From the President

Dear VAGARA members,

I hope this issue of the newsletter finds you doing well and preparing for the holiday season. I am delighted to report that the annual conference in October was a resounding success. Over 160 records professionals from across the commonwealth attended insightful sessions and spent time networking with colleagues and exhibitors. Your participation and enthusiasm made it truly memorable.  I would like to thank the VAGARA board members and those who served on the Conference Committee. Their dedication and hard work were instrumental in making the conference possible. Your commitment to our organization is appreciated!

As we look ahead, I want to inform you of an important update regarding membership dues. Starting December 1, 2024, there will be a modest increase in dues to better support VAGARA's mission and services. Additionally, we are transitioning to a new renewal model that will streamline the process. Information about these changes can be found in an email sent earlier this month and later on in the newsletter.

Our committees are already gearing up for the upcoming year. The Audit Committee will be conducting a thorough review to ensure our financial health and transparency. The Nominating Committee will solicit, identify, and recommend candidates for board positions. The Conference Committee will reconvene to begin planning next year's event with a goal to build on the success of this year's conference.  Finally, the Site Selection Committee will begin scouting out possible new locations for the 2026 and 2027 conferences. We had a tremendous response to our solicitation for volunteers at the conference. Members and volunteers are what keep VAGARA moving and I look forward to working with many of you in new capacities next year.

As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you for your continued support and dedication to VAGARA. On behalf of the board, I wish you and your families a joyous holiday season. 

Warm regards,

Jessie Graham

VAGARA President

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Hi VAGARA members,

I hope this edition finds you well and enjoying the last little bit of summer!  The board and the conference committee are working hard on the 2024 annual conference.  Registration is open until September 30^th and spots are filling up quickly.  We look forward to seeing everyone in Virginia Beach in October as we celebrate VAGARA’s 40^th anniversary!

Welcome to all the new members who have joined since the June newsletter was published. We appreciate your support and hope you will reach out with comments, questions, and suggestions. If you haven’t already registered, please plan to attend the conference to meet and network with records practitioners from across the Commonwealth.

At this year’s conference members will vote on updates and edits to VAGARA’s Constitution and Bylaws.  Many of the edits are minor in nature, but one major change involves new timing for membership dues.  Currently, membership runs on a calendar year, with all renewals taking place January 1 of each year.  That means if you join in the middle or end of the year, your membership only runs until December 31.  The edits to the Constitution and Bylaws include changing to a rolling membership model.  For example, if you join or renew on March 1, your membership will run for 365 days and come due on March 1 of the following year.  This change means you get a full year’s membership no matter when you join, and it eases an administrative burden for the VAGARA membership coordinator.  Please make sure to review these documents in preparation for the vote at this year’s conference.

Thanks for your continued support of VAGARA and see you in Virginia Beach!

Jessie Graham

VAGARA President

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Hi VAGARA members,

I hope this edition finds you enjoying the first few weeks of summer!  In case you've missed the many emails, conference 2024 planning is in full-swing!  The VAGARA Board and the Conference Committee are working hard to make this the best event yet. Thanks to those who provided feedback about your attendance plans and topics of interest via the survey that went out earlier this year. Our goal is to create the best conference experience possible, and we hope you will attend. Mark your calendars for October 23-25 and plan to join us. Registration opens on July 8!

Welcome to all the new members and a big "thank you!" to those who renewed memberships recently.  Our membership numbers continue to increase and it's our goal to attract and retain members through purposeful interaction and education.  If you joined or renewed before April 1, you are eligible to apply for the Connis O. Brown conference scholarship.  If attending the conference presents a financial hardship for your agency or locality, please consider applying. 

We are also accepting nominations for Outstanding Member and Vendor of the Year. We can only recognize folks if we receive applications and nominations, so send some our way!  If you have records and information management vendors you work closely with and might be interested in exhibiting this year, please direct them to our Exhibitors page for more information on how to get in on the conference fun.  Exhibitor registration is already open!

Keep an eye out for more emails about the conference, scholarship, and awards as we get closer to registration!

As always, thank you for your continued support!

Jessie Graham
VAGARA President

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Hi VAGARA Members, 

Welcome to 2024's first edition of the VAGARA newsletter!  I’d like to welcome all the new members who have joined, and thank the members who have renewed memberships since the last edition was published in December.  Speaking of membership – dues for 2024 were due on January 1. Members should have received several emails regarding dues payment over the past several weeks. Please renew by the April 1 deadline to ensure a seamless transition to 2024 membership.

Thanks again to all who were able to attend the conference in October.  We will be back in Virginia Beach again this fall, so please save the date: Wednesday, October 23rd through Friday, October 25th!  A group of your peers and board members is already hard at work planning the conference based on the results of the interest survey so many of you filled out in February.  We appreciate your input!   Also, make sure to keep an eye out for the Conference Theme Contest.  Voting on member-submitted theme ideas opens on April 2nd. 

The board has been busy with various activities, including the 2023 financial audit, filling committee spots, and proposing updates to VAGARA's Constitution & Bylaws. The board is committed to increased member involvement and transparency, and I encourage you to reach out if you are interested in serving VAGARA.  

Happy Spring!

Jessie Graham

VAGARA President

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Hi VAGARA members,

It seems hard to believe that 2023 is nearly over, but as I reflect on the past several months, I can’t help but be proud of the year VAGARA has experienced.  Membership is at its highest level in several years and on behalf of the board, I would like to thank each of you for your continued support of this amazing organization. 

Thanks to all who attended the 37th annual conference in October!  Attendance was the highest we’ve seen in recent memory which made for a busy and energetic two days in Virginia Beach.  The board appreciates your participation, and we are already looking ahead to next year’s conference. We received a lot of great feedback from the conference surveys and will work to implement some of the ideas for 2024.  

The month of December means that several members will be cycling off the executive board in the coming weeks.  A big thank you to Margie Tacci (Vice President and Conference Chair), Mina Barberis (Secretary), Jonathan Tillman (Treasurer), Rachael Brinson (Member-at-Large), Nicki Taylor (Member-at-Large), and Ben Smith (Member-at-Large), and Glenn Smith (Past President) for their service to VAGARA during the last two years.  The board members for the 2024-2025 term met at the conference and are excited to get to work in January.  You can read more about the new board members later in this issue.

As 2023 ends, I’d like to wish each of you a wonderful winter season.  Great things lie ahead, and I look forward to seeing where the next year takes VAGARA. 

Happy New Year!

Jessie Graham

VAGARA President

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Hi VAGARA members,

I hope this edition finds you well and enjoying summer 2023! The board is working hard planning the 2023 annual conference. Thanks to those of you who took our survey and provided feedback about your attendance plans and topics of interest. Our goal is to create the best conference experience possible, and we hope you will attend. Mark your calendars for October 25-27 and plan to join us. Registration is now open!

Welcome to all the new members who have joined since the March newsletter was published.  We appreciate your support and hope you will reach out with comments, questions, and suggestions. Please also plan to attend the conference to meet and network with records practitioners from across the Commonwealth. Please also keep an eye out for communications about the Connis O. Brown conference scholarship application, and the nomination forms for Member of the Year and Vendor of the Year. We can only recognize folks if we receive applications and nominations!

Thanks for your continued support!

Jessie Graham

VAGARA President

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Hi VAGARA members,

Welcome to the first edition of the VAGARA newsletter in 2023! I hope each of you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season.  I’d like to welcome all the new members who have joined since the last edition was published. We are so glad you decided to join us!

Speaking of membership – dues for 2023 were due on January 1.  Members should have received several emails regarding dues payment over the past several weeks.  Please plan to renew by the April 1 deadline to ensure a seamless transition to 2023 membership.

Thanks again to all who were able to attend the conference in October!  We will be back at it again this fall, so please save the date:  Wednesday, October 25 through Friday, October 27^th!  The annual conference will return to the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront for more RIM education and networking.

The board has been busy with various activities, including 2024 conference site selection, the 2022 audit, and the upcoming formation of the Nominating Committee to fill board seats for 2024-2025.  I encourage you to reach out if you are interested in serving VAGARA! 

Jessie Graham 

VAGARA President

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Dear VAGARA members,

What a terrific year 2022 has been for VAGARA!  We’ve seen membership rebound as the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and we just wrapped up an amazing in-person annual conference in Virginia Beach!  It was a whirlwind of fast-paced planning to get the conference off the ground, and I’m so proud of board for putting in the hard work to make it happen.  Thanks to all who attended and those members who went the extra mile to serve as speakers.  The board appreciates your participation, and we are already looking ahead to next year’s conference.  We received a lot of great feedback from the conference surveys and will work to implement some of the ideas for 2023. 

Next year the VAGARA Nominating Committee will again form to produce a slate of nominees for the 2024-2025 VAGARA board.  This letter is your invitation to participate in a VAGARA leadership role!  If you are interested in serving on the board, please reach out to via the Contact Us form for more information on what board service entails. 

Planning for next year’s conference will also start in early 2023.  If you’re interested in serving on the conference committee, please us the Contact Us form to let us know.  Many hands make light work!

As 2022 comes to a close, I’d like to wish each of you a joyous winter season however you choose to celebrate. Seeing so many old friends and new faces at the conference has made me grateful for VAGARA and its mission to connect archives, records, and information professionals from around the state.  Together we can do great things and I’m excited to see what 2023 holds for VAGARA!  Happy New Year!

Jessie Graham

VAGARA President

Newsletter

Hi VAGARA members,

I hope this edition finds you well and enjoying the summer so far. 

The board is working hard to bring the 2022 annual conference to life!  Thanks to those of you who took our survey and provided feedback about your attendance plans and topics of interest.  Our goal is to create the best conference experience possible, and we hope you will attend.  This will be VAGARA’s first in-person conference in two years!  Mark your calendars for October 26-28 and plan to join us.  Registration is now open!

Welcome to all the new members who have joined since the March newsletter was published.  We appreciate your support and hope you will reach out with comments, questions, and suggestions.  Please also plan to attend the conference to meet and network with records personnel from across the Commonwealth.

Please also keep an eye out for communications about the Connis O. Brown conference scholarship application, and the nomination forms for Member of the Year and Vendor of the Year.  We can only recognize folks if we receive applications and nominations!

Thanks for your continued support!

Jessie

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Hi VAGARA members,

Welcome to the first edition of the VAGARA newsletter in 2022! I hope all of you enjoyed the holidays and are back on track. I’d like to welcome all the new members who have joined since the last edition was published as well as the new board members, Travis Morris from Albemarle County (Member at Large) and Mina Barberis from City of Norfolk (Secretary).

Many of you have inquired about the personalized calendars as of late and we are sorry to report that there won’t be a 2022 calendar to enjoy. However, there definitely will be a 2023 version and we hope to have some great VAGARA swag available at the annual conference at the Hilton Virginia Beach in October! This will be VAGARA’s first in-person conference in two years! Mark your calendars for October 26-28 and plan to join us.

This is my first year as President of VAGARA and I encourage you to reach out with questions, concerns, or suggestions. We are always looking for ways to improve. The board values your input and appreciates your support!

Jessie

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