Time has flown, and the program year 2022-2023  has ended, and as I reflect on my time as the President of the Chapter, it has been another remarkable and enriching program year. As this will be my last President Message during my term, I will deviate from my usual previous newsletter issues with three parts - Throwback, On the Now, and Take Aways. It should definitely be a shorter version.

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This program year,  I am pleased to report the membership that we have again won various awards with your continued support. 1) Platinum Award, 2) Communications Award, 3) Education Award, 4) Recruiter of the Year Award, and 5) Volunteer of the Year Award. These awards will be presented at the AGA Professional Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, this July 23-26, 2023.  I am also pleased to announce that as a result of the reinstatement of our fundraising events - The annual 5K Run and the Guam Professional Development  Conference have put our chapter finances in the black for this program year after recovering from COVID-19 pandemic that prevented us from pursuing our normal activities and gatherings. We also have issued more than 30 Continued Professional Education (CPE) Hours during the program year. I am also delighted and proud to share with you that we have two National Young Professional PDT scholarship recipients this year - Odeth Ignacio, our program Secretary and  Koleena Faye D. Soto, one of our members.

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Last June 28, 2023, we had a simple Oath Taking Ceremony as I passed the gavel to our new AGA Guam Chapter President Rizalito "RG" Paglingayen. This was held at the Honorable Judge John Terlaje's courtroom at the Judiciary Court in Hagatna, who also had conducted the oath-taking ceremony and is always generous in his time for always supporting the chapter. We were joined by the rest of the Chapter Officers who had taken the Oath of Office - Ms. Pilar Pangelinan, NBG and NCC Representative; Llewelyn Terlaje, President-Elect; Jerricho Garcia, Treasurer; and Kate Valerie Jeszensky, Treasurer=Elect. Our new Chapter Secretary was not able to join us and was excused as he was traveling and had limited connectivity - Sungeun "Kenny" An.  We were also joined by Ren Erbil Jalandoni, ncoming program year Historian, and Maria Cristina Bansil from the Membership Commiittee and soe members via Zoom. 

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I entitled this last president message during my tern, "Safely Landed and Ready for Take-Off" because I would like to share with you some of my takeaways from the past 12 months while holding the position as your chapter president - your main pilot. Yes, I dreamed of becoming a President to lead an organization more than a decade ago, but when the task landed  in me, no one could ever tell when you are truly ready. During this program year, we were challenged to transition from virtual meetings to in-person meetings gradually. We must take some calculated risks to revive lost opportunities during the pandemic and get back on with our Annual 5K and Guam Professional Development Conference. There are situations where we have to modify and make last-minute changes to our guest speaker behind the scenes, or some of our members were unable to make is, such as they had COVID or were exposed an needed to be isolated.

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As your President, I also had to undergo work transitions in the midst of my term, and I must admit that, at times, it was a struggle to carry out a meeting and make things happen. The last two months, we had to also pull back with several of our schedules because of Typhoon Mawar and recovery. It was quite turbulent, and at times it felt like, as your pilot, I was battling with a strong force of winds.

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To me, it has tested and strengthened my resilience and adaptation to any given circumstance. It was personally rewarding, and I am truly honored and humbled to be your now so-called "past president".

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As I congratulated the new officers and as I passed the gavel to our new President RG, I uttered my personal takeaways from the typical quote on leadership that "Great power comes with great responsibility." No matter how many competing priorities we have to deal with, we will always find a way to make it work. As I step down from my role, and RG as the new pilot and Llewelyn as his new co-pilot, and with the foundation that we must continue from prior leadership with a solid platform to continued success, I have great optimism that he is now ready to take off and steer the chapter to new heights.

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To my Chapter Executive Leadership for Program Year 2022-2023, thank you for your support and work during the program year. We made remarkable progress together and have weathered the storms, overcome obstacles, and emerged stronger.

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I extend my deepest gratitude to every member of the AGA Guam Chapter. Your unwavering support, passion, and commitment to Advance Government Accountability is the driving force and beacon behind the Chapter's continued achievements.

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Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as your President. It has been an honor and a truly enriching experience.

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As I always parted my message with a quote, here is one. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." Vivian Greene and one of my favorite songs entitled "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F44nrK0MxEQ

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Wishing everyone success in all your endeavors ahead!

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