PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Looking Ahead to SAFETECH 2022 S “Believe it or not, preparations are already underway for our convention in Lexington, KY, next year.” pring is here, the snow has melted away, and this is usu- ally the time I’m getting home from a rewarding SAFETECH convention. It’s hard to believe that yet another year will pass before I get to see my SAVTA fam- ily again. I really miss seeing every- one, and we know how important the SAFETECH convention is to the indus- try, the association and the members. SAFETECH 2022 COVID-19 infection rates are going down in many areas, and vaccination rates are climbing higher. Restrictions are loosening, and many are getting more comfortable with travel. This news on the pandemic front means good news for next year’s convention. Believe it or not, preparations are al- ready underway for our convention in Lexington, KY, next year. Personally, I’m hoping for a major blowout, and I’m calling for all of the local supporters to help make this an event worth traveling to from all corners of the world. Please help sponsor SAFETECH 2022 and make this the best convention yet. With the in- dustry’s help, we will make this an event to remember. For next year, we are looking at add- ing several new classes and expanding curriculum in many existing class- es. If you’re interested in helping to shape the future of the industry by teaching, please get in touch with our fantastic Education staff by emailing [email protected]. 4 SAFE & VAULT TECHNOLOGY | May/June 2021 Apply for Scholarships With all of this in mind, now is the time to apply for one of the education scholar- ships we have available through the ALOA Scholarship Foundation. These scholar- ships can help professionals of all levels get the education they need, and sometimes even travel costs can be partially covered. Please call or email for details on how you can apply. Corporate and individual donations of all sizes are also welcome. Please visit the ASF tab on ALOA.org for more information. ALOA 2021 While we all should be looking forward to next year’s SAFETECH, don’t forget that there are also several safe-related classes at this year’s ALOA Convention in Orlando, which is a go. Join us July 25-31 at the Ca- ribe Royale, where you can take classes related to safe drilling, safe lock defeat, safe deposit locks and more. Take a look at the “Convention” tab on ALOA.org for more information and to register. Thank you for your support of SAVTA over the past year. It’s been a trying one on many fronts, but we will come out even stronger on the other side of this pandemic. While the past year has been filled with many disappointments, I’m hopeful for the future — of SAVTA, SAFETECH and all of us as individual professionals. Mike Potter, CPS, CAI SAVTA President www.savta.org