Thank you!  There are so many individuals I would love to thank for being able to stand here today, having this huge honor bestowed upon me.  As with anything you start at the head and work your way down; My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has brought me to this wonderful state and to this opportunity, and for that I am truly grateful; my husband who was here to escort and support me as he helped me set up my laptop and sat in the front row, grinning from ear to ear, as I gave my very first lecture here in New Orleans six years ago.  Since then he has supported me traveling all over to speak or attend conferences across Louisiana and the United States; my boss and friend Jaclyn Peters, you have lead the way and continue to guide me every day; Brett Bennett, you saw potential in me a long time ago and never stopped encouraging me to become involved; Laura Aaron, Kelli Haynes, and Tammy Curtis, you built up my foundation and challenged me to step forward; Joel Hicks, my predecessor, you put up with me and are a sounding board to keep me objective; my students, because if I am ever having a crappy day or feeling down…they are some of my biggest supporters and they can even convince me, that they believe I’m pretty special…I’m truly humbled by your generosity and your genuine love (and if I didn’t mention them, I would never hear the end of it!); and last but not least my LSRT friends and family, you are always there to support and encourage me, and for that I thank you all! 

 Reading my Bible reminder yesterday the verse of the day was Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

 God is a very large part of my life and even though I daily fall short, and I do not seek Him out as much as I should, He is always there strengthening me and placing so many individuals in my pathway to guide me.  I look around this room and see so many people that have come before me and those individuals surround me, give me support to pick me up when I fall, redirect me when I have clearly veered off the path, and encourage and love me just as God does in my life. 

 Reflecting on a portion of this verse, “…Him who strengthens me” I look at our profession and ask “who strengthens it?” 

ARRT has developed the Gold Standard where they are recognizing “The best of the best” in our field.  I look around this room again at some of those same individuals who have pushed, stretched, loved, and encouraged me, and they are the best of the best!  I look more and I see the future Gold Standard Technologists that I would love to help mold, shape, guide, and lead to becoming the best of the best in our profession.  I want them to take pride in our profession and to have a desire to be that Gold Standard Technologist; but in order for that to be accomplished they must first be a professional.

 Webster defines a professional as “relating to a job that requires special education, training, or skill.”  SPECIAL education, training, and skill…I would like to think that the LSRT is a good component of the extra “special” education these future professional radiologic technologists are receiving.  Are we fully educating them on why our society is so important and such a crucial component of their profession?  Do they understand that the LSRT is who advocates for them in our state?  Who fights for them as others are encroaching on our profession?  That we are representing their voice at a national level?  That they need to have the desire to fight for the title of professional in our field and understand we have power in numbers!  Numbers, one of the lectures I attended at the ASRT stated we are the third largest group of health professionals, there is power in numbers…as we become involved in and fund our professional societies our voices will be heard.  So I am speaking to the students and I implore you; please stay involved, stay committed, and most importantly become the Gold Standard of our Profession!

 As your president, I will strive to ensure we, as the LSRT, are focusing on our members and we are helping equip them to become the Best of the Best in our profession.  I believe in order to accomplish this we will continue to seek quality lectures for education, benefits to help increase membership numbers, and continue to engage our members…both technologists and students.  We are Radiologic TechKNOWLEDGEists, so let’s spread the Knowledge!

 Carmen George, MSRS, RT(R)

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