April 18, 2017

To: AAR Board of Directors
From: Mugs Mullins, President & Jeremy Walker, Chief Executive Officer 
Re: General Spring 1^st Quarter Updates

Dear Board of Directors,

On behalf of President Mugs Mullins, we hope everyone had a great Easter and is off to a great spring. Here are 5 quick updates on Association business and upcoming events:

Professionalism:

• Our Professionalism Trustees and staff have an exciting year ahead partnering with our local boards to give our members more opportunities to grow and enhance their professional development. Most recently, since April is National Fair Housing Month, AAR partnered with 7 boards in 4 of our 5 regions to offer important Fair Housing Education to our members on a regional basis. Classes will continue through the end of April and into May. More information about these upcoming events in the Northern, North Central, and Southern Regions can be found here. Two classes have already occurred in the Central Region.

Government & Political Affairs:

• Our Legislative Bill Read Committee and government affairs team have been hard at work this session, and during what has been an unprecedented three-year period in Alabama politics. The events do cast a cloud over the legislative process and state government in general. Better days are ahead. Governor Kay Ivey is a capable leader and will be surrounded by a good team that will have their work cut out for them. Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon has continued to work in a positive direction in the House in restoring confidence in that chamber. There are good men and women serving our state and their constituents in the legislature who respect and value the rule of law and honest government.
• The remaining 13 days of the 2017 legislative session will focus on the budgets, ongoing efforts toward Medicaid and Prison reform, and legislative redistricting, which will redraw the district lines for at least a dozen districts across Alabama before the 2018 elections. Legislation affecting the renewal of the historic tax credit program is expected to move out of the House this week and on to the Senate where there is more support this year than the last several sessions. More legislative updates can be found here.

AAR Building:

• Progress has continued throughout the spring on efforts to address roof leaks, repairs and maintenance on the building. General Contractor, Jesco Inc., and Architect, Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, have been helpful in coordinating vendors and contractors involved in the original construction. A final round of water testing occurred last Thursday to test additional areas of the roof before repairs begin. This process is taking a lot of time, but every effort is being made to be sure no stone is left unturned.

AAR Regional Meetings: Last year’s regional meetings were a lot of fun and well attended. They’re a great way of reaching our membership close to home and offer every member the chance to attend a free event, get an association update, and visit with their peers. We hope to see you at your regional meeting this June. (The time and location can be found here.)

• North Region: Thursday, June 1, 2017 (Decatur)
• North Central Region West: Tuesday, June 6, 2017 (Tuscaloosa)
• North Central Region East: Wednesday, June 7, 2017 (Pell City)
• JSB Region: Tuesday, June 13, 2017 (Birmingham)
• Central Region: Wednesday, June 14, 2017 (Montgomery)
• Southern Region: Thursday, June 15, 2017 (Spanish Fort)

NAR Mid Year Legislative Meetings: For those who have never attended the NAR Mid Year meetings, I encourage you to attend and see what our organization does for our members in Washington D.C! For those attending this year, please make note of the following free events for Alabama attendees: (Time and location can be found here)

• Alabama Hall of Fame Reception and Welcome: Tuesday, May 16, 2017
• Alabama Legislative Reception: Wednesday, May 17, 2017
• Alabama Caucus Meeting: Friday May 19, 2017
• Region 5 Caucus Meeting: Friday, May 19, 2017

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, Jeremy, or any member of the AAR Executive Committee. We look forward to seeing you soon in Washington or at one of the regional meetings.