Published on: 11-09-2017

Dear TIAFT members,

As informed, the new date for the 5th SOFT –TIAFT joint meeting has been fixed. It will be 6-12 January. It will be a wonderful meeting for all TIAFT and SOFT members thanks to the great effort by our SOFT friends. Please come to Sunny and warm Boca Raton in Winter time and share the great moments with friends. We will celebrate our reunion by attending the great scientific and social program, full of passion, excitement and fun. 

Because I would like to express our appreciations to SOFT friends, I will leave my last message here

It has been a very tough week for all TIAFT and SOFT members due to Hurricane Irma. It was a right decision to postpone the meeting. I thank the SOFT leadership for making a wise and timely decision. Their prompt decision allowed most TIAFT members to cancel their flights and stay safely at home. On behalf of all TIAFT members, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to SOFT leaders. Everyone including the president Bruce Goldberger, Vice President Michelle Peace, Meeting Treasurer Marc LeBeau (our incoming president), Executive Director Beth Olson, Workshop Chair Diane Boland, Volunteer coordinator Tate Yeatman and our wonderful meeting hosts, Ruth Winecker and Dan Anderson we support you. We can imagine how stressful it was for them to postpone the meeting at the last minute. I was informed that they spent countless hours on conference calls discussing the what if’s and what could be’s and then finally came to a conclusion to postpone it.

During this very tough period, I was moved by the words of support from many TIAFT members. While reading all of their emails, I was very proud of being a member of TIAFT and touched by their warm words. I realized again how caring and thoughtful all TIAFT members are.

They supported the decision of postponing and agreed how hard the decision was due to the possible financial repercussions/tough negotiations. One member also mentioned how difficult to resolve all the enormous problems that have arisen from this cancellation.

In addition to that, they offered to support the organization of the conference when another date is fixed and promised to attend the meeting in Boca Raton.

They concluded the emails to hope everyone will be fine and the material damage will be insignificant.  

I am grateful to many members to take time to write words of support. Our SOFT friends appreciated it very much. Through this difficult time, our friendship between SOFT and TIAFT has continued to grow closer and stronger.

I greatly hope our members who arrived earlier in Florida got back home safely and our colleagues and friends in Florida are safe.

Now let’s prepare for our meeting in Boca Raton on 6-12 January. How lucky we are to meet twice a year in 2018. I am looking forward to meeting all of you on January in Boca Raton and August in Gent next year.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Heesun Chung,
President, TIAFT