A New Year, A Message from Don Petersen, CALA's 2012 Board Chair

It is with great pleasure and a sense of honor that I begin the year as your new Board Chair. It is my hope to represent you and the Assisted Living field with the same sense of calm and professionalism that Sue McPherson has managed to put forth over the past two years. Thank you so much Sue for your time and efforts to make our field even better than it was before your tenure as Board Chair.

I will be supported in my role by the same dynamic association CEO, Sally Michael and talented staff. It is with this knowledge that I begin my term without any doubts that it will be another fantastic year in which CALA will steadfastly pursue its goals as established by the CALA Board of Directors.

Some of those goals for the coming year are as follows:

To continue our efforts to work closely with our legislators to protect our ability to provide quality personal care services within the least restrictive environment possible.
Increase public awareness of the positive contributions each of our organizations make to our society through better uses of technology and public forums.
Introduce career opportunities to a broader audience outside the traditional Assisted Living circles through outreach programs to university programs and career centers, outplacement agencies and other sources. As the need for our services will grow greatly in the near future we must find better ways to recruit management talent to our field.
Continue to strive for constantly improved professional relationships with DSS to work toward fair and consistent enforcement of the rules and regulations affecting our daily operations.

While there are many other initiatives that we will be striving to achieve this year, I would like us to go forward as an association remembering that we have many more things in common than things that differentiate us. I look forward to working with you this year in a cooperative effort to protect and sustain the essential and very special qualities of Assisted Living.

Don Petersen
President/CEO
Premiera Care