Be ready for every consequence.

• Author: Garza, Henry
• Position: National District Attorneys Ass'n - President's page

WE PREPARE FOR TRIAL to be ready for every consequence, but invariably something happens that is unexpected. It is the preparation that helps us handle the unexpected. This year as your president, I prepared to engage in a strategic planning process to focus on our mission and purpose. As this had not been done in a significant period of time, it was time to re-think, re-evaluate and re-define. It is important to always examine your structure as priorities and circumstances change, and this was certainly true for NDAA. This could not have been accomplished without the support and dedication of all the members of NDAA's board who engaged and gave their voices and insight to this effort. To each of you, I am grateful.

As a result of this effort, recommended changes to our bylaws were submitted for discussion and approval at our summer board meeting in Denver. These changes started the process of redefining our mission and focus. But our work is not finished, and we still need commitment to seek ways and strategies to make NDAA stronger in voice and service to our membership.

The unexpected happened last November with the announcement that Scott Burns, our executive director, would be leaving. I knew how demanding and how much time and effort would be needed in searching for a new executive director. I also knew that to accomplish my goal of completing a strategic planning process at the same time, I needed help. Brad Berry and Curtis Hill stepped up and took the leadership role for the strategic planning process. To each of you, I thank you for helping NDAA accomplish a needed re-examination. Tom Robertson, our NAPC representative, was always there to assist on so many levels and respond to questions during our search for an executive director. He was invaluable to me during this process, and I extend my thanks to him for being there whenever I needed him. Our partnership with NAPC is a natural one, and I believe essential in the pursuit of common goals and issues that we address at the state and federal level.

The NDAA Executive Committee committed itself to searching for a new executive director, and after reviewing many applications and conducting...