We are halfway through the year, and only about 60 days from the much beloved ‘Ber months! I hope that the first half of the year has treated you well and that the second half will do the same. As I sit to write this, I have just returned from one of my favorite weeks of the year-Southeast Institute for Organization Management. This year was particularly meaningful as I had the honor of serving as Chairof the Board of Regents. Representing Alabama and having the opportunity to give back to a program that means so much was truly a moment I will not soon forget. This year we had 29 attendees from Alabama with 3 graduates.Congratulations to Alicia Gregory, IOM, Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama; Alyssa Crow, IOM, Shoals Chamber; and Lori Wilcoxon, IOM, Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce. We were also well represented with Jeremy Arthur, CCE, IOM, Auburn University Outreach, as faculty and Pammie Jimmar, IOM, Athens-Limestone CountyChamber of Commerceas Chair of the National Board of Trustees. If you have not yet begun your IOM journey, I encourage you to consider starting in 2027. Scholarships are available, and I would be happy to talk to you or your board about the importance of this professional development opportunity.