A Message from The Board of Directors
July 2005

Dear Members,

At the end of 2004, our membership expressed to the Board of Directors those items of highest importance to them in developing their businesses and learning the trade of butterfly farming. The highest priorities were given as:

1. Business development and Advertising;
   
   
2. Butterfly farming and raising education;
   
   
3. Continued development of the Industry Directory;
   
   
4. Continuing professional relationships with legal, political and regulatory agencies that govern our industry; and
   
   
5. Public relations through programs like Wings of Hope.

On June 20, I was appointed President of the IBBA, Inc.

During the remainder of 2005, the IBBA Board of Directors and I will strive to meet these expectations, expand the membership and broaden our horizons. Our plans include:

1. IBBA representation at the (July) Invertebrates in Captivity Conference in Arizona to widen awareness of butterfly farming education and to network with others who are directly and/or indirectly involved in our industry;
   
   
2. IBBA representation at the Wedding Professionals Convention in Florida in October, 2005. We will develop strong relationships between IBBA and wedding professionals from across the country. We will capture the attention of a ready sales force for our products and services.
   
   
3. Offer a convention in California that brings strong, new topics for learning, expanding the butterfly business and improving raising methods;
   
   
4. Providing an online workshop in the fall for problem solving in butterfly farming led by several experts, resulting in improved operations and increased output;
   
   
5. Completing the Comprehensive Industry Directory and continue to maintain the data base that feeds into the Survey;
   
   
6. Continued Board Training and Development;
   
   
7. Continued support of the increasingly popular Wings of Hope Program led by Jodi Hopper;
   
   
8. Continued outreach to individuals and businesses that can potentially profit by joining our Association. This includes special outreach to our international neighbors.
   
   
   

We have less than a half year to accomplish some major goals but have full confidence in our "team"; that includes YOU as a member! We have committees in place to get the jobs done and volunteers that are already at work on these tasks that will bring great benefit to the individual businesses and the industry.

We hope that you will find a committee or a task that you would enjoy working on and let me or any other Board member know what you would be interested in. It is our sharing that makes us strong! We are excited about the opportunities and prospects the next six months hold and look forward to hearing from each and every member. We welcome your suggestions, your willingness to work with us in making our businesses and our industry grow and shine.

Sincerely,

Melanie McCarthy - President
Jon Timko - Vice President
(Secretary - Penny Wilson-Strine)
Zane Greathouse
Tim Pless
Linda Rogers
Anne Collins
Jodi Hopper
Fran LeMasters
Felicia Tappan