As I brought this Sunday morning to a close, and as often I do this time of year, while contemplating Nirvana, (some call it deciding which NFL games to watch) it dawned on me that the VLA has a lot to be grateful for as this year comes to an end.

We started the year swimming into uncharted waters, upstream and cold, but with the strength of a salmon on their journey of renewal. We tested our association by leaving the comfort zone and breaking into a modern, engaged group, ready to face adversity, challenge the status quo, ask for help, hire an executive director, seek sponsorship, improve our meeting scenarios, hold a meeting in Washington, DC, and develop strong lasting relationships with governmental agencies such as the Virginia DMV, MWAA and now DCDFHV! We are on a roll.

I asking for your help for the coming New Year.  2017 will start with the huge undertaking of doing what we do best, providing skilled, professional car service for an inauguration, an event that only happens once every four years, but lately comes with more and more challenges.

• ·         We will help get information to every operator that may be engaged in this event, and, as you have seen, our membership is strongly involved in getting the inside scoop. 
• ·         We still face other challenges from outside and in. 
• o   The TNC pink elephant in the living room is getting comfortable. 
• o   The offspring of this is a growing number of exTNC drivers offering their services on the internet as unregulated, under insured rogues that will be more difficult to tame then the TNC monster itself. 

As the TNCs have marched into every community and flaunted laws as if they do not apply to them, the drivers that they cannot keep will be worse in the long run. But we as an industry must keep our standards high,

• ·         I will fight for finger print background checks and at the risk of being unpopular, ask to look at a return of a Chauffeur’s license that will be a copy of a concealed weapons permit. It is not rocket science, just common sense.

I wish all of you the joys of the Holiday Season in whatever form that may be. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah or just plain old Peace on Earth!  The best in the New Year with continued success and happiness and good health to all.

Respectfully,

Paul

VLA President

Superior Executive Transportation
405 Cedar Lane
Virginia Beach VA 23452
757-567-0353