By Therese Baxter, Seattle Mariners & Seattle Seahawks
President, WSIA

For those of you who missed WSIA's 36th Annual Conference in Spokane, I'm sorry you were not able to attend.  It was a GREAT event, with over 320 members in attendance.  Photos from the event should be posted by the end of the month.

I wanted to share with the entire membership my thoughts in my report at the Conference.  Here they are ...

"This past year has been a busy and challenging one, with WSIA fighting hard on your behalf to make sure that the workers’ compensation system in Washington is a workable and fair one. During the past year we have: stopped (for now) a $100 million cost increase in reserving on previously awarded pensions due to a proposed pension discount rate change; worked to address concerns regarding the Department’s Claims Adjudicator Certification program, including pushing for new rules to allow for Continuing Education Units instead of retesting, providing a study group and review course for our members prior to each exam date, and developing an evolving list of proposed changes to present to the Department governing the application and testing process itself; fought to keep the Department from unfairly increasing our Administrative Assessment (saving our community over $5 million); aggressively lobbied at the 2007 Legislature to minimize the impacts of adopted and proposed legislation, as well as educated legislators about the issues we want addressed; implemented changes from our Strategic Plan to better provide the communications and services you and your employers want; and we have just finished a search for a new Training Coordinator to replace the retiring Herb Sherburne.

All of these things are the result of our good, competent and hard-working staff in Olympia. But they are also the result of you, our members. You are the ones who volunteer their time to testify before legislative hearings in Olympia, volunteer to review curriculum for our training courses, volunteer to help promote the Association’s programs to non-member and members alike, and volunteer in countless other ways. We are very grateful for your commitment of time and resources. The saying is true ... the success of any organization is directly related to the level of involvement of its members.

If you don’t already, I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to volunteer with WSIA. Ask any Board member or member of one of our many standing committees and they will tell you that the time they have spent on behalf of the Association has been worthwhile, productive, and fulfilling.

As I enter my last few months as your President, I want to thank the people who volunteer their time, creativity, wisdom and energy to serve on your Board of Directors. Their commitment to the purpose of WSIA should make you all proud.

Again, thank you for all for your participation in your association."

Therese Baxter

WSIA President

Seattle Mariners & Seattle Seahawks

Updated May 2007

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