Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/144441
President's Perspective I cannot believe 2013 is almost half over! I hope that you have found MSAE beneficial through at least one of our member benefits. We have averaged record breaking attendance at Lunch & Learn and executive member participation at the mid-year conference in Meridian last month was the highest ever at the in-state conference. As we begin looking into the second half of 2013, many Nominating Committees within our own associations will start to consider the 2014 Board of Directors and Officers. I hope that the two industry articles included in this magazine will offer some new or renewed insight into board selection. MSAE participated in a national salary survey in the first quarter of the year. An excerpt from that report is published in this edition of Connections, but the complete report is available for MSAE members upon request. As you know, CEO salaries should be in line with IRS guidelines and this current survey may serve as a tool in the justification of your association's salary and benefit structure or possible increases. Please contact MSAE Executive Director, Amy Wilson, at awilson@msae-net.org for an electronic copy. Five years ago, as MSAE grew and had gained increased financial footing, the Board of Directors went out on a limb to offer a second educational conference that would move around Mississippi, but stay within state. Year after year this conference has continued to grow in attendance and has become a favorite for many. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to the City of Meridian and all of their partners! Thank you to Larry Houchins and the planning committee for developing programming that reached across professional lines and included something for everyone. Please mark your calendars (as many of you already have) for the MSAE – LSAE Joint Fall Conference at the amazing Harrah's property in the Warehouse District of New Orleans, Monday, October 14 – Wednesday, October 16, 2013. KNOW? DID YOU Spanish explorer, Hernando de Soto, discovered the Mississippi River in 1540. The region was later claimed by France. In 1699, a French group established the first permanent settlement near present-day Ocean Springs. Great Britain took over the area in 1763 after the French and Indian Wars, ceding it to the U.S. in 1783 after the Revolution. Spain did not relinquish its claims until 1798, and in 1810 the U.S. annexed West Florida from Spain, including what is now southern Mississippi. SUMMER 2013 | CONNECTIONS 5