Hello ADPA Membership,
This edition of Bottom Times marks my last President’s Corner. My term as President will come to a close at the end of this year and I want to start by expressing my gratitude for the opportunity to serve ADPA in this capacity. To date, this has been one of my most fulfilling professional experiences and that sentiment has everything to do with the fellowship of our community.
That sense of community is often highlighted by our in-person Training Day, Symposium, and Networking Event, which is fast approaching. The Symposium Committee and Professional Development Committee are lining up another outstanding program of workshops and speaker presentations. You will hear updates from our committees and the Board of Directors, and also have the chance to interface with our Gold Corporate Partners to learn more about the products and services they offer our community. Most importantly, you will have the opportunity to network with your fellow dive program administrators. It is those interactions where we get to share our experiences and how we have turned challenges into successes at our respective institutions. The more of us in attendance at our annual meeting, the more these shared experiences help advance the effective management and safety of our respective dive programs. Registration for the events is still open and will be closing on October 24th. Please make sure to sign up before the deadline and don’t forget to submit your dive program photos for the ADPA Day in the Life slideshow to adpadayinthelife@gmail.com.
I am pleased to announce the two winners of this year’s Brett Dodson Scholarship – Diving Safety Officer, Hailey Shchepanik from Vancouver Aquarium and Dive Safety Officer, Filipe Brasil Mariano from Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. Congratulations to you both and we look forward to seeing you in Orlando! Immediately following our events is the DEMA Show. I mentioned this last year but for those registering two or more people from your institution, please consider signing up for a DEMA membership. Silver members receive discounted rates for DEMA show badges, making it more cost effective in some cases when registering two or more attendees (see 2025 Attendee Rates Comparison). Signing up as a DEMA member also helps to strengthen ADPA’s standing in the DEMA community by exemplifying the importance of zoo and aquarium diving programs to the broader diving industry.
Lastly, it is time for the membership to start considering the next slate of candidates for the ADPA Board of Directors. The Elections Committee, comprised of ADPA Past-Presidents, will start accepting nominations in November for the following positions:
Secretary – 2-year term
Membership Director – 2-year term
President-Elect – 4-year term (2-year term as President-Elect + 2-year term as President)
Any current Professional Member in good standing may be nominated for a Board position. Nominations of eligible members should be submitted to the Elections Committee at elections@adpa.org and must include their name, title and institutional affiliation. It is strongly encouraged that you confirm their interest before making the nomination. If you are personally interested in running for a position, or if you want to learn more about the experience and associated responsibilities, please contact me or any other current or past Board member. The duties of each position can also be found in the ADPA bylaws.
With that, I want to personally thank the Board of Directors, committee chairs and committee members, and the entire membership for making my time as President an amazing and memorable experience that I will hold on to forever. The strength of our Association is in the membership, and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish together over the last two years. I look forward to seeing many of you in November. Until then, dive safe my friends!
#WTTADPAMF
