Greetings to all.

First and foremost allowance for gratitude is in order. Thanks to John Hardy and the Nomination Committee for the vote of confidence as President of MWRA. Hats off to MWRRI and all who made this year's conference a success. As always, your performance was impeccable and I commend you one and all. Also, special thanks to Jack Zink and Joe Baran for organizing the successful Golf Tournament and to Joe Conn for the informative tour of the Port of Gulfport.

Additionally and just a reminder, I look forward to seeing as many members as possible in February at the Board of Directors Meeting and Legislative Breakfast at the Old Capitol Inn. There is much work to be done.

Congratulations to Jim Shepard, Ph.D., on his new position at Auburn University as Dean of the College of Forest Resources and Wildlife. I would also like to extend a special welcome to Bill McAnally, Ph.D., Department of Civil Engineering at Mississippi State and MSU Liaison to the Northern Gulf Institute, as the new MWRA Vice President. Of course I also want to thank Dean Pennington, Ph.D., of the YMD Water Management District for his leadership, insight and support as MWRA President for the past two years. Thank you, Dean.

Special thanks are due to the conference sponsors - without them, it would be most difficult, maybe impossible, to produce the kind of experience all of us were treated to: Waggoner Engineering, MS Department of Marine Resources, Rosedale-Bolivar County Port Commission, Neel-Schaffer, and Florence & Hutcheson. Heartfelt thanks to all of the sponsors!

Of course I'm pleased the MWRA Board of Directors also voted to have the 2011 Water Conference in Natchez - and I hope to show off my port there to the membership. Once again, thanks to all, and keep striving to make Mississippi and her water resources your resource to impact the waterways and freight ways to the world.