A Message from NHMA’s Executive Director

THANK YOU TO OUR 2020 TOWN & CITY ADVERTISERS

Avitar Associates CMA Engineers Drummond Woodsum DTC Lawyers Dubois& King, Inc. HealthTrust, Inc. HEB Engineers Kemp Consulting, LLC Interware Development Melanson Mitchell Municipal Group, PA Municipal Technology Systems Municipal Resources, Inc. NH Municipal Bond Bank PFM/NH Public Deposit Investment Pool Preti Flaherty Primex3 Roberts & Greene, PLLC Tighe & Bond, Inc. Underwood Engineers Upton Hatfield Vachon Cluckay & Company, PC

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A Message from the NHMA Executive Director

Margaret M.L.Byrnes

It’s hard to believe that this is the last issue of Town & City in 2020—that the end of this challenging and historical year is right around the corner. I imagine we are all ready to say good-bye to 2020 and ring in a New Year. However, we must recognize that the pandemic, and everything that flows from it, will continue to be with us.

But I don’t say that with a tone of despair—quite the opposite. Although COVID19 has taken so much, this challenging year has also given us the gift of resilience.

According to Google, “resilience” is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.” In the last nine months or so, you may not have always feel very resilient, but you have been. The constant barrage of challenges and issues that have been presented to local leaders created an incredible opportunity to problem solve, work together, and support our communities. At NHMA, we continue to be impressed by what local government has been able to do this year—but not at all surprised!

And that’s why there is no better theme for this year’s annual conference than— you guessed it— Resilience! Like most things in 2020, our annual conference will not be quite the same, but it will be full of the same informative and educational content our members come for year after year. Over a three-day span, attendees will have access to over 40 educational sessions, a virtual exhibit hall, two incredible keynote speakers, and more, on our virtual platform, Whova. Check out on our annual conference spread in the center of this issue and go to our annual conference website (https://www.nhmunicipal.org/nhmas-79th-annual-conferenceand-exhibition) to learn more and register. We hope to “see you” there!

Although we are ready to put this year behind us, the lessons we learned and the obstacles we overcame will always be with us. We mourn those we have lost, and we recognize that there is a sense of fatigue and anxiety about the future due to all that is going on in the world Warmest regards, and in our country. Let us channel our resilience, rise above the division, and lead with a collaborative and sup- Margaret M.L. Byrnes, portive spirit and an open NHMA Executive Director mind. NHMA looks forward to continuing to support you in 2021 and beyond!

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