. It was quite exciting at times, very hectic at others. There were a few bumps in the road along the way. What makes this a great organization is the way we all reacted to those bumps. Each member that had an idea or suggestion and wanted to help steer or navigate around one of those bumps had their input carefully considered. The best input and ideas were used in determining a practical solution to help navigate as smoothly as possible around, and most of the time through, critical bumps or issues.
As I had mentioned during the annual meeting on May 20th, if I had nickel or each phone call I made or received, each email or letter that I sent or read or for each trip I made back and forth to Richmond these past two years, I’d have a nice retirement fund going. Being President was almost a full time job.
It has often been said that there is no I in the word TEAM. Some will point out that the letters can spell ME. This wasn’t about me. It was about what a bunch of fire prevention and life safety professionals can accomplish when they put their minds to it. I like to tell the ME people with team that if you flip that M over you now have a W and that allows us to spell WE. That’s exactly what took place these past two years, WE did it.
While we did not win all the fights that we were involved in, we did triumph and overcame some insurmountable odds prevailing in some major battles. Everything that was done was done for the good of the citizens of the Commonwealth. After all, it is those citizens that we look after. It is those citizens that we work so hard to make a difference for. It is those same citizens that we diligently pursue fair and unbiased development and enforcement of codes, standards, rules and regulations there by ensuring that they, the citizens, have safe buildings to live, work and play in.
I plan on continuing being an active member of the Association and will help the incoming officers in any way that I can. Again, this doesn’t stop with ME. It starts with WE and what we can do to better the Association. Yes we all have normal jobs that we do for our respective localities. Time does get limited quite frequently as there is just too much to do. Any help or time would be greatly appreciated. The conferences just don’t throw their selves together. Training topics just don’t show up the day of training. We all need to pitch in in order to keep the Association alive and well.
Most of you may have seen me presenting the 2008 fire prevention code change training. It is no where near an academy award winning performance however there are several people that need some recognition here award or not. I would like to thank the following people for helping make my two years as President as successful and enjoyable as it was, the staff of the Fire Protection Section in Loudoun County. They kept things going while I was out. Steve Rodgers, Loudoun County Building Official, Terry Wharton, Director of Loudoun County Building and Development and Kirby Bower, County Administrator. I could not have done it without the flexibility and latitude that I was allowed.
I’d also like to thank the VFPA Board of Directors for their invaluable influence and guidance. M.J. Flournoy for his knowledge, incite and ability to just tell it like it is. Finally, my family for putting up with all the crazy stuff I got into and currently still find myself getting into.
Wishing everyone a happy and safe summer.
Sincerely,
J.D. Mitchell
