AFA Vice President
Monthly Update to the Membership
Period ending 5-1-11


The first full month on the job has been spent adjusting to the new job description and talking with the President about our most pressing issues, direction and follow through. I look forward to a productive and fruitful year under the guidance and able leadership President McClendon, the Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

It is the intention of the Vice President to keep the members informed of the business and inner workings of the Association by publishing a monthly report to you. We strive for excellence and can only provide that level of service with the help of your feedback. When I ran for office I made a promise that I would seek your advice and council on all important matters, first and foremost, your satisfaction as an AFA member. We are interested in your perception of value of AFA services and wish to keep you informed of all benefits, tangible and intangible, that you are entitled to and that are available to you simply by virtue of your membership.

Member satisfaction assessment:
The first area of interest is how this Administration is doing after the first month in office. Your input will provide direction for the leadership and will help determine which way we go from here. These would be based on service, our five tenets and our mission statement.

This month I will look at three very important areas:
Member satisfaction – How are we doing?
Member services – How are we doing?
Communication – How are we doing?
Good or bad, please let me know.

Are we fullfilling our Mission Statement?
“To further the professional development of farriers, to provide leadership and resources for the benefit of the farrier industry, and to improve the welfare of the horse through continuing farrier education.”

Welcome Steve Sermersheim as the incoming chair of the Communications Committee and a big thanks to outgoing chair Jerry Pulaski. Mr Pulaski has done a fine job under some very challenging circumstances, getting the new committee off the ground and setting policy and direction and for hard work we are eternally grateful and hope Mr. Pulaski would be available again to serve if asked. Mr. Sermersheim brings experience and skills to the table along with fresh ideas to expand our communication platforms as we grow into the 21st Century.

An official membership satisfaction survey is being conducted by your Membership Committee both in person and by telephone so expect their call. Please be honest in your assessment of the AFA and questions asked. Your feedback will be held in strictest confidence, but that valuable information will be used to develop a better AFA experience for you.

Respectfully submitted,
John Blombach, CJF, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
AFA Vice President, call anytime: 859-559-9789

Good luck to you, John. May the road rise up to meet you . . .