AORE Annual Report 2013 | Page 2

2013 AORE ANNUAL REPORT Letter from the President   Howdy!     This  past  year  I’ve  had  the  opportunity  and  pleasure  to  serve  as  the  President  of  the  Board   of  Directors  for  the  AORE.    It  has  been  a  wonderful  experience  and  I  am  thankful  to  have  been   trusted  with  the  opportunity  to  serve  my  association.    This  year  has  been  a  time  of  growth  for  the   AORE.    Over  the  past  several  years  we  have  seen  our  membership  numbers  and  our  conference   attendance  continue  to  expand  over  previous  levels.    We  have  strengthened  old  partnerships  and   continued  to  forge  new  ones  as  we  have  sought  to  best  serve  our  members.    It  is  a  good  time  to  be   an  AORE  member.     Several  years  ago,  the  AORE  made  the  decision  to  hire  an  Executive  Director,  our  first  full   time  employee.    This  was  a  monumental  decision  in  the  life  of  our  association  and  is  one  that  has   paid  off  well.    Our  National  Office  team  under  the  leadership  of  our  Executive  Director  has   significantly  increased  the  level  of  service  to  our  members  and  partners.    This  past  year,  the  Board   has  consulted  with  industry  experts  to  help  us  navigate  the  organizational  and  structural  changes   that  must  accompany  this  kind  of  decision.  We  are  in  a  transitional  period  that  can  be  both   exciting  and  challenging  at  the  same  time.    At  our  Annual  Business  meeting,  the  AORE   membership  took  steps  to  approve  several  proposed  bylaw  changes  that  help  adjust  our  structure   to  make  the  AORE  better  able  to  serve  our  members  and  partners.    It  is  an  exciting  time  to  be  an   AORE  member.     At  the  end  of  the  year,  we  renewed  a  contract  with  our  Executive  Director  and  are  poised   for  another  promising  year  ahead.    At  the  end  of  2013,  I  passed  the  torch  to  Ian  Brown,  the  AORE   President  Elect.    My  cohort  with  whom  I  was  elected  to  serve  has  stepped  down  and  is  now   serving  in  an  advisory  capacity  to  the  current  board.    Ian  and  the  new  board  will  no  doubt   continue  the  strategic  work  necessary  to  carry  the  AORE  forward.    Our  National  Office  and   Executive  Director  will  continue  to  provide  impeccable  service  to  us  all  and  we  will  all  together   look  forward  to  getting  together  with  our  colleagues  at  next  year’s  conference  in  Portland,   Oregon.    The  future  is  bright  as  an  AORE  member.     Thank  you  all  for  allowing  me  to  serve  for  you  and  with  you.             Jason  Kurten   2013  AORE  President       1