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It Keeps Getting Better
LAGPA keeps getting bigger and better every year. The
Conference held on June 17, 2007 at Phillips Graduate
Institute (PGI) in Encino, was the biggest and most
successful event in LAGPA’s history. We had 14 different
workshops and almost 75 people in attendance. John
Duran, J.D., Mayor of West Hollywood, gave a dynamic and
inspiring keynote speech. I heard many members rave
afterwards about how good he is at rousing the public to
take action on important social issues. Thank you John!
We really appreciate the time you took out of your busy
schedule.
I must thank Sanie Andres, M.A., for making
all the arrangements at PGI. Special thanks to PGI staff
member Robert Zelaya who provided onsite support
throughout the event. Everything went off without a
hitch. Parking was free, the rooms were comfortable and
every piece of electronic equipment ran flawlessly.
Thank you again to President Lisa Porche-Burke and PGI
for hosting the event. their contribution was worth
almost $5,000 that we otherwise would have been faced
with paying for equal facilities.
Without exception,
everyone raved about how good the food was at lunch. I
must thank Chef Eddie Morgado. This is his second year
catering the conference and he hasn’t let us down yet.
He does an outstanding job and is very generous to this
organization. Please see his ad in this issue of the PN
and use his services for your catering needs.
Of course,
we must thank all the presenters. The program was varied
and informative. I hope many of you will consider
presenting again next year.
Finally, I want to thank the
board for their excellent work. I heard over-and-over
how this year’s conference flowed flawlessly. It could
not have been done without your support and dedication.
One of the things we made a real effort to make sure
happened smoothly was the issuance of CEU’s. I can
assure you that it takes a lot of planning and
preparation to be able to issue CEU’s the same day of
the conference. Many labor intensive hours were spent
completing applications and making deadlines, but it
paid off. We were able to distribute the CEU
certificates
as people left. I know that was appreciated by all and
it reduced our follow-up effort. It is our goal to
always be able to issue CEU’s at the end of every
educational forum or conference. It builds good morale
and ultimately saves us time and effort.
Lastly, I want
to talk about the future. Now that we held the
conference at PGI, the board has seen the rationale in
continuing to hold future conferences at the other
schools of mental health such as the USC School of
Social Work, Antioch University, and others. This brings
the existence of LAGPA to the forefront of these
institutions and helps build new members. It is our plan
to rotate the annual conference from school to school
over the coming years. Antioch has already contacted the
board about holding it there next year. USC would like
to sponsor the conference and coordinate the date to
correspond with students still attending classes.
The
other major change for this conference was the success
at obtaining sponsors. Their financial contribution was
a major factor in making the conference run so smoothly.
It takes about 250 hours of preparation to make the
conference happen from start to finish. Some of that was
paid professionals who were so invaluable at making
things happen. It is our hope to double the sponsorship
for next year’s conference.
This PN represents our
annual membership drive. We hope you renew your
membership or become a new member. There are so many
benefits from being a member. Not only do we have great
social and educational events, but the online referral
system really pays off. I’ve heard many members report
that they get a couple of new clients a year from the
referral directory. Really, just one new client showing
up just one time will pay for your annual LAGPA
membership. It is very cost effective.
LAGPA is a great
organization. Have you considered becoming a board
member? We are always looking for new board members.
Many stay a year or two and have fun during that time.
Most of the actual work is performed by the Executive
Director thus freeing you to have fun with your tenure
and to give valuable
insight to events.
Further, in this edition of the PN,
you will see the announcement for our next social event
to be held August 19 at the beautiful home of Liliane
McCain, M.F.T., and is a joint venture with Southern
California Lambda Medical Association (SCLMA), the LGBT
physicians and medical student group. Last year, we had
two great collaborations with SCLMA to which almost 70
people attended each event. Please come this year and
have fun. Coming up this fall will be another wonderful
educational forum arranged by board member Larry Hymes,
M.A. and our annual Community Service Awards. Keep your
eyes peeled for the email announcements of these events.
I want to thank all of you for your
support of LAGPA. It is a great organization
and you are part of that greatness. •
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