Thank you, Tom Shackelford

Rick Travis, 2018 – Current President (2022-2023) –

Talk about being in the right place at the right time.

Tom stepped up to serve as Chapter President in 2020. Within just a couple of months into his Chapter Presidency, the covid pandemic exploded, requiring quick action to develop a completely different approach, and set of rules, for members to engage within our chapter safely. This wasn’t easy. There was no script or step-by-step guide for our chapter dealing with this health crisis…there hadn’t been this serious a pandemic since the influenza epidemic in the early 1900’s.

The year 2020 was a chaotic, angst filled time. Fortunately for the chapter, Tom, with his cool demeanor and steady, calm nature, was just the right person to guide us through this troublesome period. Under his leadership the chapter quickly established a way to “meet” safely via online sessions and created new and innovative opportunities for earning service and advanced training hours. These actions helped our members stay connected and allowed the chapter to continue its mission of “Education, Restoration, Preservation” as it weathered the pandemic.

In 2021, Tom’s second year of his term, the pandemic crisis continued to ebb and flow. Under Tom’s leadership our chapter continued to be engaged and active throughout the year. Numbers don’t lie:  2021 Volunteer Service Hours were 21% higher vs. 2020; 2021 Advanced Training Hours were 12% higher vs. 2020. Chapter activity not only rose in 2021, but was comparable, or higher, than in pre-pandemic years.

We’re grateful for Tom being such a calm, steady force during his very, very, tumultuous tenure. Thanks so much Tom for “Doing Your Time” as President.