Thank you AOR members for giving me the opportunity to serve you through as the AOR chair! I have great appreciation for the AOR community, and I am humbly at your service.

Welcome to the Board Elizabeth Start, we’re excited to have both your experience in the hauling and now your current role at leading SCRAP is a unique perspective we surely need for conference planning. Welcome back to Holly Strinkorb, we will benefit from your vast knowledge of the industry and scores of positive relationships throughout the State of Oregon. Welcome to Cherilyn Bertges, we’ve all seen your ads and we look forward to learning from your marketing skills and experience at OBRC. Thank you.

Board members returning are a great group of folks too. Ali, you’ve done a fantastic job or being fair and honest and getting us organized through your project management skills. Kristin, your speaking skills are amazing and that annual report provides much needed organizational transparency. Fred, you’re attention to the bottom line and fiscal responsibility have really helped us focus. Vinod, you’ve pulled together some great forums and give us an industry perspective we need. Pam, your initiative in creating on the road events and the equity training have been a positive boost of energy. Justin, your enthusiasm and communication have helped keep us connected to Salem. Nick, you’ve stepped right in with a can-do attitude and great ideas for additional funding. I’m very excited to get us all together and kick off this year at the retreat. Thank you.

Rick, Michelle and Julie thank you for your leadership on the Board, you will be missed and remember: We still have your contact information J. Thank you.

Patty, thank you for all your good work in coordinating our annual conference and Chris for representing us in Salem.

Finally, Amy, our resource director. All your hard work does not go unnoticed. You’ve worked so hard to keep us running through your dedication and professionalism. You are very much appreciated. Thank you.

AOR educational and networking events, On the Road tours and training opportunities, such as Understanding Racial Equity give us the fundamentals to do our jobs better. Developing an empathetic understanding of all of the moving parts in this complex system we call sustainable materials management is crucial to its success and AOR helps us do just that.

AOR has a seat at the table in Salem that provides a voice for our membership. We may not always agree on the details, but as an organization, AOR gives us the opportunity to discuss issues and provide thoughtful responses to law makers as we balance concepts with action.

As AOR chair, I pledge to continue our great work, focus our attention toward our highest priorities and to uphold our mission with an inclusive approach. We all benefit from AOR in different ways and must move forward together in developing a community that will continue to benefit the great state of Oregon. Thank you to all regional liaisons, committee members and AOR members. You are what make AOR great and I look forward to working with you as we move forward together.