THANKS FOR THE
BRENDA K. TETER REFLECTS ON HER 24 YEARS WITH CACM AND UPCOMING RETIREMENT
AS I SIT HERE AT MY DESK PONDERING WHAT MY RETIREMENT AT THE END OF THE YEAR WILL BE LIKE, I can’t help but reminisce about the last 24 years of working with CACM and what it has meant to me personally. Nearly a quarter century has gone by? How could that be? I don’t feel any older than I did the first day I met Karen Conlon and realized we could create some great products and services to help CACM members grow and prosper. And did we ever! Looking back to 1994 when the then law firm of Fiore, Nordberg, Walker & Wolf-Willis was one of my advertising agency clients and Janet L.S. Powers, Esq. was an up and coming attorney in the firm. At the time, Karen Conlon was looking for someone to help her promote her growing annual Statewide Conference & Expo for our young organization. Janet referred me to Karen and my agency helped promote the annual events as CACM continued to gain ground serving community managers across the state of California. In December 1997 I closed my agency and came on board as a staff employee. What exciting times they were! We launched our first website in 1999, the electronic directory in 2000, a full color Vision magazine in 2005 and our own Career Center in 2009. I remember when we were growing our manager members from 550 to 700 and then to 850 and beyond. Today we are proud to say we now serve more than 2,100 professional community managers, 150 plus management companies and more than 550 industry partners statewide. I may be leaving my desk behind when I retire on December 31, 2018 but I will be taking incredible memories with me. The wonderful connections I have made with so many of you, our members, throughout the years, the support and encouragement from the leaders in the industry and the fun of working with an incredibly great team here at the CACM office have been so fulfilling. I am also beyond excited for the future of CACM. You have a great leader with Tom Freeley as the CEO and he has the best team to support his vision for the organization. As I retire to take time for a new grandbaby and an ailing family member, it is reassuring to know that CACM is in such good hands and will continue to expand on the quality education and services our members deserve. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. If I do not get to speak with you personally before my retirement at the end of the year, please know being able to serve you has been an extremely rewarding experience. And one I will always treasure. www.cacm.org | Vision Fall/Winter 2018 15
