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Presidential Quarterly Update

By IZE President Chris Peters

March 2004

Rotterdam Zoo, Netherlands
c.peters@rotterdamzoo.nl

Dear IZE members,

At the moment, Suzanne Gendron and her staff Joyce Kwok and Shirley Wong of Ocean Park Hong Kong, are very busy with the organization of the 17th IZE Conference, 4 - 9 September 2004. Everyday e-mails cross the ocean to IZE board members in North America and Europe and vice versa to inform and advise each other. The advantages of these digital times are enormous. Right now the biggest job is to try to keep the conference fee as low as possible and believe me... that is a difficult job in a city like Hong Kong. But even if the conference fee is higher than it was in Vienna in 2002, rest assured you will get an amazing program for it. You can find the most up-to-date information on our website: www.izea.net/Con2004. By the way, I recommend that every member visit the website weekly, because the webmaster updates the content regularly. If at all possible do come to participate in the IZE Conference and share your knowledge, expertise and dedication with conservation education colleagues from all over the world. All participants of former IZE Conferences remember these events as very stimulating.

Perhaps just as hectic as the organization of the IZE Conference, is the election procedure Stephen McKeown of the Chester Zoo in the UK is coordinating at the moment as acting Secretary. IZE has 8 vacant positions and when an existing board member stands for another position in the board their own position also becomes vacant. Again... on the website you can find the call for nominations. If any of you are interested please apply no later than April 30th. After collecting all the new nominees it is up to the members to vote for the best candidates. In Hong Kong we will introduce all these brand new board members to you. The elections will usher in major renewal of the board and give us all an opportunity to keep improving our association. For me as President-Elect it will be an honor to lead IZE into an era of even more urgent conservation education.

With warm regards,

Chris Peters
IZE President Elect