GREETINGS FROM THE IIA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD

There are few things that we, as professional internal auditors, could ask for beyond being recognized, trusted, and valued by our management, board, and audit customers! When I first began considering themes for my yearlong journey as your chairman, the concept of being recognized, trusted, valued kept making its way to the forefront of my mind. Simple, yet profound, these words express how our far our profession has come. They also point to the gap that currently exists between where we are now and where we hope to be in the future. From that perspective, its clear that much work still lies ahead!

Recently, as I observed more than 400 devoted volunteers working together so diligently on behalf of The IIA and our global profession at our International Committee Meetings in San Francisco, I was reminded that there has never been a better time than now to be an internal auditor. With all of this good work and our many achievements, however, people all around the world still ask, Why don't most people understand how important internal auditing is? and Will the world ever appreciate what internal auditors do? My response, which is always the same, reflects my personal belief about the extraordinary opportunity and responsibility we have to communicate our value. By making a personal and collective commitment, we can elevate the profession to a level at which our stakeholders will garner a deeper understanding and appreciation of us and what we do.

Just like our profession, The IIA has much to communicate. Last year, we developed the Governance Report to build awareness of our volunteer committee decisions and actions. Following our committee meetings directly after the International Conference and again after our Midyear Meetings, the Governance Report provides a comprehensive snapshot of committee activities and progress. For greater detail on specific committee accomplishments, please refer to the executive summary and individual committee meeting notebooks at www.theiia.org/committees. This information when used to the best advantage can help us avoid redundancy, facilitate appropriate coordination and leveraging of our work, and ensure that we are focusing on the most important issues facing our global membership today.

For the past five years, Dave Richards has played an integral role in The IIA's governance and operations as our president. It is fitting that I use this issue of the Governance Report to announce Dave's impending departure from The Institute. In deep appreciation of his dedication and service to The IIA and to our profession, I want to take this opportunity to publicly acknowledge and thank him for the difference he has made to both The IIA and our profession. He has significantly furthered the goals and reach of our organization, and he will be missed by our volunteers, staff, and the many members he has represented so well.

We have launched an international search for the next IIA president. This person will be accountable for running the operations of IIA Global Headquarters, promoting the continued globalization of our organization, helping advance our global profession, and providing leadership to ensure The IIA's 2008 - 2013 strategic plan becomes a reality. Interested candidates are encouraged to visit www.ekornferry.com to apply.

I thank you for your commitment and passion and for the trust you have put in me as your 2008-2009 Chairman of the Board. I look forward to a year of good things ahead, as together we work to make a difference for our profession and ensure that internal auditing is recognized, trusted, and valued.

Sincerely,

Patricia K. Miller, CIA