MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Greetings! As many times before, and as many times in the future, a President goes out and a new one comes in. Time flies, doesn't it? At the end of our annual conference in November, I will be passing the torch to Elizabeth (Libby) Mojica, our new President. If you have been following RRF activities over the past years, attending the annual meetings, or/and making frequent visits to our Facebook page or website (just a few examples of areas in which Libby has served our organization), you can be assured that she will perform exceptionally in this new position. For the past 8 years Libby has been fully committed to RRF, and has played a key role in keeping our organization running smoothly. Under her leadership, RRF will continue to attain success and achieve new goals. Please, join me in welcoming Libby as the next President of the Raptor Research Foundation. The winds of change are certainly blowing in our direction. Having just launched the 2017 elections new Directors and Officers will soon be joining the Board; a very exciting time for our organization. With these changes will come the opportunity to blend the experiences of our most seasoned Board members with those of our newcomers - a combination that potentiates enthusiasm and energy that will in the end be reflected in the development of new proposals, ideas, actions and guaranteed growth of the RRF. So, as I leave my post, here is a plea to you all. It is essential that each and every member becomes involved in the process of selecting those who we believe will represent our membership well, and who will have the responsibility to lead us to realize the mission and goals of the RRF. The new Nominations Committee, chaired by Lloyd Kiff, has worked endless hours and now present us with an amazing slate of candidates. Regardless of the outcome of the election be assured that our organization will continue to be led by the best of the best. My thanks to the Nominating committee and all the candidates for fulfilling this important service. As you probably know, this year we had a drop in membership, apparently for multiple reasons that still are undergoing analysis. -1 - Winabmn 26(2) September 2017 It is therefore our hope that we will, at the end of the day, fully understand the reasons and thereby prevent a repeat occurrence. The Directors and Officers, together with RRF OSNA representatives took several measures to recapture our lapsed members and encourage new ones to join us. Furthermore, a Membership Recruitment and Retention Plan that requires a combination of mid to long-term strategies, is currently being developed by the membership committee, and is a top priority for all of us. Once of our fortes for sure, is our annual conference, and event we all look forward to attending to meet with friends and colleagues to once again share and learn scientific knowledge, discuss conservation challenges and the possibilities for raptor research. Thanks to the hard work of the Conference Planning committee, amazing programs are scheduled for the years to come. So be ready! In a few months, we will be gathering in beautiful Salt Lake City, Utah. Our friends and local conference organizers from Hawkwatch International have prepared a remarkable program that will undoubtedly satisfy everyone! Utah is such a beautiful state, with multiple opportunities for you and your family to enjoy its vibrant natural landscapes and wildlife (raptors too, indeed). Utah is also the home of a long list of species of raptors, you can watch them in its five National Parks and more than 40 state parks. You really do not want to miss this meeting! Increasing the presence of Raptor Researchers from all around the world is of utmost importance and a priority for RRF. Next year the conference will be held outside of North America in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The local committee there has introduces that important event in this issue of Wingspan. I believe this meeting will be another important step forward to make our organization truly international. The Conference Committee is already working on assuring the location back in the United States, in which our 2019 meeting will be held. Stay tuned, as once confirmed we will announce it in upcoming issues of Wingspan and OSNA newsletters. And if this is not enough good news, in 2020 we will once again be joined by the Neotropical Raptor Network and The Peregrine Fund at a meeting which will not only bring people from Latin America but also from around the world, as The Peregrine Fund will use this opportunity to celebrate its 50 th anniversary. I look forward to seeing you at all these upcoming conferences. When I started writing this, my final message as RRF President it was my intent to be short and concise. I always try, believe me. However, I would be remiss if I were to leave without expressing heartfelt thanks to everyone in this organization who very often work silently and hard to make things happen. I will not list specific names, because I will unintentionally miss someone. But I know and you know who you are and I thank you all. Present and past Officers, Directors, Treasurers, Editors, Committee members, RRF representatives, website and Facebook managers thank you very much for your selfless service to our foundation. I also appreciate the support, inspiration and the constructive criticisms you have all provided me over these 11 years as a Board member, and especially these two last years as President; and to you, dear RRF members, my deepest gratitude for allowing me to serve and more importantly, thank you for supporting this organization as you do. - 2 - Winaeom 26(2) September 2017 I am very proud of having served this organization for 11 years. I think together we have accomplished many achievements in this time. I wish I could have done more and accomplish everything I wanted, particularly during my Presidency. I regret not always being successful. But after this year meeting I will not stop completely from being involved. As past President I will do my best to continue supporting the Board and working to accomplish RRF's mission and goals. The Strategic Plan will probably reach momentum as more time will be in my hands to work on it. I will also continue participating in two committees, Membership and Conference planning, and of course, will be attending each annual conference. I have made so many friends along this journey, and I sincerely hope seeing you all again year after year. So, this is why I as I want to finish this letter just saying hasta la vista amigosl All the best, MigueC