A Grand Reopening

Do you hear that? It’s the beautiful sound of our country reopening. Finally, a long year of isolation is winding down, and I am personally ready to re-emerge.

With the release of the recent updated CDC guidelines and news that over half of the U.S. population is now vaccinated, I am even more confident about resuming our in-person events this year. At last, our CLM community will gather in person for the first time since 2019. The Annual Conference in August will feel more like a family reunion than a conference—talk about a grand reopening! Our in-person event schedule will continue with the re-introduction of Claims College in September, and our exciting new Focus conferences. These events are being planned with the utmost care to provide you with options for the safest, yet most engaging and educational, experience possible. I hope you can join us, but if you are a Fellow with budget restrictions that inhibit your ability to attend, I encourage you to apply for the new CLM Scholarship, funded by a grant from our friends at Callahan & Fusco. This program offers 25 $1,000 need-based scholarships to offset travel and registration. For details, please visit theclm.org/scholarship.

None of us have ever been through a global pandemic, let alone navigated re-entry into a new social world. We are all in different places. Some of us are excited; others may be a bit nervous. But I think we can all agree that after a year relegated to virtual meetings, our in-person social skills may be just a bit rusty. And that’s OK. If we are all mindful and tolerant, we can normalize this universal awkwardness and support each other on our collective journey through this new world together. I look forward to seeing you soon.

All the best,

Anne Blume

CEO, CLM

anne.blume@theclm.org