President’s Message

A Message from 2023-2024 President Michael Leonardi

As our Chapter calendar flips into April, we turn to a time of fresh beginnings, warmer weather and the sense that bright things are ahead of us. For us, the challenge is to exude the warmth and dazzle the Chapter.

To that end, I am honored to serve as your 2023-2024 New York City Chapter President. It is a role that I do not take lightly and I look forward to working with an amazing Board of Directors, elected by their peers, to accomplish things put forth by our Members.

As I thought about this transition period, I am reminded of those who came before me. Those who laid the foundational pieces of what the ALANYC would be. How would it operate; how would it serve its members; how would it support its initiatives; how could it impact the communities it served; and how its mission could be relayed. Nearly fifty (50) years have passed and from year to year, many of those concerns still exist. Only now, our industry moves along at a much faster pace than years gone by. Technological improvements; the effects of a global pandemic; and the ever-changing values of our workforce have forced us to look at things differently. To process information faster and to heighten our sensitivities of those around us. While often turbulent times, they have also presented themselves to be a time of enlightenment. A time to reinvent ourselves. A time to continue to pivot, nurture and collaborate.

So I ask you as Members to come and join us on this journey. To Reengage with the Chapter. To Rededicate yourself to our Chapter and allow our industry to get the best of us. To Reinvigorate everything our Chapter puts forth and show our founding principals that we continue to be strong, continue to develop future leaders and that our Membership is hearing and seeing the effects we can have on their roles and lives. That the Communities we serve are being positively impacted by the initiatives we put forth.

Of course, none of this is possible without the support of our Business Partners. They are the financial, educational and services backbone of our organization. Coming through whenever we may call on them. I want to personally thank all those who have renewed their sponsorship and those who are engaging us for the first time. Such an exciting time to see new companies joining the ranks of our current esteemed Business Partners.

Please feel free to reach out to me and members of the Board. We welcome an idea exchange and hearing about all the things you would like to see this year. While we are already underway planning programming and events, we will always continue to be nimble enough to change direction, as the world may dictate and our Members may guide us.

With much appreciation,
Michael A. Leonardi
President 2023-2024 ALANYC

Reengage —- Rededicate —– Reinvigorate! Let’s do this Together!