Welcome Address
Welcome to the 2009 PNA-OR/WA Christmas Party. May everyone enjoy and feel the true spirit of Christmas
and I wish you a wonderful and peaceful New Year!
On behalf of the PNA-OR/WA Executive Board and members, I would like to thank you for joining us
in celebrating our annual Christmas Party tonight. First of all, our event will not be as fun without our emcee, Estella Flock
and our event coordinator, Dan Harvey. So, thank you both for volunteering tonight.
We would like to welcome our guests from Tualatin Heritage Center, Mr. & Mrs. Larry McClure,
who have supported us in many of our events and activities, from providing us with this very facility, to volunteering in
the Philippine Medical Mission . We also appreciate the support of the Fil-Am
of Clark County Executive Board led by Eric and Vivian Tadeo, American Association of Pacific Islander Nurses Association
(AAPINA), and Sig Unander, the Project Development Director of Eravision Films, representing the Latinos as well as the Filipinos.
Let me introduce to you the outgoing 2008-2009 PNA-OR/WA Officers. We just held our election of
officers for 2010-2012 last month and the induction of new set of officers is
planned for next year sometime in May. Our next president will be Fred Calixtro, who was the first president and founder of
PNA-OR/WA. Since the beginning of my term 4 years ago, Fred went back to school and has earned a degree as an Education Specialist
in addition to his Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and is currently a candidate for his Doctoral Degree (PhDc). He will
be graduating on June, 2011.
With Fred’s experiences and achievements, he is ready to guide new officers and members for
any challenge that may arise. I would like to challenge all the members and nurses to actively participate and run for office
in the future.
PNA-OR/WA is proud to share with you some of our accomplishments. Just to highlight a few of our
activities, based on the PNAA President’s Mantra-PRISM: Professional
Linkages, Regulatory and Legislative Agenda, Interagency Collaboration, Services and Program Development, and Managing Organizational
Resources Effectively and Ethically, here are our accomplishments:
P - 5K Run/Walk – in the past 2 years, PNAA raised $25,000, $30,000. Represented PNA-OR/WA in the Multicultural Advisory
Council at Linfield-Good Samaritan School of Nursing. Supported PNA Vienna and the Phil. non-profit org. called “Ang
Nars” to support nurses wages and work condition.
R – Supported our fellow nurses to create a position in Congress as “Chief
Nurse Executive.” Supported Human Rights Committee in helping new migrant
nurses.
I - Yearly Event – Three
Phil. med. Missions attended by members and joined by friends namely Mr. & Mrs. Larry McClure and doctors from the Philippines.
Hosted during Christmas Season at the evening mass. Volunteered services for the Washington County Immunization Clinic. Participated
in the Gawad Kalinga Village program. First PNAA Village to be built in Piel, Baliwag, Bulacan. Supported Fil-Am Association for
fundraising.
S - Participated in the PNAA Annual National Regional Conventions yearly,
Faith Café yearly Trim to a Healthy Heart Program – won 3rd place
and received $150. Fundraising activities and membership drive to support our
association’s mission and goals. Developed the Orientation Manual, (Circle of Presidents’ Project) for the incoming
chapter officers.
M - Retreat at Ocean Park, WA. Fundraising events 2-3 times/year - dinner dance, bowling, taste of the Philppines.
at THC, and raffle ticket. So far, we have achieved our goals for this year. As planned about six years ago, for the very
first time, we are granting Scholarship Awards to two deserving students.
To achieve our goals and fulfill our mission, we need to increase our membership, retain our members
and keep them motivated. We have two members who have recruited the most number of members this year and they will receiving
a discount in their membership fee for next year.
We also need to continue our support for the Gawad Kalinga Project and the Kababayan Emergency
Preparedness Fund (KEPF) project to help our members and their families during calamities. Another way of giving back to our
country is the Phil. Medical Mission. It is also our goal to hold more educational conferences and have active participation
in the Balik-Turo Program.
Together, we can make a difference. Happy Holiday to all and God bless PNA-OR/WA.
Lucy Laeser, MSN, RN, CRNI
President PNA-OR/WA
