6 KEYNOTES APRIL 2023 WWW.ALOA.ORG EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE W e are now head- ing into spring, and it hardly seems like a quar- ter of the year has already passed. As the sun starts shining and everything starts blooming, it makes you stop and take in the all of the chang- es. Changing seasons is inevitable, and so is change in the industry as well. With each year, we see more and more mergers and buyouts, and that consolidation af- fects everyone in the security industry — fewer distributors, supply chains chang- ing and even some lock shops merging. Even daily business has dramatical- ly changed: more Zoom meetings, less travel, more people working from home and more marketing being done digitally. And, sadly, the makeup of our indus- try’s people is changing. As we mentioned un March, we lost ALOA Education Man- ager Jim Hancock, and his presence at ALOA and beyond will be greatly missed. In the past few weeks, past ALOA Presi- dent Leonard Passarello has passed as well. He served as president in the late 1980s, but his service to the industry ex- tends far prior to and after that. At the next convention, class or asso- ciation meeting you attend, share sto- ries and knowledge with those around you, and learn from your peers. We never know how much time we have on this planet, and there’s so much we can all learn from each other while we are here. Don’t let your knowledge end with you. But There’s Always the Good While some of the above sounds perhaps negative, change can also bring good things. The past few years have allowed ALOA SPAI to grow and develop in ways we never imagined. With the increase in technology, we’re doing more training and testing online. We’re looking into redesigning our website and how we can leverage technology to benefit our mem- bers. We have increased our social media presence and continue to connect with our members on all the platforms. Meanwhile, our members still see the value of in-person, hands-on education — some things you just can’t replace. By the time you’re reading this, SAF- ETECH will likely have passed. Thank you to those who attended. It’s always a great time to catch up, learn and make new friends. Your next chance for an in- person week of education will be at the ALOA 2023 in Orlando. Join us August 6-12, and class/registration information will be available in May Keynotes. Look for more information online as well, in- cluding the link to book your hotel room. Automotive Convention One wonderful change we’ve made is forming the International Association of Automotive Locksmiths (IAAL) and organizing its first convention. We’re thrilled to do more for our automotive security specialists, and it’s exciting to see the convention come together. Join us in Kansas City September 14-16. We truly have some of the best automotive instructors in the world, and we can’t wait for you to have a few days of auto-focused classes and events. Registration and class descriptions will be available in June. Thanks for your membership with ALOA and supporting us through all the changes the past few years. Change may be a given, but we’re always striving to make those changes work for you, your businesses and the industry. With your continued support, ALOA can and will do great things. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together. Mary A. May Executive Director [email protected] These Changing Times
