I’m excited to be starting my term as president of the Statistical Society of Canada (SSC). My first big job over the summer, as I transitioned into the presidency, was to oversee the replacement of members finishing their terms on committees and in other roles. I’ve been genuinely impressed by the energy and enthusiasm I’ve seen from our community for getting involved and helping the Society thrive at all levels, and I thank all of you who have agreed to serve in these positions.

I will highlight a few to give you a taste of what I have been experiencing! First, a big thank-you goes to past president, Shirley Mills, for her diligent service on the executive, and to our current past president, Erica Moodie, whose encouragement, wise advice, and steady hand have been helping me navigate the presidential learning curve! At the same time, I am very pleased to welcome Nathaniel Stevens as our new public relations officer, and to thank Rhonda Rosychuk for her excellent work in that roleand to congratulate her as she steps into the role of president-elect.

Thanks as well to everyone who finished their terms on the board in July (Asokan Variyath, Bouchra Nasri, Camila de Souza, and Hanna Jankowski) and to those who joined us anew (Connie Stewart, Archer Yang, Martin Lysy, Catherine Njue, Juxin Liu, and Daniel McDonald), as well as one member who did both (Christian Léger)! And of course, a special shout-out to our amazing office team, who keep everything running behind the scenes. 

Looking back over the summer, our annual meeting in Saskatoon was a tremendous success thanks to the hard work and dedication of so many. Special thanks go to program chair, Elif Acar, local arrangements cochairs, Juxin Liu and Shahedul Khan, and our meetings coordinator, Xin Gao, for their leadership and efforts. I am also grateful to all the members of the program and local arrangements committees, as well as the many volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly. Your efforts created a memorable and engaging event that truly showcased the very best of our community. Similarly, the CSSC meeting went extremely smoothly, with the organizing committee, cochaired by Amanda  Qiu and Jay Sivathayalan, doing an absolutely sterling job.

Our presence at JSM in Nashville was another highlight of the summer. Despite some challenging circumstances for Canadians, we had a strong and vibrant showing. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making the SSC’s participation a success, and a special thanks to those who helped staff the SSC information booth, and joined the informal SSC gathering. It was an extremely enjoyable evening—and a special thanks to Alison Gibbs who identified an excellent venue!

Looking ahead, plans for the SSC annual meeting in 2026 at McMaster University are already well underway. Program chair, Johanna Nešlehová, and local arrangements cochairs, Angelo Canty and Katherine Davies, are hard at work to ensure that we have a successful and enjoyable meeting. I also want to express my appreciation and support for this year’s CSSC organizing committee, led by cochairs, Mili Cortez and Jasper Zhang, who are putting in tremendous effort to create a valuable and engaing experience for our student community.