2008 ASHE President's Letter
Dear Colleague,
As the 2008 ASHE President, I invite you to attend ASHE’s 45th Annual Conference & Technical Exhibition! This year’s Conference 
is being held July 20-23, 2008 just outside of Washington DC at the brand new Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.
The theme of this year’s Annual Conference is “Always Ready”. In Latin this is translated as “Semper Paratus”, which happens to be the motto of the United States Coast Guard - a motto that is most fitting as they must be always ready to respond to emergencies and critical missions at anytime. I find that there is a great deal of similarity between the motto of the United States Coast Guard and the Healthcare Facilities Management profession. From internal emergencies such as power outages, to external emergencies such as hurricanes and tornadoes, to inspections and project requests - it is the nature of our profession to always be ready. The good news is that the Annual Conference will help ensure we are prepared.
The ASHE Annual Conference Planning Task Force for 2008 was chaired by ASHE Past-President, Jim Shoemaker, FASHE, BSME, MA and supported by a number of outstanding ASHE leaders and staff that volunteered their time. This group spent the past year and a half planning a Conference that will not only provide timely educational sessions presented by high quality speakers, but also create an atmosphere intended to be very family friendly. This is truly a conference that you will not want to miss as an opportunity to enhance your educational needs, network with other professionals in healthcare, get updates on changing standards from The Joint Commission, and assist you in developing your skills to be “Always Ready”.
In addition to putting together an outstanding program of educational events, the 45th Annual Conference also offers many other great features. New for this year is ASHE’s first-ever Silent Auction. ASHE continually looks for ways to support members who do not have the financial resources or facility support to attend the Annual Conference. Through the establishment of the ASHE Educational Foundation, proceeds from the silent auction will be used to offer financial support to ASHE Members to attend future Annual Conferences. Other Conference highlights include tours of Washington DC for families and guests, the Annual Golf Classic and of course the Annual Banquet.
So, whether you’ve worked in Healthcare Facilities Management for years, you are new to the profession with a need to begin your journey, or just making sure that you’re keeping up your skill set, I hope that you will take advantage of this great opportunity to join me at the 2008 Annual Conference to ensure that we’re all ready for the next mission and the next emergency. Semper Paratus!
John R. Wood, CHFM, SASHE
2008 ASHE President
Administrative Director of Facilities Management
Mercy Medical Center
Roseburg, Oregon