Florida Senate - 2009 (NP) SR 2802 By Senator Wise 5-04553A-09 20092802__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the 3 Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE) and 4 the 25th Anniversary of the Florida Society of 5 Association Executives Foundation on July 10, 2009. 6 7 WHEREAS, the Florida Society of Association Executives 8 (FSAE) held its first annual meeting on November 16, 1959, and 9 the FSAE Foundation’s Articles of Incorporation were approved on 10 December 7, 1984, and 11 WHEREAS, FSAE is the gateway to associations in Florida, 12 with more than 800 executive and associate members, including 13 those who manage trade and professional associations, individual 14 membership societies, charitable organizations, and other not 15 for-profit organizations, and 16 WHEREAS, FSAE and its foundation provide education, 17 training, research, and certification for its members to further 18 their professional development and to advance association 19 management, and 20 WHEREAS, FSAE brings together groups of people who find 21 strength in numbers in sharing common interests of industries, 22 professions, charities, hobbies, or philanthropic action, and 23 WHEREAS, FSAE was founded upon the principles of democracy, 24 volunteerism, and common interest that are the heart of the 25 American experience and exists for the mutual protection and 26 advancement of its members, and 27 WHEREAS, FSAE serves associations representing an enormous 28 collective presence, with members’ work woven throughout the 29 fabric of society and a public that has come to depend on the 30 social and economic benefits that their association members 31 afford, and 32 WHEREAS, were it not for the associations that FSAE 33 represents, government at all levels and the other institutions 34 on which the public relies would face added burdens in the vital 35 activities they perform, with associations providing assistance 36 in setting and enforcing product and safety standards, 37 stimulating and organizing volunteerism, conducting industry 38 research, disseminating valuable information, conducting 39 continuing education and ethics training, funding political 40 campaigns, and organizing and providing community service, and 41 WHEREAS, the estimate of the direct economic value of FSAE 42 members to the State of Florida is over $1.7 billion each year, 43 including payroll, rent and mortgage expenses, transportation, 44 printing, office supplies, postage, lodging and facility 45 accommodations, and educational programs, and 46 WHEREAS, the association community in Florida provides 47 nearly 60,000 white-collar jobs, accommodates more than 3 48 million meeting attendees, and spends $122 million at hotels, 49 and 50 WHEREAS, associations sponsor more than 25,000 events in 51 Florida annually, such as trade shows, committee and board 52 meetings, and conventions and education programs, and 53 WHEREAS, associations pay nearly $52 million in taxes each 54 year, and 55 WHEREAS, association staff and members donate more than 10 56 million hours of service to their associations and communities 57 each year, NOW, THEREFORE, 58 59 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 60 61 That the Senate celebrates the 50th anniversary of the 62 Florida Society of Association Executives and the 25th 63 anniversary of the Florida Society of Association Executives 64 Foundation on July 10, 2009. 65 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 66 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to the Florida 67 Society of Association Executives and the Florida Society of 68 Association Executives Foundation as a tangible token of the 69 sentiments of the Florida Senate.