I began this past New Year registering for my first Social Security check and starting my pension from my 33-years at the Med School, and thinking that I was pretty much officially retired. But just before our first Board meeting I was invited back to Mercy Hospital to help out on a part-time, per-diem basis. Being once again gainfully employed in a healthcare facility, I was eligible to assume the President's position. In May HCA assumed ownership of Mercy Hospital, and I was allowed to work full time in preparing the Biomed program to be transitioned to GE. When GE took over that program in September, they brought me on as their Project Coordinator, and I'm still learning how to master their corporate way of doing business. In any case, I guess you'll be seeing me around for a few more years.

I was extremely honored to accept the Platinum Award for FHEA during the ASHE Annual Conference in Seattle, WA. After the four days of Conference I outfitted myself with new back-packing gear and spent five days in the Olympic Mountains (Ho rain forest) and another five days in the eastern Cascades. This is truly beautiful country and quite a difference from the Big Cypress and the south Florida woods. For many years now I've planned many of my vacations around the location of the ASHE meetings.

2012 should again be another exciting year for FHEA. Greg Hodgson, CHE, CHFM, is taking over as State President, and I know he will do a bang-up job in that position. Our Spring Meeting will be at the Mission Inn Resort in Howie-in-the-Hills. This year we are also offering a one-day ASHE CHFM prep course on the Thursday. Greg will be again arranging the golf tournament on the Thursday before this meeting. There will be recreational activities for the non-golfers too - I hope to take a bass boat across Lake Harris to Bugg Springs and Lake Denham –– and hope as you make plans to attend, you also consider bringing your family to enjoy what this area has to offer.

Looking to the year ahead, the ASHE Annual Conference will be in San Antonio, TX on July 15-18. This is a great conference town, as I can attest from attending two previous ASHE meetings there. Finally, our AHCA/FHEA Conference will once again be at the Rosen Shingle Creek on October 8-10. Kudos to Skip Gregory for continuing to support us by arranging the AHCA seminar sessions. This year FHEA celebrates its 50th annual meeting and trade show. You will not want to miss this gala year.

Our biggest challenge this year may be getting more of our members, both regular and supporting, to join ASHE in addition renewing with FHEA, since a dual membership within a percentage of the membership is required for ASHE's platinum level award. I realized that I've been an ASHE member for 25 years now (at least that's what they printed in their program), perhaps longer than I've been in FHEA. Both groups offer tremendous benefits to all of us working in the Healthcare Engineering field, and the minimal cost of membership provides a great ROI for both career development and comradery.

Lastly, I truly wish to thank all of our members for the honor of representing you as your 2011 President of this great Association, with very special thanks to my fellow Officers and Board members, and certainly I'm greatly indebted to our most excellent Executive Director Alethea Vitray for her continued outstanding performance.