SEFA Board Report from Rhonda Eysel, SEFA President
HEY FRIENDS! WELL- THIS IS IT! MY TIME AS SEFA PRESIDENT HAS COME TO AN END. IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO SERVE THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THIS ORGANIZATION THE LAST TWO YEARS. ALTHOUGH WE’VE BEEN UNABLE TO MEET IN PERSON THE LAST 15 MONTHS, WE’VE CONTINUED TO MEET VIA ZOOM AND HAVE WORKED HARD ON EDUCATING AND PLANNING AHEAD FOR OUR INDUSTRY.
It’s been an excruciatingly challenging in all aspects for all in our industry, but we’ve pushed through and finally seem to be over the hump. I think we are finally coming out the other side and there is a bright future. We have had to make some significant changes, as I am sure you all have had to as well. I am very thankful for all the support I have gotten from my fellow SEFA and DLI Members. I know our strong community is one of the reasons we have been able to survive these challenges.
I want to take a moment to thank DLI/SEFA and their leadership for all they’ve done to help us during the last year. They’ve done an OUTSTANDING job leading us and helping each of us navigate the murky waters of the COVID-19 pandemic. From weekly Zoom calls that started off with HR and Tax professionals sharing info on how to access PPP funds, EIDL loans and Employee Retention Tax Credits, to the Peer-to-Peer calls where we each share ideas on what’s working in our own businesses, to zoom calls on creative ways to attract and hire talent when so few people were looking for work. DLI has continued to lead and show tremendous value to our members and we appreciate y’all so very much!
I also wanted to thank Peter Blake and Leslie Schaeffer for spearheading and executing an incredibly successful virtual expo last Fall and this past Spring, for everyone in our industry. We had phenomenal speakers from inside and outside of our industry and everyone who attended gleaned pertinent and relevant information that would help us plan ahead.