Happy Autumn everyone! Today marks the start of the fall season which means the transition from summer to winter. Well, your chapter is not much different. Your elected Board of Directors have been working since June 9 & 10 when we got together to develop our business plan for the year. We are transitioning to a new approach internally as to how we can better serve you and September is also the official start of our various events and activities. We sure hope to see you there. There are 2 events that occurred in August to which I’d like to bring to your attention. Frist, something totally different than your evening event, your chapter joined for the 3rd consecutive year in the Dragon Boat festival and although we do it for fun and none of us pretend we could compete in Hong Kong, the team finished 2nd in the MIXED G Division… something to be proud of. Thanks to the paddling team and special thanks to Nicole Beayani who took on the role of PM for this year. The second one, is something that started last year from ideas and discussions at PMI Leadership meeting in San Diego, and Mitchell Fong ran with it and took it to the next level, I am talking about our Networking event. We have had a tremendous success with this one with anywhere between 150 to 200 attendees. You don’t one to miss the next one… check your PMI Toronto website calendar of events for the next one. Here’s something else to be proud of. PMI Toronto has now surpassed 5000 members & is one of the 5 largest chapter in the world. A personal and heartfelt thank you to every single one of our members. Part of the reasons is related to how we thrive to serve you better and get closer to you and your needs. To that extend, here’s what Rachel Atkins (Director for Branches & Communities) has to say: "Branches & Communities, which sits in the Member Services Portfolio, kicked off the year with a strategic planning session. The session included leadership from our various groups and provided an opportunity to reflect on past success stories as well as, look ahead at the types of events that would be most valuable to our membership. Working with the Programs side of the Membership Portfolio, our primary focus for this coming year will be improving the end-to-end experience for all members within the Toronto Chapter, as it pertains to networking events, learning and volunteer opportunities and, all other manners in which you connect with the chapter." Finally, just in case you were not sure, we are always looking for volunteers to help us in a multitude of various roles and various time commitment, please check out our volunteer opportunities on the website. Who knows, that might become the start of a great adventure. Looking forward to meeting you at our various events throughout the year! Sincerely, Marc Blanchette President, PMI TORONTO