Dear ISSTD Community,
Welcome to the October 2025 edition of ISSTD News, which you are reading in early November!
This month’s update will be brief. I am currently writing from sunny – and windy – Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, where ISSTD just concluded its regional conference. I want to extend my most heartfelt thanks to the ISSTD Australia-New Zealand Regional Conference Committee, co-chairs Diane Clare and Martin Dorahy, ISSTD Staff, and our hosts at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and Tākina – Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre, and the people of these lands who so generously, formally invited us into these spaces and onto the land upon which they sit. It was well worth the many months spent to organize this bi-annual event ‘down under’ with all our friends in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and beyond who joined us for the event. What a life affirming experience.
October saw the departure of our long-time CEO Mary Pat Hanlin, after a decade of service to ISSTD – first, as Program Manager, then in late-2017 as Executive Director (later with a title change to CEO). ISSTD is a stronger, healthier, larger, and more dynamic organization for everything Mary Pat put into it, and we are deeply grateful for her stalwart leadership and ingenuity during some very challenging times. Mary Pat saw us through both the transition from being managed to self-managing in late-2019/early-2020, and then (pretty much immediately) to navigating the choppy waters of the pandemic.
Following closely on the heels of Mary Pat’s departure, I am pleased to share with you that ISSTD has hired a new Executive Director. Tim Shaw has an extensive background in association management, and we are excited for him to join us. You will begin to see his name pop up more frequently after his official start date November 10. We are very excited for Tim’s arrival and the opportunities that await under his leadership.
Finally, I want to appeal to those of you who have the financial means: If you can, please consider sponsoring the membership fee for someone who otherwise would not be able to afford to join ISSTD. During our last call for applications, we had many more applicants from around the world seeking sponsorship than we had sponsors. You can learn more about becoming a sponsor and sign up HERE.
ISSTD News and I will be back to check in with you again next month. I’m sending warm thoughts to you all. Thanks for taking the time to read.
Sincerely yours,
Michael