Co-Chairing VLC 2025 – the announcement

Time until VLC 2025

A few weeks before VLC 2024, I received an email from the executive director of the San Diego and Hawaii Chapter. She asked if I was available for a short call with herself and the CFF organizer of the VLC about a “special project” for the VLC. Intrigued, and always willing to help out, I said of course.

The call was quick, and left me reeling! I was asked if I would be interested in co-chairing the event in 2025. Having had no idea that this particular ask was coming, I was floored and certainly honored to be asked. My immediate response was “yes!” but they told me I didn’t have to commit right then. But really, how could I turn this opportunity down! They swore me to secrecy, as it would be announced at the end of VLC 2024.

A week or so before VLC 2024, I was included on an email with my co-chair, as we were given instructions as to when we needed to stay in the ballroom during the conference to “practice” the announcement.

Although there were people who knew we had been selected as co-chair’s for VLC 2025, we still surprised a lot of people. Including my mother who was attending virtually. I had asked if she was going to be able to watch all the way to the end on Saturday, and she said yes. Before the announcement was made, I purposefully left my phone to the side so that I could take it all in. Apparently when the announcement was made, my youngest brother was downstairs at our parents house, and my mother was upstairs. She screamed, he ran up the stairs thinking there was something wrong. He quickly realized that her screams were of joy! Guess I should have anticipated that and given him a heads up. My mother plans to attend VLC 2025 in person for the first time, and I look forward to her experiencing it in person.

man in a sports coat on the left and a woman in a floral shirt on the right, both lifting batons in celebration
Bryan Johnson and Maureen Ballard, VLC 2025 Co-Chairs