Ernest Hemingway said, "For a true writer, each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed" (Nobel Prize acceptance speech).

As each book marked a new beginning for Hemingway, each year marks a new beginning for the American Society of Plastic Surgical Nurses (ASPSN). Our upcoming 2004-2005 year heralds just such a beginning. Like an author's vision that he or she labors to communicate through written words, we ASPSN members possess an industry and an organizational vision that we labor to articulate through our joint endeavors.

This year, I am proud to be part of a talented and unstoppable team of board members, committees, and ASPSN members, undaunted to accomplish "something that has never been done." Together we will write a courageous new chapter in ASPSN's enduring and successful history.

And what will be the title of this chapter? "Leading, Strengthening, Embracing." We will lead the charge for standards of professional excellence. We will strengthen our plastic and reconstructive surgical nursing professionals with strategic partnerships and innovative educational programs. We will embrace our members through revived membership-retention practices and embrace our common challenges with unwavering determination.

This new beginning awaits your opportunity to write yourself into our new chapter. I encourage you to usher in "beyond attainment" achievements that will forever mark ASPSN's history. When finished, what story will the chapter tell? That will depend on your depth of participation in and commitment to our vision. Join us as we collectively bring this ASPSN vision to life. As with any great book, I cannot wait to see how it turns out!!

Amy DeFaveri

ASPSN Executive Director