President's Letter
Autumn, 2008
Greetings fellow LABTA’ers
Can you believe it? October 2008 literally crept up and went “boo”…..the end of another year is closing in on us! Now I understand what Halloween really means……!
What a wonderful meeting this past week in lovely Santa Monica! The hotel, food, speakers and topic were all magnificent! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this event the record breaker it was! Yes, we had 165 members and guests! This was the largest single meeting turnout in the history of LABTA!
Janice Chang and Rene Cruz
The Fairmont Miramar Hotel and Bungalows
BCD Travel
Speaking of programs, we are actively working on the November event. As our economy literally melted both here and abroad, the programs DirectorSarah Best, along with myself , discussed the opportunity for an economy based program. Stay tuned for details as it promises to be another great opportunity to understand our industry during this challenging time!
The board is leaving on Thursday for the strategic planning session. The title of this year’s event is Mind, Body, Spirit and Service. We will be looking at how we as volunteer leaders can work better together as a team, as well as ensuring that we take care of ourselves so that we can provide 100% value to you, our constituents. Also in attendance will be the Bay Area BTA, the Silicon Valley BTA, and the San Diego BTA. This collective review of common issues will provide value to all our members in the Greater California BTA!
December is right around the corner, and you know what that means! Yes, it is our annual Holiday Gala. This year’s event will be held at the fabulous new SLS Beverly Hills hotel. Yes, the hotel that’s the talk of the town! So mark December 10th on your calendar now!
Vice President - Therese Jacobsen
Secretary - Belinda Borden
Treasurer - Kathy Briski
Board Advisors - Eric Dahlerbruch & Mary Ann Greenelsh
Director of Corporate Sponsorship - Sean Parham
Director of Member Relations - Barbara Ford
Director of Special Events - Kathy Hoskanian
Director of Programs & Venues - Sarah Best
Director of OC Outreach - Bryan Holmes
Director of Community Outreach - Maureen Hawkins
Past President - Eve White
Ambassador - Jean-Pierre Gaspar
I look forward to providing additional updates after the retreat, and hope that the rest of your month goes smoothly! Should you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at
With Gratitude,
Craig A. Banikowski
President, LABTA
