I would like to personally welcome everyone from around our wonderful state of Idaho to the Idaho Conference on Alcohol and Drug Dependence. This year we have broadened our conference to include a prevention track and a community coalition track. We feel that now is the time to truly come together and work collaboratively to address the entire continuum of care. With the
unprecedented budget cuts Idaho is now facing it is only through working together that we, and the people we serve, will pull through whole. It is time to work collaboratively on finding solutions
to the tough issues we are facing.

We are extremely excited to have those that are new to ICADD and those who are joining us again in celebrating this collaboration and supporting this continued education opportunity. I can only hope that each of you will challenge yourself with learning and “recharging our batteries” in pursuit of strengthening our field.

This year’s conference will host a tremendously talented group of presenters and speakers. Given the difficult economic times, we are grateful to have individuals with amazing experiences and insightful perspectives share at our conference. We hope you enjoy all the interaction and fellowship.

In this last year, I have been afforded the luxury of working with a truly remarkable group of professionals otherwise known as the ICADD Planning Committee and Foundation Board. These
individuals volunteer their time and effort to put on a great conference. I want to thank both those members who continue from year to year as members and those new members who helped craft the prevention track and the coalition track. We have asked a lot of our new members and they have stepped up to the challenge with great new ideas. As you interact with committee members throughout the conference please feel free to thank them and share your feedback.

As we move forward with a new and expanded ICADD agenda and mission, I wish for you laughter and tears, exhaustion and invigoration and a time of personal and professional growth.

Bethany Gadzinski
ICADD President and Planning Committee Chair