Greetings Dallas Chapter,
I hope this message finds you well. This year has not been what I expected, and I imagine that may resonate with some (or even all) of you. We have learned a lot from the difficulties of 2020 but continue to persevere through challenges that we face. Before I get started, I want to encourage us as a chapter and as a part of the CPCU society to be empathetic and compassionate to one another as we seek to understand one another. You never know what the person on the other side of the table, phone, e-mail, or video call is going through or has gone through. Seeking to understand is a part of our pledge, “I shall strive to ascertain and understand the needs of others, and place their interests above my own.” This has always been important and is especially important as we move ahead.
I am writing this to you just three short weeks after attending In2Risk in Orlando. It was rewarding to see people who I had not seen (except for maybe on a computer screen) in so long. I came away so proud to be a part of the Dallas Chapter which was well represented at In2Risk, and I know that there were many of you who wanted to be there but could not attend. It is overwhelming (in a good way) to think about the past, present and future of our chapter by seeing past presidents of the Dallas Chapter and of the Society who were once a part of our chapter, getting to spend time with our current board members and other volunteers, and meeting new designees who are eager to get involved.
As I shared earlier this year, a part of my CPCU story is when I attended the Annual Meeting (now In2Risk) as a new designee, some of the greatest advice I received was to get involved in my local chapter. Therefore, I encourage all of you, especially new designees, to get start your involvement today.
One easy way to get involved is to volunteer with one of our committees. Please reach out to me or one of our committee chairs for more information. We currently have the following committees: Social, Education, I-Day, Social Media, New Designee, Community Good Works, Student Engagement/GIS, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Another way to get involved is to attend our chapter meetings. We are currently still holding our events virtually, but hope to start meeting in person in 2022.
Next up for our chapter, we have our All Industry Day Virtual Event coming up on November 18th and 19th.
I hope to see everyone at our upcoming events. Do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any recommendations or feedback as to how we can continue to support each of you.
Sincerely,
R. Tony LaRocca, CPCU
2021 Dallas CPCU Society Chapter President