2020 RETA Breeze Jul-Aug

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Republished letter sent to the RETA membership this summer.

The Confrence has Gone Virtual I hope this communication finds you and yours happy and healthy! It is with sadness that I address the membership today. As you know our annual Conference (held continuously since 1909) is quickly approaching. This year we will not be meeting in person. Please read the rest of this message. I have decided, with the support of the National Board, to replace the Conference in Florida with a virtual Conference. I will explain the philosophy of the change later in this message, but I want to begin by explaining the financial impact of this change to our members and supporters. Every Exhibitor, Sponsor and attendee will receive a 100% refund of the monies they have paid toward this year’s Conference. This is not a credit toward future conferences, or a partial refund. There will be a 100% refund. None of our supporters or members will lose anything that they have paid to RETA. We certainly hope everyone chooses to attend our virtual Conference. Some of our Exhibitors are already preparing their online booths. Registration will begin shortly, and details are available on the RETA website www.RETA.com. RETA has prepared for this contingency for some time but the decision was not an easy one. We delayed as long as possible, hoping for the best possible outcome. Travel restrictions from employers, state regulations, national regulations, and most seriously the health risks to our attendees conspired to make a live conference almost impossible. I simply will not risk the health of our members. Personally, I believe the RETA Conference is a family reunion. I miss my family. After the long ordeal with the pandemic, I was looking forward to the comfort and companionship of my RETA family as were many of you. I always look forward to seeing everyone.

I usually hit Gene up for drink. Kenny always has a funny story. I get a big ole handshake from Jake. Dan immediately asks “So Vern, how you been?” and as family does, he really cares about the answer. Somehow, I always end up having dinner with John and Cynthia just to catch up. Georgia and Tonya always conspire to make sure Keith and I eat properly during the Conference. I will miss all of that this year. But I will get to talk with them, share memories, attend classes together, and share a joke or two. I’m just doing it virtually. I’m sure you have many questions; My guarantee to you is that all of your questions will be answered shortly as the professionals at RETA HQ role out “Virtual RETA 2020”. But I want to mention 2021 briefly. As I said last October when you entrusted me with the President’s gavel, RETA is the voice of the Refrigeration Industry. It is time to invite our cousins to the reunion. We are working with other industry organizations to encourage their members to attend our 2021 Conference. We have extended our hands to our brothers and sisters in the commercial refrigeration industry. We want them with us. We face many of the same struggles. Our industry will overcome these struggles together as a family. I believe our children will look back on 2020 as a year of hardships, but out of these tribulations will emerge a stronger RETA and a stronger refrigeration Industry. We will make history together! I hope to see everyone online and in person soon. May you and yours be blessed!

Vern M. Sanderson Privileged to be your 2020 RETA National President!

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