By Laurie Braden, 2014-2015 NIRSA President

The gift of time—the opportunity to experience a bit of respite from our work—is something I hope you take advantage of this December. I also hope that it helps you recharge for the coming year. During this winter break, many of us will no doubt take some time to reflect upon the previous semester and the year as a whole before we begin anticipating and making plans for 2015.

As NIRSA too begins to turn the calendar, we look forward to the beginning of our volunteer leadership election cycle. Join me in congratulating our slate of candidates who accepted nominations to stand for election and serve their Association. Also, take this chance to thank the Nominations & Appointments Committee along with the many regional teams who have invested significant time and energy into making NIRSA such a relevant and valuable organization. Please take the time to become familiar with the candidates standing for election to the Board of Directors and the Member Network, and make sure to exercise your right and professional responsibility by voting in the electronic elections.

As we leave 2014 and move into 2015, I’d like to share with you a few NIRSA things I am thankful for and which lead me to anticipate GREAT outcomes from the work of our members. I am thankful that just a few years ago our leaders and members had the vision to re-craft our governance structure, which has allowed NIRSA to be the nimble and forward-thinking association that it is today. We are truly operating with the future in mind!

To that end, you will have the opportunity to learn more about regional realignment in the coming months through the good work of the recently-constituted task force charged with examining NIRSA’s regional alignment as well as through the many opportunities that are available to engage in this important dialog. Additionally, through aligned work, you will have the chance to review and vote on changes to NIRSA’s Bylaws that are intended to standardize our leadership year. This initiative was brought forward by the Member Network, is supported by the Board of Directors, and reflects an example of synergistic work made possible by our aligned work and strategic thinking.

As we anticipate the New Year, we also look forward to our Annual Conference, which takes place from March 30–April 2. For many, this will be a time of excitement: students pursue graduate assistantships, emerging professionals hunt for that first job, and those of us who have been around for awhile look forward to our NIRSA family reunion and to welcoming many new members to the NIRSA family.

So as you move into 2015, I challenge you to take the time to rest, reflect, plan, and then start your New Year at a sustainable pace that leads you to success.

From Molly dog and me, here’s wishing you—our NIRSA members—a great break between semesters!

P.S. Go drop some sweat. You’ll be glad you did.