I would like to first reaffirm how honored I am to have been invited to be the Chairman of the Board of Directors at CMIS. It has been a great pleasure to work with the administrators, teachers, and staff here at this fine institution.
I am particularly pleased that the decision has been made for the school to remain on this historic campus. The school moved here in 1958 and it has been the center of not only school activity, but also the wider Chiang Mai community activity since that time. Over the decades, this campus has been home to both education and recreation for families in Chiang Mai, and that has imbued the place with a real sense of history and nostalgia for people across the globe. By remaining here, we honor their time and their legacy here at the school.
There is also a real financial benefit for remaining on this campus. Had we moved campus, the school would have had to borrow many millions of Baht that would have taken many years and great sacrifice to pay off. By remaining here on this campus, we will be able to renew the campus and remain within our reasonable financial abilities without incurring unnecessary debt.
CMIS is currently in conversation with architects about the best way to move forwards with our campus development. This process is going well and is progressing in a very positive and very exciting way. I would like to thank the administrators and the staff who are responsible for this important project. I would also like to thank the fine architects for their excellent work and guidance in this area. The combined efforts of the school and the architects to prepare our campus for the future generations of students is so vital, and I am grateful for their contributions. As this process continues and we get input from the faculty and parents, I am confident that we will have a wonderful facility that will support the excellent standards of education that CMIS has been known for and will continue to be known for in the future.
To support the campus development, I have volunteered to chair the newly established Fund-raising Committee for CMIS. I am looking forward to working closely with Andrew McRady, Peay Tananone, and Martha Butt who worked closely with me in the fund-raising efforts at Payap University. In order to improve my skills in the area of fund-raising, I will be attending the Asian Pacific Advancement Conference in Singapore. This is a regional conference that focuses on the best ways to structure and build programs within the organization which foster development and advancement of institutional programs. I am looking forward to working closely with this new CMIS Fund-raising Committee. Together, we will find new resources and support for CMIS from both within Thailand and from abroad. I also hope that the CMIS alumni, parents, and community will support our campus development and our fund-raising efforts.
I would like to wish all of you happiness, peace, and joy at this Christmas time, and may the New Year 2015 bring you the best in all things.
May God’s blessing be upon us all in this holy season.
Dr. Amnuay Tapingkae
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Chiang Mai International School