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executive
director’s
remarks

Associations Don’t Retire

This year, AJA is celebrating Our focus on the past will we are celebrating our 50th Chris D. Daniels
40 years of service to the be meaningful but very brief. anniversary, those of us who
professionals who operate People retire but associations are “old timers” will look back
our nation’s jails. Much like don’t. If the COVID-19 pan- with pride on how quickly
a couple who is celebrating demic has taught us anything, we pivoted and how well we
their 40th wedding anni- it is that there will always be executed on a paradigm shift
versary, AJA has matured to new challenges—and we can- when the situation called for
become a better version of not afford to get too comfort- it. And all that we accom-
itself over the years. Those of able. Although we honor those plished will be commemo-
you who are longtime mem- who have served in the past, rated on the historical timeline
bers of AJA likely have fond AJA thrives on new members at the 40-year tick mark!
memories of the relationships and the infusion of new ideas
you’ve formed through AJA. and energy they bring to our
However, unlike the couple organization. CHRIS D. DANIELS, MPA, CAE
who is celebrating their long More so than ever before, Executive Director
marriage and looking forward AJA and its members are fac- American Jail Association
to their golden years, AJA is ing unprecedented challenges.
not ready to retire. In 2020, we were forced to
If you have ever been a part cancel our annual conference.
of our volunteer leadership, Then, in 2021, we made a
you most likely cherished the difficult decision to offer the If the COVID-19 pandemic
opportunity. In fact, you may conference as a virtual meet-
reflect with great pride on the ing only.
many accomplishments of the AJA’s conference is the has taught us anything, it
association over the past four premiere meeting for jail
decades. It’s important that as professionals to get together is that there will always be
an association we all pause to and exchange ideas and strate-
celebrate and acknowledge the gies about the challenges they
dedicated people who brought confront in their day-to-day new challenges—and we
us to where we are today and operations. That exchange is
the tremendous strides we’ve critically important, especially cannot afford to get too
made. Throughout 2021, we in unparalleled times. Both the
will be doing just that in our AJA staff and our leadership
publications and communica- were extremely resourceful comfortable.
tions and at our meetings. and creative in developing a
virtual conference that far sur-
passed anything imaginable
even a year ago.
Although some may
bemoan all that was missed
and the sacrifices that had to
be made because we couldn’t
meet in person, I am confi-
dent that in 10 years when

AMERICANJails MAY | JUNE 2021 | 7