President's Message

Dear Fellow Alumni,

We had a great 2011. However, that is in the past. As we embark on 2012, there are items of business to be handled. The Nominating Committee put out the call for nominations for a new Board of Directors and the new Board was elected at the Annual Meeting. So, let me welcome the new Board Members. Now it is time for the Board to elect new officers for our FBI CAAA. The call has gone out and next week at our Board Meeting that will be held at FBI Building we will elect new officers to lead the group for 2012. I am excited about the new members and the possibilities they bring to the table.

Dues for 2012 are payable. You can pay online by PayPal or download the form and mail your check to the address given on the FBI CAAA website. We ended 2011 with the largest membership ever.   I am confident that 2012 will be even better and that more things will be offered to you as dues paying members that are exclusive to you.

One of those exclusive offers our annual Alumni Field Trip and the opportunity to go to Quantico and FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC. Mark your calendar for March 26, 27 and 28 and check the website for details. I have not been able to make this trip in the past, but I hope to be able to attend this year. All reports are that it is a DO NOT MISS trip. 

I am excited about our organization’s sixth year. Thanks to all the Alumni for sharing the goals that are in our Mission Statement. We all want and strive to make our Nation safer.

Sincerely and Thank you,
Don Lupo

Dear Fellow Alumni,

It has been a phenomenal year!  Our organization is thriving and growing.  The number of active members is at the highest level in our organization’s history.  Last week I had the honor of speaking at the graduation of the Birmingham Class, where 20 outstanding individuals joined the elite ranks of Citizens Academy graduates.  Their enthusiasm is contagious and I know that they will strengthen our organization as they get involved in the Alumni Association.

The year is drawing to a close but it is far from over!   I am excited to tell you about some important activities that are planned for the next few months.  All alumni are invitedundefinedso please mark your calendars and plan to get involved!

• CALL FOR NOMINATIONS – FBICAAA Board of Directors:
  Several positions are coming open on the Board of Directors for next year.  Positions to be filled include slots for Huntsville and Birmingham CA graduates.  All alumni interested in serving on the board should submit an application to the Nominating Committee for consideration by Friday, November 11.  Board members will be elected at the annual meeting and will serve a two-year term (January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2013).  Click HERE to learn more about the qualifications for board service and to obtain an application form.
  
• ALUMNI PARTY - November 20th:
  Believe it or not, this year marks our chapter’s 5^th anniversary!  Please join us on Sunday, November 20^th, as we return to the scene of our very FIRST alumni event for a party to kick off the holiday season.  We’ll be honoring Paul Daymond for his service to our chapter and we hope that everyone will join us for this event!  It will be a great opportunity to reconnect with alumni from Birmingham and Huntsville CA Classes and to visit with FBI instructors and retired agents previously involved with the Citizens Academy. Click HERE for more information and to register.
  
• ANNUAL MEETING and BOARD ELECTIONS – December 8th:
  All alumni are invited to attend our annual meeting on Thursday, December 8^th.  We will have a special guest speaker and present a report of the year’s activities, hold board elections, and announce plans for the coming year.  More details will follow soon, but please save the date!  We hope that each of you will plan to be there.
  
• MEMBERSHIP DRIVE CONTINUES:
  You also know that we’re in the midst of a membership drive.  It’s not too late to join the FBICAAA!  As part of this campaign, anyone paying their dues between now and the end of the year will have their membership extended through the end of 2012 at no additional cost.  Dues are tax deductible and help us carry out our mission.  So don’t wait!  Join today!  Click HERE for more information.

It has been an honor to serve as your president this year.  Let’s keep the momentum going!

Sincerely and Thank you,
Don Lupo

Dear Fellow Alumni,

Congratulations to our newest graduates from Huntsville! The nine weeks went by way to fast. I enjoyed meeting you in Huntsvilleand look forward to seeing you again. The FBI Citizens’ Academy Alumni Association hopes you will consider joining as a full member and enjoying the rights to extra benefits that non-members do not have. If you will visit the website you can see all the extras that are lined up for the year.

June 14 is approaching. Our trip to Headquarters and Quantico is planned for June 14-17. It will be a great trip to Washington. In addition to the Birmingham Chapter being there, the New Orleans Chapter will also be there. The SAC from New Orleans is making the trip as is SAC Patrick Maley from Birmingham. It is a great opportunity to learn more about the FBI, socialize with members, and make new friends from New Orleans. If you are a graduate and an Alumni Association member you are eligible to make the trip.  Your guests are also welcome.  The deadline for registration is May 31^st.

On May 11 the SAC gave us an impressive briefing on International Terrorism (IT). It came just a few days after an event in our country’s history that we will never forget. Murder of U.S. Nationals outside the United States; Conspiracy to Murder U.S. Nationals outside the United States; and Attack on a Federal Facility Resulting in Death were the charges. Usama Bin Laden, one of the worlds MOST WANTED, has been taken care of. IT is still a threat. Bin Laden was one of many so the war against terrorism goes on. SAC Maley provided us a lot of information and challenged us to be vigilant in our quest to eliminate IT.

We will be announcing dates for CERT Training, Range Day and another Sundowner event with the SAC soon. Watch the calendar for upcoming events and remember:  momentum, commitment, strength, opportunity, leadership and service are the words that define us in our journey to “making the Nation Safer Together.”

The storms of April 27 that hit Alabama did a lot of damage. That damage was to things that can be and will be replaced. Some of our members were directly affected. We all share in the hope of rebuilding. Lives were lost. Almost 250 people that were Alabamians were taken from us. We all knew somebody that is not here today. Let’s honor them by doing something for others.

Sincerely and Thank you,
Don Lupo

Dear Fellow Alumni,

A quarter of the year is almost gone. It has been a busy time for the FBI CAAA.

As you know, our first newsletter has been published. It has been received with glowing comments. The newsletter will be another tool to get the word out to fellow alumni on all that is happing in the Birmingham-Huntsville Chapter of the FBI CAAA. The Board has met with record participation each month and now we get to the part of the calendar that allows members to get in on the action. Check the calendar for all the opportunities.

Our Past President, Heather White, is now a Board Member of the FBI National CAAA. Heather will bring the same energy to the national board that she brought to our local board. We are very proud to have Heather elected to this position. Congratulations Heather.

The Huntsville spring class is in full swing. It was my privilege to address the class on opening night. They have nineteen class members and some are already inquiring about the FBI CAAA. They even have members that plan on going to FBI Headquarters and the FBI training facility after graduation. Let me remind you to make your plans to go with us to Washington in June. There are details for reservations on the calendar.

SAC Maley will brief all alumni on May 11 at Cantina in a “cutting edge Unclassified brief on International Terrorism (IT) threat.” This promises to be a really fun evening. Please check the calendar for details. The SAC and COS Paul Daymond are making a lot of things available to us that we haven’t been able to take advantage of in the past. I told you in my first letter the SAC and COS were going to offer their support and they have.

Please check the calendar for all the activities coming up an dremember momentum, commitment, strength, opportunity, leadership, and service are the words that define us in our journay to "making the Nation Safer Together."

Sincerely and Thank You,

Don Lupo

Dear Fellow Alumni,

2011 promises to be a great year for the Birmingham-Huntsville Chapter of the FBICAAA.  You have elected a slate of officers that are committed to working, having fun and growing the organization.  The Executive Board has met and promises to engage each of you and tap your expertise.  When called upon, be like the soldier in Glory that was asked, “Who will pick up the Flag and carry it into the fort if this man shall fall,” and say, “I will.”

SAC Patrick Maley and COS Paul Daymond are going to offer support as they have in the past. However, this is our group and we will be what we make of it. We have an opportunity to have a great year. I promise to do my share.  It was cool to get to go through the class in 2005. We had a great class. Then I found out there was something after the class called the FBICAAA. I joined and now am the newly elected President. We are going to ask you to join if you haven’t; and if you have, we are going to ask you to help us recruit new members.

Last year we participated in several outstanding events. We will again participate in National Night Out, Be Ready Day, Range Day, and a trip to FBI Headquarters. We are represented in the national organization by our Past President, Heather White.  Heather is the regional Vice President of the FBINCAAA. With the leadership of the Board, we will take on some new events as well for 2011.

In Heather’s year-end message, there were words like momentum, commitment, strength, opportunity, leadership and service.  Let us take those words to heart.  Let us be a part of “Making the Nation Safer Together.”

Sincerely and Thank You,

Don Lupo

Dear Fellow Alumni,

It has been an honor to serve as president of this organization for the past year.  I am indebted to the outgoing officers and board of directors for their time and expertise, and to the committee chairs for their enthusiasm for the initiatives that we have undertaken this year.  But above all, I am grateful to SAC Pat Maley and COS Paul Daymond, whose unwavering support made all of our activities and outreach programs possible.

This has been a year of building friendships and strengthening relationships with fellow alumni and with the outstanding agents and personnel of the FBI as we worked together to serve our community.  As the year draws to a close, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished in the last twelve months.

We have had a busy and productive year:  the Alumni participated in our first Range Day, distributed Child ID kits at National Night Out and Be Ready Day, sponsored Citizens Academy classes in Huntsville and Birmingham, held events in Huntsville and Birmingham featuring special speakers, kicked off our sponsorship of the FBI-SOS (Safe Online Surfing) program, contributed to the National Law Enforcement Museum building fund, and embarked on our second annual Alumni Field Trip to the FBI Training Academy and FBIHQ.  If you weren't able to participate in these events, I encourage you to visit our photo gallery to see what you missed!

The coming year promises to build on this momentum.  The newly-elected officers and board of directors are committed to strengthening the organization, but their success is dependent on your involvement.  There are many opportunities on the horizon for leadership and service and I hope that you will consider ways that you can get involved in the new year.

Sincerely,
Heather White


P.S.  Click here to review the officers and board for 2011.