A Look Back

Finding the words for my column isn’t always easy and often requires a great deal of time. That wasn’t the case as I reflected back on my past two years at AJA, under the leadership of Darren Sieger, MS, CJM, followed by Louis Quinones, CCE, CJM.

As president, Darren Sieger was brilliant at bringing the very best out of me and his fellow Board members through his mentorship and his unwavering support. He is a man of integrity who is deeply committed to advancing AJA and the field of corrections. He also brought some levity to the leadership at a time when it was much needed to restore a sense of camaraderie on the Board. His term as immediate past president ends at AJA’s Conference & Jail Expo in Fort Lauderdale, and he will be missed.

Louis Quinones, CJM, CCE, affectionately referred to as Q, will shift from president to immediate past president at the conference. Q distinguished himself as a leader of leaders during his presidency. Everyone on AJA’s Board is exceptional and a leader in some capacity at their own agency. It requires extraordinary skills to bring a group of leaders to consensus and to accomplish great things as AJA did over the course of the past year under Q. His level of competence and professionalism promoted the highest standards of conduct among his fellow Board members and elevated everyone in his presence.

I consider it an honor and a privilege to have served under these two great leaders. As a result, I will always be grateful and look back fondly on my tenure at AJA, regardless of what has occurred in the past or what the future may hold. Finding the words for my column isn’t always easy and often requires a great deal of time. That wasn’t the case as I reflected back on my past two years at AJA, under the leadership of Darren Sieger, MS, CJM, followed by Louis Quinones, CCE, CJM.

CHRIS D. DANIELS, MPA, CAE Executive Director American Jail Association