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Message from the Board Q3 2008

Kim Harris, GALA Board Chair

Summer is almost over for many of our members, and I hope that everyone was able to relax and enjoy themselves with friends and family before entering into a busy autumn season. Nevertheless, I'm sure most of you were also hard at work preparing and completing projects for the end-of-year rush.

GALA’s team and volunteers worked hard throughout the summer to build member benefits and services. Last month, we announced the hiring of our new executive director, Jim Hollan. Jim brings many years of experience in association leadership, and we’re thrilled to welcome him. I invite you to read more about Jim’s background here. I’d like to thank our dedicated hiring committee, which included Stephen Ryan (Moravia), Hans Fenstermacher (Translations.com), Inger Larsen (Larsen) and Beatriz Bonnet (Syntes), for a job well done and greatly appreciated. 
 
We’re now entering a busy fourth quarter and “event season” for many of our members who will be attending Networking Days Lisbon, Localization World Madison, and the annual tekom trade show and tcworld conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, to mention but a few.
 
October’s Networking Days event will take place in beautiful Lisbon. If you have not yet had the opportunity to attend one of the Networking Days events, be sure not to miss this upcoming series of intensive one and two-day workshops on project management, marketing, translation tools evaluation, and language partner selection. This event series is designed with our European members in mind, and it’s a great place to improve your skills and network with peers.
 
Later in October, GALA members will hold its member meeting and host its popular speed networking event at Localization World in Madison, Wisconsin. We will also host the closing session prize drawings and “Passport to Localization” activity for member exhibitors. Look for GALA members throughout!
 
GALA members will also be present en masse at the annual tekom trade show and tcworld conference in Wiesbaden, Germany. At last count, no less than forty member companies will exhibit and over twenty member company representatives will give presentations during the GALA-hosted Localization Forum. GALA will also host a group exhibit and the “Localization Chill Zone,” a place to unwind and take breaks between the sessions as well as promote GALA member companies among the tekom audience. Members interested in advertising at the GALA Localization Chill Zone can contact Amy Ephrem.
 
GALA continues to work on increasing visibility for our industry. Recent successes include another Associated Press article with a quote from GALA as well as an article in Chain Store Age, a publication for the retail industry.
 
This autumn, we will continue with our successful webinar series, and I hope that you and members of your team will participate in these unique learning opportunities. These webinars are free to GALA members and their clients.  Non-members are also invited to attend for a small fee.
 

I would like to say a special thank you to all member companies who have made these activities possible. I look forward to seeing you soon at one of our upcoming GALA events!

 

For the GALA Board,

Kim Harris

GALA Board Chairperson