Views from the ‘Rock’ 2009

It was another CIAA success story for the archives. In a tough year we managed to attract 110 delegates, assembled an impressive business program and had a great time.  St. John's was the perfect location - friendly people, down east hospitality and a laid back attitude that fit our needs perfectly.

The manageable number of attendees really allowed people to connect and participate. Sessions were lively, the questions were thoughtful and feedback has been good.  From Arlene Dickinson's compelling personal journey, to Dr. Tim O'Neill's insights on the economy, we offered attendees plenty to think about. Feel free to download any speaker presentations or perhaps share them with a colleague who was unable to attend.

Special thanks to my committee chairs – Lucy Iacovelli, Annette Pohle, Jim DeJeu and Sandra Taylor, for supporting me in my role. Thanks to sponsors for stepping up once again to assist the CIAA in putting on a quality conference. We've posted helpful links to our sponsors in this conference recap.  To those of you who attended, I thank you for your loyalty to the CIAA and all that it does. I also salute your generosity – we collected more than $3,000 for Oxfam Canada's local chapter in St. John's.

I pass the conference director's baton to long-time CIAA member Jean-Guy Leclerc from Jevco Insurance. We wish Jean-Guy well as he hosts our 2010 conference September 19-22 at the Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Quebec.

Terri Martin, 2009 conference director