April 4, 2022
Chesapeake Bay Division of the International Association for Identification members and associates, thank you for giving me the distinguished honor of being your president. Gathering together at the CBD-IAI conference in Gettysburg reminded me of what a remarkable family we are and how far we have come. What better place than Gettysburg to host the first conference back together! The soldiers fighting the bloodiest battle of the civil war showed unwavering resilience in Gettysburg, and after two long years of unwavering commitment and resolve to the continued success of the CBD-IAI, it was the perfect location to revive our in-person conferences.
The CBD-IAI is known for the professionalism, quality training and innovation of its membership. When the pandemic started, most divisions made the decision to cancel their conferences for the year, but we pivoted to the virtual conference, blazing the path for other divisions and hosting a wildly successful virtual conference with attendance from across the globe. That resilience and innovation is the heart of the membership of the CBD-IAI and is what continues to make our division successful year after year. I am so proud and truly honored to be your president, and I look forward to taking up the challenge of continuing the growth and development of the division. However, I also encourage all of our membership to rise to that challenge with me. Now is a great time to get involved with the CBD-IAI through committees, promoting membership to co-workers and academics, endorsing our scholarship and poster awards, and joining the ranks of the Board of Directors or Vice Presidents.
We have more than a year before our next conference, which will be the annual IAI educational conference at National Harbor in Maryland. In this time, I will be looking to make improvements to our division, including creating a standing conference planning committee that will establish continuity in planning from year to year. I will also be looking for a motivated and enthusiastic person to fill the position of webmaster, and I want to hear from members and sponsors on some fresh ideas on how we can improve our conferences and seminars. Additionally, we are planning to move our one-day seminar to next spring to accommodate the large gap between now and the IAI conference.
In closing, I want to thank everyone who has supported and guided me through this rewarding experience. I would like to give a special thanks to my supportive husband, Kelsey, and my CBD-IAI family consisting of the Board of Directors, the Officers and all of the members. I would also like to thank our sponsors, many of whom are also members. Without them our annual conference and seminar would not be possible. Thank you all for believing in me. I am dedicated to the continued advancement of the forensic sciences and the success of the division, and I look forward to seeing you all at National Harbor in 2023!
Best Wishes!
- Mallory McCormick, CBD-IAI President
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August 2023
Chesapeake Bay Division of the International Association for Identification Membership,
It is with great pleasure, and a bit of surprise, that I am greeting you again. It seems only yesterday I was first thanking you for the honor of being your president. Though the year has gone by in a flash, I am proud of all that we have achieved. Last year, I laid before you my roadmap of changes to come and challenged the membership to raise up and embrace the opportunity to get involved with the division. I am excited to say, you did not disappoint. As promised, I created a dedicated conference planning committee, and I have been putting their vast talents to good use as we work with the IAI in planning this year’s conference in National Harbor. Thanks to the collaboration and dedication of our Student Development and Scholarship Committees, we have seen an increase in scholarship applications from highly qualified candidates. I strongly believe that in any organization the free exchange of ideas and frequent communication is the heart of growth and healthy development. So, in addition
to encouraging collaboration between committees, I also implemented quarterly meetings of the Board of Directors with committee chairs to encourage the open exchange of ideas and frequent status reports. This has led to the improvement of several committee and divisional initiatives.
Next, I am excited to announce that our current webmaster, Da-il Kim, will be staying on with us. Da-il has been a valuable member of our team for many years and we are excited to continue to utilize his expertise. Preparations for the 2023 IAI Educational Conference in National Harbor, Maryland are going incredibly well. I am in awe of all the CBD-IAI members who have stepped up to volunteer their time and are enthusiastic about supporting the division. Assisting the IAI with planning the conference is an intensive endeavor and I feel that we have
executed our support in an exemplary fashion. In addition to supporting the conference, we have taken over the organization of the 5k race. We decided to pivot from an in-person race to a virtual 5k and expect the race to be a fun event everyone can enjoy at their convenience. Keep an eye out for registration for the CBD-IAI Harbor Hustle Virtual
5k!
The successes of the last year do not indicate a time to sit back, however. Now is the time to embrace this momentum and keep driving on. It is our responsibility to continually look to grow and develop this organization. We must look for more ways to offer training to all forensic disciplines, keep increasing academic involvement, innovate new ways to recognize our sponsors and continue to grow our membership. When my presidency comes to a close in
August, I encourage the next president to enjoy their term and always remember their duty to lead the organization to the best of their ability. The impressive lists of successes achieved this year would not have been attained without the support of my team of Vice Presidents, Board of Directors, Officers, Committees, Committee Chairs, and the membership of the CBD-
IAI. Additionally, the have the deepest gratitude for the endless love and support my husband, Kelsey has provided. My words from a year ago still ring true today. Being the President of the Chesapeake Bay Division of the IAI has been one of my greatest honors. Thank you for providing me the opportunity to serve this esteemed organization for this extended tenure.
Mallory McCormick
President, Chesapeake Bay Division of the IAI