As we bring closure to another productive year of ARPAS activities, we remain thankful for what our organization accomplished in 2016 and look toward what 2017 has in store.
We have been especially appreciative to have Wayne Kellogg as our Editor in Chief of The Professional Animal Scientist (PAS) journal for 11 years. He has recently decided to retire and, on behalf of ARPAS, we thank him for his service and dedication to our journal and ARPAS! As Editor in Chief of our journal, Kellogg has edited over 7,000 published pages during his tenure!
We appreciate the responses and feedback received from our strategic planning survey. We received 285 responses from 40 states and 4 countries. Robert Wettemann, chair of our Strategic Planning Committee, has been active in collecting and summarizing input to lay out our five-year goals, which will be presented and discussed at our upcoming midyear Governing Council meeting. Members like you have made ARPAS what it is today. As we roll into 2017, I would like to challenge everyone to see how many times we can present what I would call the 4 Cs of ARPAS to livestock owners and producers as well as professionals in our industry: Certified professionals, Continuing Education, Code of Ethics, and Communication of animal science research through our PAS journal. 
We are excited to announce that our annual ARPAS Symposium has been arranged and finalized by president-elect John Bernard. The title is “Understanding Both Animal Needs and Consumer Demands in Animal Agriculture Transparency” and will be held in during with the ASAS–CSAS annual meeting and trade show in Baltimore, Maryland, on July 10, 2017. As this has become one of our key annual events, please share this information with others who may have interest in attending.
All ARPAS chapters have been busy providing opportunities for member CEUs as well as continued efforts designed to cultivate and grow our membership. As we prepare to close 2016 and begin 2017, members are reminded to renew memberships for 2017, update CEUs (16 hours required per year) and consider board certification to further enhance your credentials. Your ARPAS credentials become more critical as additional regulations and audits become part of our industry.
In closing, I appreciate being able to serve as your President and to be surrounded by more than 1,300 industry professionals. I encourage you to reach out to me at jdefrain@pdscows.com if you have suggestions or ideas that could improve upon how ARPAS can better serve you.
All the best to you and yours in 2017!