The 2010 Annual Meeting officially began with a rousing Opening Ceremonies that celebrated CRNA achievements and honors and had AANA members dancing to the sounds the 1970s. For the second year in a row, the Opening Ceremonies was held on Sunday morning to a packed crowd.
AANA President Jim Walker, CRNA, DNP, greets friends and colleagues at the close of the Opening Ceremonies. Photo courtesy of Wheeler Commercial Photography.
The ceremonies began with the traditional procession of state presidents, AANA Foundation Friends for Life, award recipients, past presidents, the Board of Directors, and the 2010 president. Joyce Kelly, CRNA, EdD, gave the invocation, and the presentation of the colors by the First Corps Command Honor Guard from Joint Base Lewis in McChord, Wash., was followed by a pitch-perfect rendition of the National Anthem sung in four-part harmony by The Coats, an a cappella group.
President James Walker, CRNA, DNP, thanked the Washington Association of Nurse Anesthetists for welcoming the AANA to Seattle and encouraged members to enjoy all the Emerald City has to offer. Special messages from Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire and Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn were presented. Walker honored CRNAs and students who are serving or who have served in the military, asking them to stand up for a hearty round of applause. The AANA also honored individual contributions to the field of nurse anesthesia with a variety of prestigious awards. (See AANA Award Winners Announced at Opening Ceremonies in this issue of the eDaily.)
International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists
Sandra Ouellette, CRNA, MEd, FAAN, past president of the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) spoke about the 10th World Congress of Nurse Anesthetists, which will be held May 26-29, 2012 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. A presentation by Zorica Kardos, president of the congress, highlighted the attractions of the World Congress host city. President Walker strongly encouraged members to attend the World Congress for an opportunity to meet anesthetists from other countries. Ouellette completed her tenure in June as president of and AANA representative to IFNA; Past President Jackie Rowles, CRNA, MBA, MA, FAAPM, now serves as AANA representative to IFNA.
An Entertaining Morning
Members entered the Ballroom and took their seats to the sound of Seattle’s Everyday Jones. The acoustic group features guitarist Jason Green, who is the son of AANA member Mark Green, CRNA, MSN.
Interspersed with the speeches and awards were performances by the ABBA tribute band “Arrival,” whose members later changed costumes and became “Dreams,” a band that looked and sounded like Fleetwood Mac. Also changing costumes was “Quick Change,” a magical couple who could be dressed for any occasion the blink of an eye. The meeting ended with another set from “Arrival,” which left the audience dancing to the ABBA song, “Dancing Queen.”