Dear AAPU Members,

 

I am honored to serve as President of the AAPU for the 2024 – 2025 term. I enjoyed my term as Secretary/Treasurer for the last three years and appreciate the hard work of those on the Board during this time frame. We have had some exciting changes such as our new role organizing the Wee Willies dinner. We have also had some opportunities to look at how we run the organization while keeping the spirit of the AAPU as the foundation of our group. I’m proud of the leadership of our Board during these times.

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The spirit of the AAPU is probably better felt than explained though we have done an excellent job of growing our membership the past few years. The collegiality, open learning style, and relationship-forming events are some of the characteristics that members cite as the features of the AAPU meeting that keep them coming back. I appreciate Joe Ortenberg and Brad Kropp for introducing me to the nature of the AAPU and thank Dominic Frimberger for encouraging me to be actively involved! I know each of you does the same for your partners and this direct marketing is invaluable.

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I am excited to be able to host the 2025 meeting. The cycle falls on a ski meeting which is special for me. My first AAPU was Joe’s meeting in Lake Louise and the ski meetings have been the ones that work out for my kids to attend. Katie and I had a fun time looking into meeting locations and we are excited to host the meeting at the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa in Avon/Vail Valley. The hotel is adjacent to Beaver Creek and connected via gondola to the Beaver Creek base area. The area offers great winter activities, and the hotel serves as an ideal base. The management has been great to work with and they are looking forward to making the meeting a memorable one. The hotel rooms are being renovated this spring and summer and will be brand new this coming winter.  The amenities are ideal with a full-service spa, the largest gym I’ve ever seen at a hotel, three hot tubs, heated pool, nightly live music in the lobby, and a well-organized ski valet program. All this comes at a room rate that is hard to fine at ski resort these days! The meeting dates are January 20 – 24, 2025 and booking information will be sent to the membership once available.

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It was great seeing many of you in Hawaii, and I’m grateful to Elizabeth Yerkes for the time and effort she put into making this year’s meeting a great success. The calendar moves quickly, and we will be getting out information soon about this year’s Wee Willies dinner which has started to serve a mid-year reunion for many of us.  If you plan to be in Louisville for the Fall Congress, be sure to join us. I hope you all are having a great spring and please reach out to me or the Board at any time to say hello or to discuss any AAPU business.

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Gratefully,

Chip Roth