Hello and welcome to the Missouri State Speech-Language and Hearing Association (MSHA)!
I am honored to serve our association as President for the 2023-2024 year. Entering my 4th year on the MSHA Executive Board, I am grateful to those who demonstrated expertise, leadership, poise, and service to not only prepare me for this year, but to also challenge and inspire me. Representing Missouri at national events and advocating for our members at home has been a rewarding and humbling experience.
Our Executive Board is packed with a dedicated, knowledgeable, and innovative team working not only for our members, but also our students – our future SLP’s, and the individuals we serve. The challenges we face as an organization are those still resounding from pandemic setbacks. Although we witnessed some recovery in annual membership renewals and 2023 convention attendees, we still have much to accomplish to remain a strong and financially sound association. As we strive to recruit our non-MSHA member colleagues to join us in our association, we also recognize the need to provide more networking opportunities, progressive education, benefits, and collaborations exclusive to our members. We want to prioritize an open invitation for membership to our SLPA’s who work beside many of us to assure our clients receive needed services to empower and change lives. For our colleague Audiologists, we wish to cater to their individual professional needs in appreciation of our ongoing collaboration in patient care.
Our Convention Planning Team has worked diligently to make our 65th MSHA Annual Convention in Osage Beach (April 11-14, 2024) a progressive meeting. Our theme “MSHA Momentum: Resilience, Reconnection, Reinvention,” is a testament to the post-pandemic challenges that require us to keep moving forward to not only reconnect with our communities, but to reinvent new ways and means to provide education to our members who provide the always in-demand services in Missouri. This year’s convention provides a diverse spectrum of sessions with renowned and highly sought-after speakers, new spins on recurring sessions, more career-based sessions for our future SLP’s, and networking opportunities for all.
To our members, I thank you for your dedication and participation in our association. I also want to challenge each of you to invite at least one non-MSHA member colleague (SLP, AUD, or SLPA) to consider MSHA membership and attend our 2024 annual convention. To our non-members visiting this website, I personally invite you to consider joining! Our annual $65 fee is one of the lowest nationally. Membership provides discounts for all educational opportunities and access to collaborations for MSHA members and more. In addition, I ask that you consider serving within our organization as a volunteer at convention or conferences, serving on a future Convention Planning Team or Executive Board, donating to our student scholarship MSH-Foundation, or volunteer to host a networking event in your area to reconnect members and meet and support new! YOU are exactly who we need and together we are stronger.
To all within our professions, I humbly thank you for your service to our clients, families, students, & colleagues and I look forward to working beside you to learn, grow, support, and advocate for all we value.
Respectfully,
Andrea Greenlee Richards, MEd CCC SLP
MSHA President 2023-2024