Chairman's Letter by Jeff Mason: 2020 – The Strange Year That Is ...

2020 – The Strange Year That Is ...

Each generation has a time when they look back and say, “Wow that was a strange time!” No doubt, each of us has many examples of how we learned new ways to meet, worship, shop, and more. We learned Zoom etiquette, how to properly socially distance and the technique of the virtual hug. We all have our favorite face covering.

Whatever our situation, we adapted and made it work. Flexibility and adaptation are critical actions in our industry and our world today. Our Annual Meeting is just one month away and you will see flexibility and adaptation in action. This year we meet at the Horseshoe Bay Resort just outside of Marble Falls, Texas. The TMRA staff and the resort have built in appropriate safety protocols and we expect to have a very safe and productive meeting. (Check out the article by Cathy Pierce, our Planning Committee Chair, for all the details). The theme for this year’s meeting is We are ... TMRA Strong! A great theme for 2020 focusing on the strength of our industry, the people in it and how we always find ways forward. We need you! We need you to contribute to discussions that help achieve our goals. We need you to help frame our preparation for the upcoming legislative session. We need you to sponsor and support. In short, we need to see the strong participation that we’ve seen in previous meetings.

2020 was also a transition year for our Teacher Workshops. When we look back over the life of the Teacher Education Workshops, we realize these workshops and Francye Hutchins were synonymous. Francye has decided to retire and has graciously helped during this time of transition. Please join us to say thanks to Francye and her many years of dedication to TMRA and the teacher workshops and to say hello to our newest workshop coordinator, Cheryl Allison.

Managing through this strange, crazy year was not easy. I applaud the staff, volunteers and committee members at TMRA for a job well done! Each of you have helped make TMRA stronger and better prepared for the next strange that is sure to come...and that may be soon. In case you didn’t know, there will be a full moon on Halloween night this year – fitting for 2020!

Please make plans to join us in October as we continue to make TMRA Strong!

Jeff Mason
TMRA Chairman