AAMVA, what can I say.  It has been a large part of my business life in my 37 years with motor vehicles.  In the beginning of my career it was definitely a place to go to meet my peers, learn what other jurisdictions were doing, get assistance and give input; and it has remained all those things throughout the years.

One thing I learned early on with AAMVA, as with any organization is, if you want to see change, influence outcomes and be involved, volunteer for leadership roles.  This has been especially important for Vermont.  Often times being from a small jurisdiction, unless you can influence outcomes you are left behind.

AAMVA has a feel of family, and comfortable friendships develop over the years.  You feel comfortable calling or e-mailing a fellow administrator to bounce ideas, ask advice or just share the latest DMV news or gossip.  You also build those relationships with our industry partners as well.  It is a rare day that I do not communicate with someone in the AAMVA community. 

I have been privileged over the years to be involved in some programs that have had a major impact on our states and the citizens we serve.   I served on the Base State Working group; on the original Board of Directors for IRP and then as Chair of IRP; served on AAMVA Region I Board and then President of Region I in 2003; and served on the AAMVA Board, Executive Committee and Chair of the Board in 2006; and am now serving as Chair of the Real ID Steering Committee.

AAMVA as an organization has changed over the years.  I have seen it grow from a struggling organization, both financially and organizationally, to an organization with National recognition and fiscally sound.  This has happened because of the commitment of the members and AAMVA staff. Getting to this point was not without it’s problems.  I believe the current review the organization is undergoing will help to strengthen the organization even more.

I encourage everyone to take an active role in the organization, voice your opinion, make your presence known and assist in shaping AAMVA of the future for the next 75 years.

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/AAMVA" rel="tag"><img style="border:0;vertical-align:middle;margin-left:.4em" src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=AAMVA" alt=" " />AAMVA</a>