Summer greetings to all my fellow ASPA members! My name is LaVina Watts and at the May 2021 ASPA executive meeting I was selected to be president for 2021-22. I am so honoured to be able to serve you in the role of President. Being your Vice-President over the past 3 years, I made some meaningful connections with the University leadership and I hope to bring that experience and knowledge to the role of president and to serve you and your interests. I am also very happy to share that your current Vice-Presidents are Chris O’Grady and Erin Walling. I am thrilled to be working with both of them and I know they will work hard for each of you.
I wish to thank Curt Larson for his leadership over the past 2 years, as well as his previous time as president. He made some incredible strides during his term of office and I hope to keep that momentum going.
Continue reading “ASPA President’s Update – June 2021”
next week looks more seasonal and I’m hopeful that we all get to enjoy a little more fall weather before we must go into hibernation mode. The holiday season will be here before we know it and even though this is a season to be happy and socialize with family and friends, it can also be a season for more stress and demands on our time. Please remember to take time for yourselves to recharge your batteries every so often and take advantage of the Employee and Family Assistance Program if the need arises. Remember that all ASPA employees have time off between December 25 and January 1, 2019 and you do not need to make up this time for that. 
Fall will soon be upon us and I hope all of you have had a chance over the summer to take some time away from work to reconnect with family and friends and take a break before we are inundated with the work that comes with a new academic term and all of the students returning to classes. I know the two weeks I spent away in August already seem like a long time ago but it was great to just disconnect (as much as you can these days) and focus on something other than work. It is important that all of us remember to use the vacation benefits we have in our collective agreement as it allows us to recharge and maintain our physical and mental health. This is not only benefit to ourselves and our families, but also benefits our employer as we come back from vacations recharged and more productive. 
and humbled to be able to serve you for a second time in the role of President. For those of you that have been here a long time you may recall I was previously on the ASPA executive from 2001 to 2004 and served as President in 2002-03. Much has changed since that time, not least of which the ASPA membership has grown from under 500 members to almost 1400 members today, which probably means the workload will be a little heavier and the issues more complex than last time, but being able to hopefully make a positive difference, no matter how small, in the working lives of our members is one of the most satisfying and rewarding things I have done in my career. I am looking forward to working with our new executive and our members as we go into a very busy year. Joanie Crandall and LaVina Watts are your vice presidents and I will be looking to them for guidance and support as they have built a great foundation for ASPA over the past several years and I want to thank Joanie for her service as president in 2018-19. If you ever have any questions about ASPA, your rights in the workplace, or just want to have a discussion about an idea you have about how ASPA can make a positive difference in our members work life please don’t hesitate to contact the ASPA office or myself. 