The next issue of the Communicator will come out in May. At that time, the California Moving and Storage Association (CMSA) will have a new chairman, Shiree Hammer, the fourth woman and a member of the first family to have a grandfather and granddaughter to both serve as chairmen. Her grandfather, Former CMSA Chairman Joe Hammer Sr., served from 1995 to 1996. Shiree is right for the job in so many ways, but there will be plenty about that in the months to come.

People decide to serve in a leadership position of an organization for many different reasons. But that service can benefit an entire industry. If you have attended a CMSA Convention Chairman’s Ball you might have heard me say, “that in calm seas or rough waters CMSA Chairmen have always risen to the job and served our members well.” Our 104th annual convention will honor two chairmen, one who is stepping away, hopefully briefly, and one who will become senior chairman for the 2022-2023 Association year.

Thomas McCarthy is stepping away from the board, as all Senior Chairmen do after their service in the leadership chairs. Thomas served the last 2 years as senior chair and remains an active member of the San Diego chapter.

Chairman John Chipman Jr. will begin his year as senior chair once Shiree’s board is sworn into service. John is to be recognized and celebrated for his unique service to our Association. As a result of the pandemic and our inability to conduct in-person conventions for the last two years, a decision was made to freeze the board of directors for the same timeframe. John and the entire board supported this move, and his service during this time has been invaluable. In the 2020-2021 Association year, we all learned how to conduct meetings virtually. John fulfilled his obligation of attending a meeting for each chapter, even if we were just faces on a computer screen.

John was a valued resource as we navigated the pandemic, essential services, AB 5, and legislation by disruptors trying to encroach on our industry without participating in regulation. In the 2021-2022 year, John showed us that he was ready and enthusiastic to get out and see our membership, and he wasn’t afraid to have a little fun. I wish you could have seen him dancing to a mariachi group at a Northern Region chapter meeting in Oakland. If you make it to our convention and attend our Friday night dinner, where we will celebrate John’s years as chair, you just might!

Another important reason to attend our upcoming convention will be the opportunity to be a part of the discussion related to major changes in the future of the Military Moving program. USTRANSCOM’s Global Household Goods Contract (GHC) was awarded to HomeSafe Alliance and has now passed out of the General Accounting Office (GAO) protest period, where the protests were found to be without merit. Of course, this does not mean that the other bidders will necessarily go quietly into that long night. I’m sure there will be questions and hopefully some answers at our Military Breakout session.

If you haven’t registered for the convention yet, there is still time, but don’t wait any longer.

March/April 2022 - CMSA Communicator