Dear International Stability Operations Association (ISOA) Community,

It is an honor to serve as your chairman for 2024-2025. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to LTG Mick Bednarek, for his exceptional leadership and dedication to our organization.

I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our President, Howie Lind, for his exceptional executive leadership over the past years. Under Howie’s guidance, ISOA has thrived, with remarkable membership growth and outstanding events that reflect our commitment to supporting businesses of all sizes. I also want to thank Roxanne Kaufman, our Senior Vice President, whose operational expertise has been instrumental in leading our growing team to achieve these milestones.

Additionally, I am pleased to acknowledge John Gastright of Amentum, who will serve as Vice Chairman, and Rochelle Lipsitz of International SOS, who will serve as Treasurer. Their leadership and expertise will undoubtedly strengthen our association.

Finally, I deeply appreciate the contributions of our entire Board of Directors and Advisory Board, whose unwavering dedication continues to foster growth and innovation within the stability operations industry. Together, we have built a solid foundation, and I remain committed to advancing this momentum for the benefit of all our members.

Looking ahead, our focus this year will center on internal transformation, aligning with ISOA’s strategic objectives, and leveraging the expertise of our Vice Chairman to drive external engagement, which we do so well.

As Chairman, my mission is to promote growth in stability operations through the success of our member companies. To achieve this, we will focus on the following key areas:

1. Membership Growth & Engagements: Enhancing membership by clearly communicating the value ISOA offers to companies of all sizes.
2. Internal Transformation: Conducting a thorough review of our organizational structure and roles to ensure we are optimized for operational success.
3. Strategic Planning: Establishing a robust strategic planning process with clear goals, guiding metrics, monthly reporting, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure sustained progress.
4. Association Management System (AMS): Overseeing the implementation of our new AMS to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.
5. Focus Areas: Prioritizing anti-human trafficking, building capacity, government affairs, legal affairs & rule of law, private security companies, Indo-Pacific logistics and sustainability, USAID, Ukraine’s economic recovery and reconstruction, cyber technology, AI and innovation, and creating opportunities for small businesses initiatives.

These objectives will not be achieved in isolation. Success will require the collective efforts of our dedicated staff, Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, and member companies. Together, we will develop a comprehensive strategic plan with clear goals, actionable metrics, and defined timelines. Our collaborative efforts will ensure alignment and effective execution of our shared vision. I am committed to fostering open communication and providing regular updates on our progress as we advance toward our goals for 2025 and beyond.

Thank you once again for this opportunity to serve as your chairman. I look forward to working alongside all of you to drive growth and success for ISOA and our member companies.

Sincerely,

Chris Decker
Planate Management Group
[email protected]