A message from FPCA's President, Chief Gary R. Grosser:
A Few Words From Our New President
July 1, 1999
As you read this message, we will have just completed our 47th Annual Summer Training Conference in Daytona Beach. We owe a debt of appreciation to Chief Ken Small and the members of the Volusia County Chief's Association, and to Chief Richard Overman and the Training Committee for their hard work and attention to detail that contributed to making our conference such a success. We owe thanks, as well, to our association staff, Hal Robbins, Amy Borgerson, and Sabrina Counts, for their dedication and hard work in making each conference better than the last; and to our magazine editor, Karen Price, for her dedication to making our magazine reflect the professionalism of our organization.
As your new President, I recognize that I don't "run" this organization - you do. But I appreciate the confidence and honor that you afford me by selecting me as your voice for our association. Just as those before me and those who will follow, we owe thanks to many people who help each of us to be successful. These people include our fellow members, who have volunteered their expertise and valuable time to our association so that we can provide professional leadership to law enforcement in our great state; the Executive Board, the District Directors, the Committee Chairs and their members; the individuals called upon by these and others, who go beyond their "normal" job duties; and the staff of our individual departments, who must pick up the "slack" so that we may have more time to serve the association. To all of them, we say "thank you."
Over the next year we will face many challenges, personally and professionally. As we do, please be reminded that we possess a strength in answering these challenges: Somewhere in our association, someone else has faced these same issues and may have some answers for you. Call upon them---communicate your needs. In the 15 years I have been a member of FPCA, I've never been disappointed by the response I've received. I am convinced that if we maintain the direction that our association has taken over the last few years, we will continue to be recognized by a larger segment of our nation for what we truly are: the professional law enforcement leaders of our country.