Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!

Don Desfosse

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Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« on: February 02, 2018, 01:00:12 PM »
Team USA,

As I round into the home stretch of my assignment as Division Director of one of VATSIM's top, finest Divisions, let me say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for the opportunity to serve you, VATUSA, and VATSIM, in this pivotal role.  I can't believe it's been five years in this role.  Honestly, some days, it still seems like almost yesterday when I started. 

It's truly awesome to see where we've come from over the last 5 years, where we are now, and to know where we're going in the future.  In the last 5 years, VATUSA has grown its active member base by 20%, both from an ATC and pilot perspective.  Our online presence has also grown dramatically.  I attribute a lot of this to having an aligned, unified VATUSA vision and strategies we've employed to pursue our vision over the last 5 years.

Our vision continues to be

Culture
- Fun, Team, Family, Excellence
- Create the Magic
- Inspire Passion

Retention
- Training and Events are key
- Eliminate training bandwidth bottlenecks
  - Focus on updated, self-study materials, and additional training bandwidth based on workload sharing, augmenting resources, and sharing resources

Growth
- leading to our ultimate goal: Every facility staffed with a good quantity of quality controllers and a good quantity of quality pilots during peak times, at all major airports and facilities, and as many other times and facilities as possible, while having a really good time doing it


We have certainly come a long way.  And we still have a long way to go.  Our improvement should be a focus of every member in the community, every day.  Our drive, dedication and passion for improvement should be relentless.  Most importantly, we should be developing and driving a fun, family-like community culture.  Promoting our hobby as a mainly-realistic simulation vs. a game is hard work for pilots, students, controllers and staff alike.  And the only way to relentlessly pursue greatness without burning out or questioning return on investment is by doing what we do within a community that we not only like, but that we love.  It takes a culture of acceptance, family and the pursuit of greatness to help make that happen.  We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.

I'm really excited seeing Mark Hubbert stepping up from the Division Training Director role into the Division Director role.  We have spent the last month working on an aligned, seamless transition.  I'm heartened to know that he plans on continuing to promote the Division's vision moving forward.  He and the USA Division team will continue to build upon the hard work we've done and the successes we've earned, and the decisions that they are making as a team during this transition have been excellent.  I ask you to give Mark and his team all the support and more than you've given me.

VATUSA is in good hands.

I also can't thank enough the phenomenal team I have now, and have had in the past.  Each member of my team has brought his own unique flair to the role, and has brought a passion and dedication to excellence, growth, and fairness that I could not have imagined.  From the bottom of my hear, thank you.

I've been popping into as many Teamspeaks as I've been able to over the past couple of weeks and saying my thank yous to as many people personally as I could.  If I've missed you, I'm sorry to have missed you!

In closing, I can't thank each and every member enough for all of your contributions to our hobby, VATUSA, and VATSIM as a whole, past, present and future.  I encourage you to all keep going with a passionate, relentless pursuit of culture, retention, growth, quality and improvement.  I thank you all for your support over the last 5 years, and wish you all the best moving forward!

______________________________
Don Desfosse
Director, VATUSA
03 Feb 2013 - 03 Feb 2018
« Last Edit: February 02, 2018, 01:23:09 PM by Don Desfosse »
Don Desfosse
Vice President, Operations, VATSIM (VATGOV2)
Division Director Emeritus, VATUSA

Camden Bruno

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2018, 01:04:17 PM »
Dilly dilly!

Please join us in thanking Don as we "bring him home" on February 25th with a one of a kind retirement party.

Toby Rice

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2018, 03:13:35 PM »
Don, it cannot be said enough: Thanks for all your service to VATUSA.

Should ZBW ever kick you out, you'll always have a home at HCF  ;D
Toby Rice
Jacksonville ARTCC
ACE Team | Former HCF ATM | Former ATC Instructor

Camden Bruno

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2018, 05:06:47 PM »
Should ZBW ever kick you out
We may be able to organize something...

Lol  ;D

Nickolas Christopher

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2018, 05:19:46 PM »
Thanks, Don!
ZLA Air Traffic Manager

Krikor Hajian

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2018, 06:19:05 PM »
Should ZBW ever kick you out
We may be able to organize something...

Lol  ;D

Following the success of our Bring Don Home event, join us for Move Don Away, the sequel in which we traverse the entirety of the division and the Pacific Ocean....

I kid, I kid. Don, thank you so much for your years of friendship and guidance. You’ve truly been an inspiration and I look forward to continuing to work with you in ZBW. May retirement treat you well!


Krikor Hajian (HI) - 1283146
Deputy Air Traffic Manager | Instructor
[email protected]
- - - - - - - - - -
VATUSA ACE Team Member

Fady Botros

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #6 on: February 02, 2018, 06:59:55 PM »
Thanks Don!
Fady Botros
ZMA Air Traffic Manager

Elai Kindler

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2018, 07:29:55 PM »
Thanks, Don!
Elai Kindler
Facility Advisory Board - Coordinator
Jacksonville ARTCC
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Jonathan Voss

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2018, 07:48:31 PM »
Thanks Don!!
Jonathan Voss (JV)
Houston ARTCC

Matthew Kosmoski

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #9 on: February 02, 2018, 08:48:59 PM »
Thanks for everything you've done, Don!  We hope you'll still visit around.

Should ZBW ever kick you out, you'll always have a home at HCF  ;D

Sorry, Toby, Houston has dibs.  We need to backfill the guys we gave you :-D

Richard Sill

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #10 on: February 03, 2018, 07:16:10 AM »
A sincere thanks Don from all of us at Memphis!

Brin Brody

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2018, 08:03:20 AM »
Thanks for everything you've done, Don!  We hope you'll still visit around.

Should ZBW ever kick you out, you'll always have a home at HCF  ;D

Sorry, Toby, Houston has dibs.  We need to backfill the guys we gave you :-D

You mean, ZAN can't take him?  Bah humbug!
Brin Brody | VATUSA8
Training Services Manager

David Stone

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2018, 09:47:42 AM »
Thanks Don!
David Stone

Matthew Kosmoski

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #13 on: February 03, 2018, 02:47:09 PM »
Sorry, Toby, Houston has dibs.  We need to backfill the guys we gave you :-D

You mean, ZAN can't take him?  Bah humbug!
[/quote]

You'll have to settle for him getting automatic visitor status ;-)

Tony Jeppesen

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Re: Thank you for the opportunity to have served you!
« Reply #14 on: February 03, 2018, 05:07:16 PM »
Don,

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to serve in a leadership role under your direction. It has been a great ride and I have really enjoyed it.  VATUSA has come a long way in 5 years, and we are going to even farther in the next 5.  Thanks for all you have done and enjoy retirement.
Tony Jeppesen - C3
ZSE ARTCC

Retired VATUSA2, VATUSA7, VATUSA10