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Happy New Year! I wish each of you a healthy, happy, and fulfilling one. For just a moment, please bear with me as I indulge in a bit of bully pulpit preaching. For over thirty years, I had the blessing and curse of telling people what to do (after considering the evidence and analyzing the law), and it’s a hard habit to break. In these challenging  and often angry times, I urge you to practice and model considerate behavior, patience, and compassionate kindness (especially while wearing your AFCC cap). Inevitably, at some time someone will act in a way that is less than kind toward each of us. When someone cuts in front of you in the grocery store, cuts you off on the road, or takes the parking space you were waiting for, please, instead of reacting  with anger, act with kindness borne out of patience and understanding. Perhaps the transgressor is not fully present in the moment for any number of reasons; they just came from the funeral of a loved one, are rushing to get to the hospital to visit a sick child or they just learned that they have a serious illness. Remember that everyone may be facing unseen challenges. Give the benefit of a doubt that their behavior is based not on selfishness or deliberate rudeness, but on human frailty. Wish them well. By responding with empathy instead of anger, we can help make the world a better place.

One of the privileges of leading AFCC is touching base each day with members and contributors throughout the world. In 2025, a common thread ran through these conversations: instability and rapid change.

Therapists report clients overwhelmed by the weight of the moment. Our legal colleagues are challenged in an environment increasingly untethered from norms once assumed fixed. Academics describe what seems like a slide in critical thought and original work. Across the board I hear that our members are both unsettled and eager to harness algorithms and AI, which amplify both the turbulence and promise of what’s ahead. Those shifts are felt throughout AFCC in our programming, task forces, and publications.

As many of us welcome the crisp autumn air and vibrant colors of October, I find myself reflecting on past accomplishments and looking forward to the opportunities ahead.

I’m excited to share that AFCC membership has reached a post-COVID high. At a time when many organizations face diminishing membership, this growth reflects how often non-members join us for an event or training, see the value firsthand, and choose to make AFCC their professional home. It also speaks to the remarkable dedication of our chapters, whose leadership continues to expand the reach and relevance of our mission and vision. My heartfelt thanks to our chapter leaders and members who foster connection and professional growth in their communities. Each chapter is, and each of us as individuals are, part of this interdisciplinary organization whose vision is “A justice system in which all professionals work collaboratively through education, support, and access to services to achieve the best possible outcome for children and families.”

I begin my term as AFCC president deeply impressed by the achievements of my predecessors and each of you, my colleagues. Each one of you brings something important to the table, and hopefully, takes something back. I am grateful to all of you for the work you have done, and for this amazing opportunity I have been given to assist in leading AFCC. Thank you.

As AFCC prepares to welcome the insightful, deeply principled, and quietly formidable Hon. Dolores A. Bomrad as its next President at the upcoming conference in New Orleans, I find myself reflecting on a year of meaningful growth, collaboration, and transition. It has been an honour (with Canadian spelling 😊) to serve the AFCC community, a group that continues to lead with integrity and clarity in the ever-evolving field of family law and conflict resolution.