Good Morning PBS! I’d like to start by first thanking the board for this opportunity. I’d also like to thank everyone for graciously welcoming me and for all the warm words of support. Last but not least, I again have to thank Dell for all the years of service. I will do everything I can to maintain the same standard of excellence. Now for a little about me. I’m 27 years old. I grew up in Brigantine, NJ - a tiny barrier island just north of Atlantic City - and moved to Raleigh, NC in 2009 to attend NC State University. I never left. I like it here. As far as plants go my interests are pretty varied. For years my particular area of interest has been plants from equatorial alpine communities (predominantly Andean) and I have amassed a large collection of such plants. Traditionally I only grew bulbs from these same environments; I am most interested in South American amaryllids. More recently however, I’ve been getting into some South African Iridaceae and rare Crocus spp. I am rarely interested in hybrids (unless they occur in nature). I like naturally occurring species, varieties or forms. Unfortunately, summers are too hot, and winters are too cold in Raleigh for me to grow most of what I’m interested in outdoors. I am therefore relegated to growing indoors. If I have something that I just really want to plant out, I typically do so into my father’s garden in Brigantine, NJ. His garden is small but I’ve managed to fill it with what I think are really cool plants (Musa velutina, Hymenocallis imperialis, and several Amorphophallus spp. [henryi, dunnii, kiusianus, napalensis, thaiensis, konjac, yunnanensis, bulbifer, yuloensis and krausei]). While I am always open to growing and learning of new and exciting taxa, my true love with bulbs will always be South American amaryllids. Lastly, let’s get into what you’re all much more concerned with I’m sure: The exchanges! There will be no immediate changes to anything. Some suggestions have been thrown my way already, and I do appreciate those suggestions. I however, do not imagine there will be any efficacy in changing a process that someone else has taken 15 years to work out in a way that runs smoothly and keeps everyone as happy as possible. I intend to run everything exactly as Dell. If, in the future, we come across scenarios that may benefit from minor changes to the process, we’ll cross that bridge together when we come to it. I look forward to many years of good growing and working with all of you. Feel free to email me with any questions. Make it a great one! Al Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net http://lists.pacificbulbsociety.net/cgi-bin/…