World Aquaculture Magazine - March 2021

22 MARCH 2021 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WA S .ORG C arol began her career with WAS in July 1995 as bookkeeper. Upon the retirement of Home Office Director Juliette Massey in 2007, Carol stepped into the role of Home Office Director and continued to perform her duties as bookkeeper. In her capacity as bookkeeper, she organized the records and systems used by WAS for financial recording into an efficient system that integrated into our website activities and will serve WAS long after her retirement. Her work in developing a system for completing our non- profit audit each year has insured the Society’s non-profit status will continue. But maybe Carol’s greatest contribution is the way she developed a relationship with members and created a Home Office where Members felt the efficiency and warmth of someone caring and taking care of them. We can replace the bookkeeping but this element of her service will be much harder to replace. The Society has bestowed on her the Award for Exemplary Service for her continuous dedication and commitment to the Society for more than 25 years. — John Cooksey, WAS Executive Director Hello — Goodbye I never imagined in my wildest dreams what my next 26 years would be like when I went for an interview for a bookkeeper position with WAS in July 1995. My interview was with Juliette Massey, the Home Office Director at the time, and six short months later, there we were on a plane heading for Bangkok Thailand, (January, 1996). I had to look it up on the world map just to find the exact location, as Mexico and the Bahamas were the only international travel destinations I had ever visited, so not very far away from home. That was the one and only time the WAS Board and Home Office staff ever performed a musical number on stage — singing Old Susanna while Dr. LeRoy Creswell played harmonica. I was hoping this was not the norm for WAS conferences and thankfully it was not. That was the first of my many travel destinations for WAS. I have seen the underground areas of convention centers as well as the service areas of hotels. I was even able to see “magic” of Disney in their office with a paper money counter! I was told it was a Disney invention but I am not sure. It was astounding to watch it count all paper bills regardless of denomination and to be accurate so quickly. I have traveled to all but one continent and of course some places more than once, just as many of you reading this have. As I look back at all the amazing places I have traveled, one place is my favorite —Prague, Czech Republic. I was there for the Aqua2012 joint conference with the European Aquaculture Society and World Aquaculture Society. WAS Past-president Michael New told me I would love the place and he was correct. I remember walking around the corner into the town square and it literally took my breath away. As I stood looking at all the beautiful architecture, I Longtime WAS Home Office Director Carol Mendoza Retires had tears in my eyes. Truly a beautiful place to see. Or course I saw many beautiful places but that one is a standout. There was a lot of work to do on location for each conference and even more to do to prepare days before leaving home. I even attended a few sessions at conferences. One was at a New Orleans event. It was about using Border Collies to keep birds away from the ponds. But most of my time was spent in board meetings or working the WAS booth selling books, memberships and talking to people about WAS or just meeting up with current and past board members and members. Friends would say I was so lucky to be able to travel with my job — and I am very lucky — but I would also be exhausted at the end of the conference and would just want to go home. WAS gave me the opportunity to take time off to tour the places we traveled if I wanted, and I did on several occasions. I took a week to island hop with my husband in Hawaii after Aquaculture America 2020. Usually, two full weeks away from home was about all I could manage; I missed home. Unbeknownst to me or anyone else, Aquaculture America 2020 would be my last! The Covid-9 pandemic has put all WAS conferences in postponement. There are a few things I will not miss about working for WAS — the budget and audit processes, which were always stressful. My day-to-day job was bookkeeping and keeping all of WAS and the many conference finances straight. I probably will not miss that either. I will miss seeing all of you at conferences to thank you for allowing me to say goodbye to you as I retire on March 31, 2021. This was my first article for World Aquaculture , and my last — hence the title! Over the years I have loved working with the WAS boards and with coworkers Judy Andrasko (we were close friends before we were coworkers), John Cooksey, the Cooksey family, Mario Stael and George McKee. I will always hold John close in my thoughts and I appreciate himmore than he knows. It will be very strange not to see an email from him every day. Attending conferences always felt like a family reunion and I will miss that. I will still travel, but closer to home, as my husband and I pull our camper around the United States. Home will be where we park it! I need to thank my family for all the times I was away traveling while they had to stay home and hold down the fort. I am ready to spend more time with them: my husband Tommy (who so many of you have met), son Ryan, daughter Leslie, and my grandson Larry (IV as he is called by family). And sewing —my most favorite thing of all — I am so looking forward to getting into my sewing room and create with no time restraints. I want to wish each of you many more years of conferences with WAS and safe travels. Stay healthy and a big THANK YOU to the World Aquaculture Society for trusting me these 26 years and giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. —Carol M. Mendoza, Home Office Director