Serving as president of AAGC so far has been both exhilarating and overwhelming. It seems the time since our August conference has literally flown; and it is time to begin thinking about the upcoming summer's event. However, before "tackling" 2002, I would like to spend a little time reflecting on 2001 ­ both the victories and the areas in need of improvement.

Working with the current board, the Birmingham Board, those who served on committees, volunteers, and all those who worked so diligently to plan and execute the 2001 conference was one of the most stimulating experiences of my life. Enthusiasm, expertise, creativity, and energy enveloped everything from the first moment we contemplated holding the conference here in Huntsville. What a privilege to be there to watch this complex operation unfold under the direction of these talented people. The community of Huntsville, too, exhibited support in many ways, from financial contributions to donations of door prizes and assistance with publicity.

Of course, the crowning glory was your response to the event. Attendance, at approximately 300, surpassed even our most optimistic hopes; and we have managed to increase our total membership this year. With a few exceptions, your comments indicated that you found the sessions interesting and helpful. We also heard your suggestions for improvement; and are committed to implementing many of those suggestions this year.

My pledge to you, as president, is to listen to your ideas and to focus AAGC toward meeting your needs. Many of you may live and work in sections of Alabama whose school systems are small, poor, and / or isolated. Others may be teaching gifted for the first time, serving several schools, and rarely have a chance to talk to another teacher of gifted children. Still others may have questions about how best to serve the more diverse population of gifted children that we are now identifying using the State Department Eligibility Determination Matrix. Parents may have questions about legal rights and issues and how best to parent a gifted child.

I will strive to hear your concerns and to provide avenues to address them. At the same time, I hope to reach out to institutions of higher learning and to offer opportunities for them to place more emphasis on meeting the needs of gifted children in the regular classroom. Those of us who serve as the current board, will work toward recruiting members from teacher training programs and from those who teach them. We also hope to encourage a higher degree of diversity in our membership and attendance of this summer's conference.

In closing, let me thank my most diligent and dedicated co-workers as we look toward an exciting summer conference this year: Roberta Freeman, vice president; Colleen Laymon, treasurer; Amy Smith, secretary; Nina Pearson and Linda Grill, State Department of Education representatives; and Karen Lynn, member-at-large. We look forward to working with you to keep gifted education in Alabama headed in the best possible direction - serving the needs of our gifted student population as well as their teachers and parents!