By now I'm sure you will all know that the new Chair of the BDA from 2009-2011 will be Terry Riley, who is a familiar face to many BDA members. I am very pleased to be working with him as I approach the end of my term and to ease the transition period.

Simon, our CEO, is also looking forward to working with Terry over the next few years, with our shared ambition to take the BDA forwards in a fit state for the new century.

The nature of any voluntary organisation is that the relationship between the Chair and the CEO is an important one to enable a stable leadership of the organisation, and I'm pleased to have a very easy and fruitful working relationship with Simon since he started back in July. I'm also confident that the same will continue with the new Chair.

The most important decisions of the BDA will happen with the involvement and the full support of the board, as this is where all key decisions are made, and it is where the members of the organisation can make their influences most felt by appointing the members of the board to represent them.

Five board places are up for election, two in England and one each from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The deadline for the nominations is 7th November 2008 and the papers went out to members during the first week of October.

I need to stress the importance for each BDA member to be prepared to nominate someone they feel has experiences, knowledge and abilities that would best benefit the BDA.

It is that time now, when you can really make the difference in enabling the board to be best equipped to lead the BDA over the next three critical years.
Terry Riley, the Chair, and Eva Fielding-Jackson, the Vice Chair, are the two key officers of the board, and I know they will do their utmost best to serve the board and members. However, a full board with a wide diversity of skills and experiences will indeed make all the difference in how we can best support the BDA.

This is not my last article, as this will come in December's issue and I look forward to writing ‘my farewell' article. But for this month, I felt it would be best used to stress that it is the members who have the opportunity and the responsibility in a member-led organisation such as the BDA, to be actively involved in putting together the best possible board to support Terry, Eva and Simon.

Agnes Dyab and Sharon Ridgeway have two more years to finish their term, and I know both will be able to support the new board members in ensuring continuity along with Eva who has served as one of the England board of trustees for the past three years.

Sylvia Simmonds, Lesley Kiddell-Spencer, Tessa Padden-Duncan, Silvana Lennon and I are all approaching the end of our term in December 2008. Whether appointed or co opted (1 year term only) we have all been active in the board and I know everyone will agree that we have done our part and are looking forward to the leadership from the new board along with the new Chair, Vice Chair and CEO to lead the BDA further along in our shared ambition and hopes.

Fellow board members have indeed been an important presence and I would ask BDA members if they have not already done so before now, to pull out their nomination papers for Board of Trustee and choose wisely.
As a member of the democratic BDA, now is the time for you to cast the name onto the nomination paper, before the 7th November 2008, 5 pm deadline!