Associate Director
Lisa Brochu
February 2007


Certification
In January, Tim and I conducted a Certified Interpretive Planners workshop at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. The workshop was full with a waiting list. With the purchase of a Scantron machine to expedite grading of exams, we are revising the paperwork system for the certification program. This should result in a streamlined process for CIG/CIH instructors as well as the office staff.

Definitions Project
A conference call meeting was held in January to finalize the vocabulary list for the Definitions Project. Russ is working on the website test model which should be available in February for final testing and release to the public. The project will allow anyone to download information from the website (administered and updated annually by NAI). We are already seeing some organizations using the Definitions Project vocabulary list as their definition of choice in preparing official documents.

International
Registration for the Vancouver conference has passed the break-even point with 151 registered as of February 12. We anticipate another 20-25 registrants and look forward to a successful event. On this year’s agenda will be a concurrent session presented by Wei Dongying from NAI-China and Kye Joong Cho from NAI-Korea to explain their plans for their organizations.

The Galapagos Ecotour was a success with 15 NAI participants and 5 participants on the boat who signed up outside of NAI. By the end of the tour, all five were wanting to know more about NAI and plan to attend some of our certification workshops and other events. Tim attended the ecotour as the official staff leader and I went as a paid participant on vacation time. Next year’s ecotour is currently being scheduled for Uganda in early 2008.

Contracts & Speaking Engagements
Rob Pacheco from Hawaii Forest & Trails has asked Tim and me to participate in a community-based planning effort for a new resort in Kohala that wants to focus on interpretation as a significant offering for their customers. This will be a paid consulting opportunity that will contribute significantly to the budgeted amount for consulting/speaking. Amount of time estimated: 40 hours for each of us. The Dallas Zoo is also asking me to “look over their shoulders” during a major exhibit renovation process (also a paid consultancy to be paid by the day). This would be done over a series of two to three, one or two-day workshops through 2007 culminating in a CIP class in spring of 2008. I have been asked to teach a day-long mobile workshop at the Scenic Byways national conference that will be a paid engagement. And finally, a Scenic Byways organization in Kansas has asked Tim and I to do a day and a half workshop on interpretation for about 50 community members for which NAI will be paid also. We are well on our way to reaching our budgeted amount for consulting/speaking this year.

Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Brochu
888-900-8283