As 2017 draws to a close, it is time to reflect back on my year as your President. During this time frame, we have seen our membership numbers increase which is vital to our sustainability as an organization. We have gained knowledge as a result of information brought forth in our monthly meetings ranging in topics from investments, to learning more about the St. Louis River Corridor Initiative and Lake Assault Boats, to plain old networking and getting to know each other better at our March bowling event.
Our annual Fill-a-Truck, Feed-a-Family Food and Fund Drive was the most successful yet, with plans in the works to make our 5th annual food drive in June 2018 even more successful! I want to take this opportunity to thank Jay Baker for his unending dedication to this event that helps feed so many Northlanders in need.
Once summer rolled around, many of us golfed in the annual DSTA Golf Tournament in July and gathered in August for a tour of the harbor aboard the USCGC Sundew. Both of these events have proven to be popular with our members, barring inclement weather.
Fall ushered in beautiful hues, along with our Past Presidents’ Annual Dinner & Election Night, and our Fall into Fitness Challenge with a whopping 16 teams participating! A special thank you to all of the past presidents’ who have left their mark on our wonderful organization.
A topic near and dear to my heart is the DSTA Scholarship endeavor. The scholarship committee has been working diligently on solidifying the groundwork for scholarship criteria and raising funds, with nearly $4500 procured to date. The first DSTA Scholarship will hopefully be awarded soon, with many more to follow.
In closing, it has been my honor and my pleasure to serve as your President and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the board members over the past year, and am looking forward to working with Gina and the new board of directors as we continue to grow and enhance the DSTA to ensure its longevity and success!
Happy Holidays and God bless,
Leyla Aktekin