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2010: My Year in Review

2010 was an eventful and transitional year for me, with highs and lows, and moments of happiness and sadness.

January
I started the year determined to branch out professionally from managing technical projects in the web/tech space. In an effort to make new contacts and connect with unusual suspects, I finally embraced social media, and created accounts on LinkedIn and Twitter. Gradually, I met many new, interesting people, and really became energized about work and professional networking.

April
In April, my mother passed after a long illness. I felt the full gamut of emotions: grief that my mother had passed, relief that she was no longer in pain, sorrow that my daughter's time with her grandmother was so short, and resolve, to go out and embrace life.

 
In October, on the date of her birthday, I posted some of my memories of my mother.

May
Toward the end of Spring, I joined the Reserve Hose Fire Company. I'd been looking for a way to give back to my community, and volunteering as a firefighter instinctively felt right.
I'm still a probationary member with much to learn, but I've enjoyed the experience so far and look forward to continuing on.

June
In June, through some new contacts I'd made on LinkedIn, I ended up helping to stand up the Buffalo chapter of the Social Media Club. This was a great, energizing experience, and a true coming together of talented people from many different fields. The only thing more exciting about starting the club will be seeing how it will surely evolve and become even better next year!

September

I had the good fortune to attend the Business Innovation Factory's annual summit (BIF-6) this year in Providence, RI. The conference featured more than two dozen innovators who took the stage and told stories demonstrating their passion, creativity, smarts and discipline to get things done in new and valuable ways. I found the event absolutely exhilarating and fascinating.

Also in September -- my daughter turned three and transitioned from a small in-home daycare to a preschool. To mark the occasion, I wrote a short post about her.

October
My story Costumed won the 13th Annual Saugus.net Halloween Ghost Story Contest.

I also visited Chicago in October, and though I've been there many times previously, this visit was memorable because I was introduced to Intelligentsia Coffee and sampled some of the best coffee I've ever had.

November

I had the opportunity to visit Shanghai, China to attend a marketing offsite in November. It was a wonderful opportunity to visit a faraway country, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.





December

In December, I accepted a new position as Brand and Business Innovation manager for the Superior Group. In my new role, which will commence in 2011, I’ll be responsible for the creation, development, and maturation of new ideas and driving innovation for the business. I'm very excited about the new position, and look forward to a productive 2011 in my new role.
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