Brie Aguila | ADRP President 
Asst. Vice Chancellor for External Relations
Office of Advancement 
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Anyone else getting into the spooky, creepy, scary season…or maybe just the fall vibes? I left Minneapolis with all the fall vibes, but then I returned home to reflect on the amazing conference and found myself with a bad case of the “scaries.” The conference represents a wonderful time to connect, network, learn, inspire, and energize but it also represents a time of transition to the new president. EEEEKKKK… that’s me! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little afraid to fail in this position. But then I am reminded that we often learn the most in our failures, and I am a big fan of failing forward.
 
Donor relations is just that…learning, failing, learning, succeeding…and so on. So, while the scary pranks may be in full force this month, let’s not be afraid to fail. I am surrounded with amazing members, volunteers, staff, and the board so I know we will succeed together. 

Speaking of fear…have you wanted to get more involved in ADRP, but you were afraid to take that step? As Debbie Meyers shared in Minneapolis, JUST DO IT. You won’t regret it. Fill out our form and our amazing Volunteer and Member Experience Committee will get in touch to see how we can get you involved. 

I look forward to a great year, including celebrating 20 years of ADRP in 2024. 

And I cannot thank this year’s conference committee enough for kicking off my year as president with a bang. 

Thank you,
Brie