It has now been one year since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in which we live. I am, for the first time since this started, believing we may be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. It is certainly premature to think this is over. But, with the increasing availability of vaccines we are not too far from reaching the herd immunity that is needed to allow us to return to a more normal lifestyle that includes social gathering and interactions.
I have heard that some chapters have returned to having live in-person meetings. I am not ready to suggest that our chapter is ready at this point to have in-person meetings, but I do believe we can start to program our more traditional live meetings beginning in the fall. It has also been suggested by some board members that we should try to have a social gathering sometime this summer when we think it has reached a point where it is safe to do so. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to the board for lining up and creating some great informative virtual meetings across a number of relevant topics and businesses.
Our recent virtual gathering featuring Oliver Brewing, which included a virtual beer tasting of some of their more popular brands, was both fun and informative. If you were not able to participate in some of our recent programming, there are links in the newsletter to allow you to see what you missed. I encourage you to view them when you have some free moments.
Our next event will be held on April 22 and will provide an economic update and outlook now that we are 100 days into the new presidential administration. Keep an eye out for registration details in your inbox. We will also continue our virtual meetings over the rest of the spring, so stay tuned for those announcements as well.
As I have said over the past few months, I continue to look forward to the day when we can interact in person and return to our more traditional format. I am, however, extremely pleased with how we have hung together to make the best of a difficult situation. I again want to encourage everyone to take advantage of the resources that FEI offers as part of your membership and also reach out to your fellow members and our chapter sponsors if they can be of assistance to navigate the path to reopening your business, make introductions or any other needs that they may be able to provide assistance.
Stay safe and I look forward to being able to deliver these messages in person in the coming months.
Best Regards,
Kevin Ridgely
Chapter President