Greetings to all! One of the wonderful benefits of being president of this organization is being offered the opportunity to represent MCA at a national conference during your tenure. Earlier this month, I was able to attend the national American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) Conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What a wonderful experience at the conference, and what a great city to visit! The turnout at this conference was better than expected, with just over 1300 Corrections professionals from around the country in attendance. Those of you who are familiar with APPA are likely aware of this organization’s reputation for leadership in corrections, quality training and research, and collaborative endeavors throughout the country. As I participated in a variety of conference workshops, in my experience, APPA easily lived up to their reputation. There was a multitude of diverse training opportunities, several conference activities, daily opportunities for networking, and of course, a little socializing here and there.

This was also my first visit to Philadelphia, and I found the city to be quite unique in many respects. It is a city steeped in wonderful history; the cradle of our democracy and home to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and Declaration of Independence. Fortunately our hotel was located within walking distance, making many of these historical landmarks very accessible. For me, visiting these sites proved to be a humbling, yet very uplifting experience. I came away with a renewed appreciation of our democratic roots, and a determination to become more actively involved in important contemporary issues and to participate in our political process. I also noted that Philadelphia, like many other major cities across the nation, is struggling with a myriad of socio-economic issues. Urban blight, unemployment, poverty, drugs and a steadily increasing crime rate has been taking its toll on the city over the past several years. In 2007 alone, the City of Brotherly Love has the dubious distinction of seeing a record number of homicides – 215 as of July 10th. Federal, state and local agencies as well as community members have been working diligently to address this problem, though it is proving to be a costly uphill battle, with limited success thus far. The reality is that these types of struggles are occurring in many communities across the nation – as well as in Minnesota. Many Corrections agencies have not simply reacted to these problems, but are increasingly playing a vital role in seeking community solutions.

As I recently informed the MCA Board, the APPA experience was invaluable; not just for the training and travel, but for the unique opportunity to educate, network and dialogue with professionals across the nation. Have a wonderful summer – see you all at the MCA Fall Institute!