Happy New Year and Welcome to 2012

Looking back at some of the significant historical world events for 2011, I am once again reminded that as an IT leader it is not the technology that brings us together; but bridges us together.

It is because of technology that we are more quickly informed of changes in the global weather climate, changes in domestic and foreign policies, changes in domestic and foreign political leadership, advances or declines in our aerospace technology, the continued expansion of the world's population and the ending of one social era and the beginning of another. Below are some of the global highlights from 2011.

• An attempted assassination of Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords
• Wikipedia turned 10 years old
• An earthquake measuring 9.0 triggers a tsunami that strikes Japan
• Fidel Castro resigns after 45 years of leading Communist Party in Cuba
• Prince William and Kate Middleton are married
• Oprah Winfrey airs her last show after 25 years
• NASA's space shuttle program ends
• The Boeing 787 Dreamliner receives certification from the EASA and the FAA
• The United States ends its "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy
• The world population reaches 7 billion inhabitants according to the United Nations
• The war in Iraq ended after almost 9 years

Many, if not all, of these 2011 events changed the lives of many people. At the end of the day, regardless of the technology providing us with the news of these events, it boils down to a single connecting thread, the human thread and our propensity for compassion towards other human beings. And our willingness and desire to connect with others!

As we begin 2012, many of you may have resolved to expand your network or possibly become more involved in an organization that offers both personal and professional connections with others in your field or others with similar interests. While the 2011 calendar year has ended, the 2011-2012 program calendar for SIM Chicago continues through June 2012. And we have several great events and speakers planned for our membership for the remainder of our program year. Please plan to attend one or all of these events and become part of SIM Chicago's 2011-2102 history. The events are:

• SIM In The Suburbs Breakfast - January 12th - Mike Kozlowski, CIO Rust-Oleum Corp
• Downtown Luncheon - February 9th - Dan Hill-SVP & CIO, Exelon Corporation
• Downtown Winter Social - February 15 - Social event free to all members
• SPRING GALA - March 14th - Nigel Marsh, captivating and thought-provoking author of Fat, Forty and Fired
• Downtown Dinner - April 12th - Manoj Kulkarni-SVP/CIO, Career Ed. Corp
• SIM in the Suburbs Dinner - April 26th - Yvonne Scott, SVP & CIO, Crowe Horwath
• SIM and HMG event - May 11th -focusing on the current business landscape and the CIO's key role
• SIM in the Suburbs Dinner - May 17th - Alex Bratton, CIO Lextech Global Services

We look forward to seeing you at one or all of these events.