February President's Message

My oh my, I cannot believe it has been just over a year since I was sworn in as IAF President. Last week at our Annual Convention, I officially stepped down, and our next leader, Farshid Pourgolafshan has taken the reigns of our beloved association.

I will share with you all a little secret that a few of our board members are aware. I was very hesitant to throw my name in the ring for IAF President as I was very concerned with the time commitment this position would require of me. 

I did a lot of pondering, praying, and consulting with family and friends. It was ultimately my brother Eric who pushed me over the edge saying, “You’ve been asked to serve by some great people, you need to just do it.”

So after a year since I was sworn in, I can state the following:

The last year has seen a continuation of the last few years’ upward trajectory. Today IAF is bigger and stronger than it has been in many years. We can boast a membership of just over 500. We have continued to deliver Industry leading Educational Trainings for a variety of tracks within our industry. We initiated the first Clay Shoot (register for the 2026 event below) and developed a true war-chest for our Florida AlarmPAC, we have continued to refresh our CEU & BASA/FASA training modules, we now offer over 80 Hours of online training course, and on and on and on.

Notice I keep using the term “WE.” It is because none of these laurels could have been accomplished without the tireless efforts of the IAF staff and Board. The IAF Team, led by our Executive Director Shannon Few, has allowed our association to stand out as a first-class operation. As for the Board, I am very proud to be associated with these professionals from our Industry, many of whom I now consider good friends, who continuously volunteer their time for the betterment of our association, and ultimately the industry. There are too many Individuals who have done amazing work to mention in this short message, but to you all, I want to express a sincere THANK YOU!

It has been an honor to be your President, and I think that I indeed made a mark, I hope you feel the same way too!

Raising the Bar - One Achievement at a Time,

Diego R. del Pino
IAF President