As we enter into this new leadership of the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM), I like to seize this moment to wish all of us including our families a prosperous and fulfilling New Year (2012), which I consider a year of Renewal, Unification and Solidarity in our Liberian Communities both in the Diaspora and in Mama-Liberia. May all we have wished for come true, and may our plans be cultivated on fertile soil for cooperation, growth, and progress in this New Year and the years ahead.

For my Fellow Board members and as a teacher by profession, let me begin with making it known again that this OLM, which we have chosen to render our sacrificial services as directors on its governing Board, has a purpose. The Constitution states that "the purpose of OLM is to provide charitable, educational and social services to the Liberian community in Minnesota, provide liaison to public and private institutions relevant to its mission and to institute programs and services to assist in the development of our country Liberia." Can we make the declared purpose a reality in the New Year? I belief strongly that we can, and we will with God’s willing and helpful Hands over us.

As most of us can record, one of those missions has been reasonably instituted through the Refugee Employment Services (RES) and the Refugee Social Services (RSS) programs under a consortium agreement with the African Assistance Program (AAP) and funded by Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). Hence, OLM is presently understood to be providing services through its programs; RES and RSS Contract with DHS. These programs identify and help Liberian and non-Liberian immigrants with job placements, transportations, housing and assistance on other immigration issues. The organization works with individuals (both Liberians and non-Liberian refugees) that have been in the United States of America for less than two years; situation that has or is less frequent now for Liberians. I said "understood" to mean that this Board will get back to AAP to make sure existing issues are rightly settled as per the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the consortiums agreement. The community will be fully informed on the process and it will be completely served again by these programs (the RES & RSS).

The grant for the Youth Mentoring and Elderly Service programs was lost in 2011. This Board under the present leadership will not give up hopes on going after that or similar grant again. We will use our different capabilities to make things happen for the betterment of our community. Though a chemist, I am not smarter than anyone of these intelligent and diverse professional Liberians you have elected on the OLM Board. As chairman of this board (presently comprising of nine members), I consider myself of having nine Excellent Multifunctional Chemicals in the laboratory plus lots of other good ones out there (the community) to search from and make all of my experiments for the semester (my term) run well, and at least, obtain an 85% success rate. My position as chairman/instructor will serve to research, consult and listen to my colleagues on the board in order to construct the right permutations of the nine Excellent Multifunctional Chemicals for a successful semester or school/Board Year. This is the challenge to my chairmanship and this Renewed OLM Board of 2012. OLM is your community organization. Please do not give up on us on this Board. With you on board again - yes we can transform OLM to meet the needs of all of us.

Again I asked, ‘how does OLM approach its social services commitments to the community’? OLM provides these services by first doing an assessment for its clients to understand their needs and how to address those needs through the Youth Mentoring & Elderly Service, RSS or RES programs. The organization also collaborates with MN-DHS and other organizations through referrals. Following the assessments, OLM provides (or suppose to provide) the appropriate services to the clients, which include mentoring, after-school study times, job training, job placement, transportation, housing and addressing immigration issues.

In order to bring these visions of OLM to fruition, the Board under my chairmanship will consider the following initiatives beginning effective immediately:

1. This OLM-BOD will establish an independent database of its members starting with those who participated in the last elections of November 27, 2011. A Facebaook page will be created and OLM’s website will be improved in order to serve as effective medium of communication with OLM members and the public.

2. The leadership of OLM has prioritized finding a speedy and permanent resolution to the problem between OLM and the leadership of the Liberian Ministers Association (LMA). We have already made initial contacts with the LMA.

3. This BOD will prioritize the vetting of qualified Liberian volunteers to assist in serving as Executive Director (ED), Finance Director (FD) and Office Staffs/Assistants for the day-to-day running of the OLM at the OLM center.

4. This OLM Board will keep our Liberian Community informed regularly about OLM’s activities. The leadership will conduct regular town hall meetings to update the members about ongoing projects, financial status and future plans of the organization. We want our members to be involved in what OLM is doing, and be able to voice their concerns and contribute as they so desire.

5. The Board will work cooperatively with the potential ED to fill the three vacant non-elected seats on the OLM-BODs within the first quarter of 2012. In addition, the Board will constitute and/or revamp existing Standing and Ad-hoc Committees to include membership from the community at large. These committees’ formations will be announced to our Liberian community and the public by the end of January, 2012 or at the First Town Hall Meeting. Committees will include but not limited to the following:

a. Finance & Fund Raising

b. Research & Planning

c. Membership & Personnel 　

d. Immigration, Refugee & DED

e. Project Oversight

f. Facility Management

My Fellow Liberians and members of OLM, I appeal to you, especially those that strayed away from OLM, to please come back to your organization. We ask you to reinstate your trust in us for a change in the leadership, and for such renewal you should hold our feet to the fire to do the right thing. We promised to deliver on unifying and solidifying OLM as a service-oriented membership community organization for the Liberian people, friends of Liberia in Minnesota and the Diaspora. May the New Year open doors of opportunity, hope and aspirations to our community for renewal, unification and solidarity. Thank you for giving me the chance to be your servant, and I wish all a Happy and prosperous New Year, 2012.