I can't believe that my term as President of our ACC DWF Chapter is nearing its end because the time has just flown by, which to me, means that I have been having a lot of fun. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and it has been an honor to serve.  It has been fun because the chapter continues to thrive and grow, and I believe we have offered great value to our members this year, as we have done in the past and will continue to do so in the future.  You only need look at the Chapter Calendar to see all the events, whether they be CLE, social, professional development, pro bono, diversity, etc., to find that there is something for everyone.  And we are not done, with the months of September-December full of wonderful offerings to educate, entertain, and provide substance to what it means to be an in-house counsel here in the DFW area.  

Now, these things don't happen without a lot of pre-planning and work to pull of the quality events that you have come to except, so I need to take this time to thank those folks who put in the time to keep this chapter humming.  Thanks to our officers, board members and committee volunteers all of whom have full-time jobs, families and other responsibilities, but they put their time and passion into the chapter, because they believe in what we do.  Thanks to our sponsors, who help enable us to offer the quality programming that you want to attend. Thanks also to the members who attend our functions and volunteer their time for pro bono, community outreach, and diversity events that enrich our community. And finally, a special thank you to the "rock" of our organization, Executive Director Susan Harvey, without whom the chapter would immediately fall apart at the seams. 

Moving forward, I feel that the Chapter is in a great place.  We have talked quite a bit about the chapter's growth and your Board has adjusted to the increased demand by adding new events and diversifying what we offer. At the same time, we have extended our partnerships to ensure that quality of what we offer is at the highest level.  You can see this for yourself if you attend some of the upcoming fall events, such as the Chapter Annual Meeting Ethics/Golf/Spa event being held September 21 at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas.   This is one of our signature events that should be on everyone's annual calendar as a productive day of CLE, chapter business, and good times.  And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the ACC Global Annual Meeting being held in Austin this year, October 21-24.  Beyond the great CLE offerings, is the chance to network with thousands of your colleagues from all over the world.  Not to mention the fact that your Texas ACC Chapters have gotten together to host the "party of all parties" Tuesday evening at Brazos Hall (sorry in advance to all those Wednesday morning sessions, as they are going be eerily quiet).   

Finally, I look forward to working with everyone for the rest of my 2018 term and beyond.  So if you have any additional thoughts or comments, please feel free to share them with me at  dkilpatrick@nofirex. I will pass them along to the Board so that your ACC DFW Chapter continues to be one of the leaders within ACC Global family. 

Best regards, 

David