Fellow Members:

It is with mixed emotions that I write this letter as your outgoing President. The last two years have flown by, and I'd like to think that as a team, this Board has accomplished quite a lot. I would like to thank all Board members for their continued hard work and dedication.

Hopefully one of our biggest feats is the new and improved website. We will strive to keep the site updated and will continue to grow it into a useful and informative tool. We welcome your comments and suggestions throughout this process.

I'm excited to announce that Crime Scene School is Back!! Save the dates: August 31-September 4. In addition to the Basic training, the Board is in the final planning stages for a three-day Advanced school. This course will be offered to those members who have completed Basic, and who wish to have more in-depth training in the areas of shooting reconstruction, chemical processing, and footwear/tire tracks. (Class sizes are limited; watch for updates here as well as printed materials soon.)

The Spring 2009 Conference is in the books; held May 7-8 in Waterloo. We had super attendance and a great line-up of presenters: Jessica Darvalics of Spex Forensics on Alternate Light Sources; Steve O'Brien of the DCI Lab on Digital Photography; Chris Kauffman, Van Buren County S.O., on property room management; and Carl Bessman, DCI Lab, on firearms.

We've also welcomed a few members to the organization recently. I'd like to challenge each of you to spread the word of the IAI throughout your agencies. We try to keep our prices reasonable and our training topics relevant and are always looking for fresh faces and new ideas.

Mark your calendars now for our annual Fall Conference set for November 5 and 6, 2009, in Ankeny. More to follow on this...watch the site.

In closing, thank you for the opportunity to serve this organization. I now 'turn over the gavel' to my friend, Dennis Kern, who will do a fantastic job, no doubt.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments or questions.

Respectfully,
Tammy R Orr, Past President/Chairman of the Board
Iowa IAI
Mason City Police Department
641-421-3390
Email