As President and CEO of the CFPSA, I often get the chance to travel across Canada and visit with members of the Canadian Forces in part to ensure that we are doing our very best Serving Those Who Serve. These trips are also effective in gathering feedback as they give CF members of all ranks a chance to share with us their thoughts on the services we provide.

During one of my most recent trips, two senior base officers went out of their way to compliment the work we are doing at the CFPSA and commented on how quick things within our organization are changing for the better. They said they liked what they saw happening within the CFPSA particularly how representatives from the MFRCs, CANEX, SISIP and PSP are becoming more oriented towards their customers.

This is clearly the biggest compliment I have received since joining the CFPSA almost two years ago and is a strong indicator that we are moving in the right direction. This last year has been full of change and no one deserves more credit for these words than the men and women who are making the extra effort in providing the best possible value-added service to our clients – the members of the CF community.

With this in mind we start the New Year on a high note. We have a lot to look forward to and we kick things off in January with the first ever CFPSA Conference.

Themed “Working Together,” this conference will provide the first opportunity for more than 500 CFPSA/NPF members representing all divisions and personnel involved with bases, wings and units across Canada and overseas to come together to share ideas and expertise. As well as providing division- and program-specific meetings, the Conference will also promote teamwork by giving participants the chance to learn, network and step outside the boundaries of their respective jobs for a more global perspective of the CFPSA/NPF world. In this way, we can all start to sing from the same songbook and gain a better understanding of how our services relate to one another, and how we can more effectively communicate their relevance and deliver products and services.

We have accomplished a lot together since the CFPSA was established five years ago. With this strong beginning to the New Year, I look forward to even greater things for our military families.

John F. Geci